(Video Below) The Santa Susana Train Depot & Museum is a major historical landmark for Simi Valley. Constructed by Southern Pacific Railroad in 1903, this was a typical design used for a Southern Pacific railway station with living quarters for the station operator upstairs. Until the spring of 1904 all trains traveling to Los Angeles had to go west out of Simi Valley and then be transferred onto the line that would go out through Santa Paula into the Saugus Newhall area. The Construction of the tunnel through the Santa Susana Mountains in the Chatsworth began in 1900 and was not completed until the spring of 1904.
The Santa Susana Train Depot was originally located at Tapo Street and Los Angeles Ave. The Depot served passengers and freight and also was a communication hub for the community with telegraph and telegram service. The Santa Susana Train Depot remained in service until 1963 and in 1973 was sold to the Rancho Santa Susana Park District for one dollar. In 1974 the depot was moved at a cost of $70,000 to the east end of Simi Valley. The Depot sat to the location at Katherine for close to 10 years before any renovation was done to the building. The structure suffered from vandalism, graffiti and fire.
The renovations took place from 1983 ending in 1996 with its opening to the public. The station now serves as a museum. The ticket house and office resembles a scene from 1930s. A section the main structure is operated by the Santa Susana Railroad Historical Society which maintains an HO scale model train which resembles the Simi Valley area during the 1950s. The SSRHS operates trains on weekends for the public. Private tours are available. The back end of the structure is large open area which can be rented for meetings or groups. The building is well-maintained by the Rancho Simi Foundation and volunteers. It is one of the few remaining original structures of its kind. This is a great educational outing for the entire family. The station house has many buttons to push that operate signals, the telegraph and telegram machines; lots of fun for kids of any age (even us older ones) and definitely a must see for Simi Valley.
For information on times, location and events please visit
Santa Susana Railroad Historical Society
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