San Francisco and San Jose Rail Road
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| San Francisco & San Jose Rail Road | |
|---|---|
| Reporting marks | SFSJ |
| Locale | San Francisco, California to San Jose, California |
| Dates of operation | 1863–1870 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
The San Francisco & San Jose Rail Road was a railroad incorporated on August 18, 1860 and consists of 49.5 miles of track running the San Francisco Peninsula from San Francisco, California to San Jose, California. The president of the company was listed as Timothy Dame with company headquarters in San Francisco.
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[edit] History
The San Francisco & San Jose Rail Road began grading and construction of the line on July 15, 1861 using redwood ties and 50 pound rail.
The line was opened for service on October 17, 1863 between San Francisco and Menlo Park, the first railroad track system in the state.[1] On January 16, 1864 the rest of the line from Menlo Park to San Jose was opened. The railroad only survived 7 years and was consolidated on October 12, 1870 into the Southern Pacific Railroad.
The first full-sized steam locomotive produced in the state of California, an American 4-4-0, was built for the SF&SJRR by the Union Iron Works in San Francisco. It was appropriately named the "California". Its inaugural run was August 30, 1865, during which it set a speed record of 67 mph (107 km/h).[1]
[edit] History timeline
- 1861-1863 Line Constructed
- 1864-1870 Operated by San Francisco & San Jose Rail Road
- 1870-1980 Southern Pacific Operates Line (Passenger/Freight)
- 1980-1987 Southern Pacific Operates Freight & CalTrain Operates Commuter
- 1987-1991 Southern Pacific Operates Freight & Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB) Operates CalTrain commuter.
- 1991 PCJPB purchases line from Southern Pacific
- 1991-1996 PCJPB/Amtrak operate CalTrain Commuter & Southern Pacific operates freight via trackage rights
- 1996-Present PCJPB/Amtrak operate CalTrain Commuter & Union Pacific operates freight via trackage rights
[edit] The route today
Today the tracks are owned by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, also known as CalTrain that operates commuter rail over the route. Union Pacific maintains trackage rights over the line for freight traffic.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b About Henry Mayo Newhall. Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation (2000). Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
[edit] References
- Robertson, Donald B. (1998). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History - Volume IV - California. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers. ISBN 0-87004-385-4.
