CTRC

About Us

The California Trolley and Railroad Corporation (CTRC) was inspired by a visit to Seattle in 1982 by then Santa Clara County Supervisor and Transit Board Chair Rod Diridon. Diridon observed Seattle's historic waterfront trolleys in operation and felt that San Jose had the history and resources to do the same. After nine years of planning and with the approval of a master plan and taxes, the County of Santa Clara signed a full funding grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation for construction of the Guadalupe Corridor light rail line. Diridon, the chair of the Guadalupe Project Board, felt a historical component would promote community enthusiasm and give the project a heart.

In early 1983, the San Jose Trolley Corporation (SJTC) incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit California corporation.

As part of a different effort, the Santa Clara Valley Railroad Association (SCVRRA) was founded in 1981 to restore a massive Southern Pacific Transportation Corporation Baldwin locomotive. Engine 2479 was given to the county in 1957 and stored at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.

In 1994, these two organizations merged to create the California Trolley and Railroad Corporation (CTRC).