On weekends in the Berkeley Hills, you can sometimes hear a steam whistle before you see anything. It comes from the Redwood Valley Railway, a miniature steam railroad in Tilden Regional Park that has carried families through its own planted redwood forest since 1952.

How it started

Erich Thomsen, an engineer for the Western Pacific Railroad, founded it as the Tilden South Gate and Pacific Railway on a 12-inch-gauge track. The site, near the base of Vollmer Peak, had previously been an anti-aircraft gun emplacement. About 800 redwoods were planted when the line was laid out, and they are mature trees now. In 1968 the railway switched to 15-inch gauge, roughly one-quarter scale, so two adults can sit side by side. The equipment is modeled on American narrow-gauge railroads, and two of its locomotives have traveled to England to run on 15-inch lines there.

The track is now about 1.25 miles long. Thomsen's daughter, Ellen Thomsen, took over after he died in 1995. Berkeleyside, citing her, describes her as having worked there since she was old enough to see over the ticket counter.

The lease fight

The railway's lease with the East Bay Regional Park District expired in 2019, and it has operated month to month since then. In fall 2025 Ellen Thomsen went public, telling the park board she might have to leave. Berkeleyside reported in March 2026 that the district had then agreed to several of her long-standing demands:

  • rent of 2% of sales, plus 8% to a maintenance fund
  • a security residence for live-in staff
  • dropping the district's right of first refusal to buy the railway
  • a side deal for a Roundhouse addition

Talks were still going on at the time, including over whether to call the contract a "license" or an "agreement." "This is our chance to get it right for the next 20 years," Thomsen said. Acting general manager Max Korten called the train "such a cool, unique thing for the community."

Riding it

Rides last about 12 to 15 minutes and cost $4, according to Berkeleyside. The train runs on weekends year-round, weather permitting, and daily in summer. Leashed dogs can ride. Special events include an Anniversary Meet in early June, when most of the locomotives are under steam, and "Winterfest" in early December, when the train runs after dark. Check current hours before you drive up, and pair the trip with the nearby Tilden Little Farm or the merry-go-round.