I found myself in Sacramento with time to kill, and visited the most excellent California State Railway Museum.  Highly recommended.

Who doesn't love trains?  This is a 1/3 scale replica - fully functional - which greets you right when you walk in.

Nothing replica about this old Iron Horse.  You can practically hear the whistle blowing.

The scene into the body of the museum.  The passenger cars as as luxurious as the locomotives are spartan.

A work of art, locomotives from the late 1800s were decorated as if they were indoor sculpture.

"Engine One", mascot of the Southern Pacfic Railroad Company

An incredibly well preserved early 1900s engine and coal cars.

This guy looks as powerful as 400 horses, which he was.

A cool roundhouse outside the museum routed the trains into the building.

Early 1920s fire truck, configured to "ride the rails".

Model trains too of course; and they have quiet a nice setup.

A rare Lionel collectors piece.

This hand-built model really works.
And it worked for me :)