Help us rebuild and complete the Historic 1904 Tehachapi Depot which was tragically destroyed by fire on June 13, 2008. Your support can help restore the Depot to its historical place in the community – as the corner stone of beautiful downtown Tehachapi and the center of life of a small farming and ranching community until the last passenger train departed in 1971.

Once rebuilt, the Depot will house an orientation center for the Tehachapi Loop, the engineering marvel that literally put Tehachapi on the map in 1876 when trains pulled by steam engines were first able to climb over the Tehachapi Mountains. In fact, the first building in Tehachapi was a small telegraph shack.

The rebuilt Depot will be home to the famous Stokoe Collection of functioning outdoor mechanical signals, used beginning the 1800s. The collection also includes over 275 additional items such as phones, lamps and other items from a Stationmaster’s desk, the nerve center of any railway station. Railway china from the luxurious and romantic days of Dining Cars, tools of the working railroad men, a one of a kind collection of lanterns and caboose furnishings will help tell the story of the treacherous route through the Tehachapi Mountains.

Tehachapi and The Tehachapi Loop remains one of the most heavily traveled freight routes in the nation, with over 40 trains a day passing through.

“Back on Track” – Who We Are

We are made up of volunteers from the Friends of The Tehachapi Depot (FOTD), the Tehachapi Heritage League, Main Street Tehachapi and other individuals. The 1904 Depot is being rebuilt according to the original floor plan and will house the Stokoe Collection of railroad artifacts and other items that are donated.

All monetary contributions and donations of historic railroad items for the completion of the historic Tehachapi Depot and Railroad Museum are tax deductible to the full extent of the law, as FOTD is a non-profit organization under IRS regulations 501(c)3.

100% of collected funds will be transferred to the City of Tehachapi, which is acting as the lead agency in rebuilding the Depot. Funds may be used for construction, landscaping, and installing the Railroad Museum in the rebuilt Depot. The goal for completion is to have the Depot open in time for the 2009 Tehachapi Centennial Celebration.