Tehachapi Railroad Depot

Tehachapi
The station building in January 2008
General information
Location101 W. Tehachapi Boulevard
Tehachapi, California
History
Rebuilt1904
Services
Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station
Caliente San Joaquin Valley Line Mojave
Bakersfield San Joaquin Daylight
Bakersfield
toward Sacramento
Sacramento Daylight
Tehachapi Railroad Depot
Tehachapi Railroad Depot is located in California
Tehachapi Railroad Depot
Tehachapi Railroad Depot is located in the United States
Tehachapi Railroad Depot
Coordinates35°7′57″N 118°26′53″W / 35.13250°N 118.44806°W / 35.13250; -118.44806
Arealess than one acre
Built1904 (1904)
Built bySouthern Pacific Railroad
Architectural styleBungalow/craftsman
NRHP reference No.99001263[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 20, 1999

The Tehachapi Railroad Depot was a railroad station in Tehachapi, California. The Southern Pacific Railroad built the line through the area in 1876. The depot was built in 1904 after the original station building was destroyed in a fire.[2] the railroad founded the town of Tehachapi and drew the residents of nearby Tehichipa to the new settlement. The depot served a significant section of railroad, as it was located near the Tehachapi Loop and was one of the most active rural stations during World War II. The station later served as a warehouse and a railroad office.[3]

This railroad that crossed the Tehachapi Summit and came through Tehachapi was the second transcontinental railroad. The museum has a collection of old railroad tools and signals, photos and newspaper articles, lanterns, and dining cart china. Much of this came from the family of Bill Stokoe, a retired railroad worker who passed away in 1999.[4]

In 2008, the depot burned down; it was rebuilt in 2009 and now serves as the Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum with historic railroad artifacts.[5]

The original depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 20, 1999. Although the original depot no longer exists, it remains on the National Register.[1]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Gordon, Ed (April 30, 2022). "Union Pacific Railroad". The Loop. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Troy, D.; M. Farrell; S. Bovi; D. Pickard; J. C. Sammis (June 22, 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Tehachapi Railroad Depot". National Park Service. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
  4. ^ Mayer, Steven (July 23, 2023). "Visitor Guide - Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum". Tehachapi News. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  5. ^ "History". Tehachapi Depot Museum. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2013.