During a chartered day outing in an old Oakland streetcar in 1946, a group of railway enthusiasts learned that the very car they were in was to be dismantled and scrapped within a week. On the spot, they bought the streetcar and the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association was born. In this spirit of historical preservation, many streetcars and interurbans were collected in the following years, along with smaller artifacts such as photographs, signage, and record books. This collection now lives at Rio Vista Junction, an actual train stop on the electrically-powered Sacramento Northern main line. Since 1985 it's been known as the Western Railway Museum. The 22-acre location with large, shaded picnic grounds is ideal for family and group outings. Over 50 historic cars are on display, along with 22 miles of track—5 of which have been restored to their original standard—and train rides. A 12,000 square-foot, mission-style Visitor and Archive Center awaits the more studious visitors, and guided tours are available of the Loring C. Jensen Memorial Car House, a fully-enclosed artifact storage and display facility.