The Railroad Stations of Central California

Forty-two structures built as passenger depots in California’s San Joaquin Valley region have survived the decline of railroad travel that began more than 70 years ago. At least as many depots have vanished and further attrition seems likely. Current stations fall into three functional categories with several subtypes: railroad, including active Amtrak stops and other railroad activities; recycle, including civic, retail, and other; and idle. Depots of the other railroad activities type and some of the recycle types, as well as the idle group, are seen as being especially vulnerable. Amtrak is viewed as a semi-stable force for station preservation. Depot conversion to non-railroad uses, the principal means of preservation, is examined as to the circumstances attending the recycling process, including the nature of stations and their settings, funding sources, and entrepreneurship.