On May 2, 1981, the California State Railroad Museum opened to the public, as did the Museum Library. The library has been an integral component of California State Railroad Museum since the project's inception. The focus of the Library collection is the history of railroads and railroading in California and the adjacent states from the 1850s to the present. Collections also cover selected railroad topics throughout North America, including Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Emphasis is on acquiring materials relating to the social, economic, political, cultural, technological and environmental impacts that the industry has had, and continues to have, on the region.
The California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives’ digital collection at California Revealed consists of moving images, audio recordings, texts, and still images from the 1860s through the 2000s. The majority of the collection consists of ephemera related to the railroad industry - including railroad advertisements, time tables, dining car menus, and train car images - and covers subjects and topics such as the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, the Santa Fe Railroad company, and more. Also included are promotional films, oral histories, postcards, and other historical artifacts illuminating the history of California railroads.
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