National City Depot

About National City Depot

National City Depot is a streetcar and railroad history museum operated by the San Diego Electric Railway Association within an historic Santa Fe railroad station in National City. Visitors explore exhibits focused on San Diego's electric railway system, which operated from the late 1800s to 1949, and the region's broader rail heritage. The two-story building, originally constructed by the California Southern Railroad in 1882, still stands alongside active railroad tracks at its original location. The museum's collection includes vintage streetcars such as Car 54, one of the oldest cars with roots in San Diego's cable car and early electric railway systems, and SD Trolley Car 1002, a recently retired Light Rail Vehicle that demonstrated the viability of light rail transit in American cities. An O-Scale model railroad exhibit operated by the museum's 3-Rail group is also part of the displays. Train enthusiasts, local historians, and visitors interested in transportation history will find the restored depot showcases San Diego's railroad heritage spanning from 1890 to 2015.