North Pacific Coast Railroad

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The North Pacific Coast Railroad (NPC) was a common carrier Template:RailGauge narrow-gauge steam railroad begun in 1874 and sold in 1902 to new owners who renamed it the North Shore Railroad (California) (NSR) and rebuilt the southern section into a standard-gauge electric railway.[1]

The NPC operated in the northern California counties of Marin and Sonoma that carried redwood lumber, local dairy and agricultural products, express and passengers. The NPC operated almost Script error: No such module "convert". of track that extended from a pier at Sausalito (which connected the line via ferry to San Francisco) and operated northwest to Duncans Mills and Cazadero (also known as Ingrams). The NPC became the North Shore Railroad (California) (NSR) on March 7, 1902. In 1907 the North Shore Railroad became part of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP). Southern portions of the line were standard gauged and electrified by the North Shore for suburban passenger service, though tracks north of Point Reyes Station remained Template:RailGauge narrow gauge until abandonment in the late 1930s.

Route

File:North Pacific Coast Railroad - Tomales Bay.jpg
Portion of route along Tomales Bay
File:North Pacific Coast RR 1887 ad.jpg
Schedule and rates for March 1887 (note the spelling for Sausalito)

Mileposts conform to Southern Pacific Railroad convention of distance from San Francisco:[2]

Subsequent to abandonment, a Script error: No such module "convert". segment around Samuel P. Taylor State Park was converted into a rail trail: the Cross Marin Trail.[3][4] It includes a segment in Tocaloma as well as the bridge over Lagunitas Creek and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

Electrification

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File:Northwestern Pacific 1939 map.png
1939 map of electric service

The NSR was operated by John Martin and Eugene de Sabla Jr., pioneers in the electric railroad business. The southern Script error: No such module "convert". of line were modernized to allow operation of standard-gauge electric passenger cars in addition to narrow-gauge steam-powered freight trains. Electric cars sometimes shared dual-gauge tracks with the steam trains, while at other locations a separate track for the electric cars was constructed parallel to the narrow-gauge route. The line was ultimately double tracked from Sausalito to San Anselmo except for the Alto tunnel. A power house was built at Alto and power was also purchased at San Rafael. Direct current electrical power was transmitted to the trains at 600 volts by a third rail (which was actually a fourth rail on the dual-gauge segments.)[5] Service started to Mill Valley on August 20, 1903, and to San Rafael on October 17, 1903. It was the first United States steam railroad electrified for operational efficiency rather than for smoke abatement. The railroad established practices later used in Grand Central Terminal and the interborough subways of New York City.[6] The electric lines were expanded after 1907 as part of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. Interurban services ceased on February 28, 1941.[7]

Locomotives

Photograph Number Name Builder Type Date Works number Notes[8]
1 Saucelito Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-0Template:Whyte suffix 1873 3495 sold to White Lumber Company of Elk, California 1876[9]
2 San Rafael Mason Machine Works 0-4-4Template:Whyte suffix 1874 537 burned at Tomales 1905 & rebuilt became NWP #89[10]
3 Tomales Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1875 3722 became NWP #83[11]
4 Olema Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1874 3629 wrecked 1894 & rebuilt became NWP #81[12]
5 Bodega Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1875 3703 dismantled by 1897[13]
6 Valley Ford Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1874 3664 leased to Dollar Lumber Company in 1899[14]
7 Tamalpais Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1875 3721 [15]
8 Bully Boy Mason Machine Works 0-6-6Template:Whyte suffix 1877 584 burned at Tomales 1905[16]
9 M. S. Latham Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1875 3749 wrecked 14 January 1894 at Elim Grove trestle over Austin Creek[17]
10 Bloomfield Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1876 3840 sold 1895 Guatemala Western #1
11 Marin Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1876 3842 became NWP #82[18]
12 Sonoma Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1876 3843 sold 1879 Nevada Central #5 (preserved at California State Railroad Museum)[19]
13 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-0Template:Whyte suffix 1883 6611 became NWP #195[20]
14 Brooks Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1891 1885 became NWP #92[21]
15 Brooks Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1891 1886 became NWP #90[22]
16 Brooks Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1894 2421 became NWP #91[23]
17 Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1875 3749 NPC 1894 rebuild of wreck-damaged #9 wrecked again in 1900[24]
18 Brooks Locomotive Works 4-6-0Template:Whyte suffix 1899 3418 reputedly the largest Template:RailGauge gauge locomotive in the world when built. Became NWP #145 then #95[25]
20 NPC Sausalito shop 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1900 1 became NWP #84[26]
File:North Pacific Coast Railroad (NPC) No 21 at Howards.jpg 21 Thomas-Stetson NPC Sausalito shop 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1901 2 cab-forward rebuild of #5 scrapped 1905[27][28][29][30]
22 Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-4-0Template:Whyte suffix 1874 3664 former #6 renumbered when returned from Dollar Lumber Company in 1901[14]

Roster of electric cars

Number Builder Type Date Capacity Notes
101-112 St. Louis Car Co. Trailers 1902 66 seats twelve unpowered open platform wooden trailers; #102 built in North Shore shops[31]
201-202 North Shore shops Motors 1904 32 seats & baggage/mail/express compartment two vestibuled wooden motors converted from narrow-gauge Pullman coaches built in 1879[32]
203 North Shore shops Motor 1904 50 seats open platform wooden motor converted from narrow-gauge Pullman coach built in 1879; renumbered 309[31]
301-308 St. Louis Car Co. Motors 1902 64 to 70 seats open platform wooden motors; #303-308 built in North Shore shops[33]
350-358 St. Louis Car Co. Motors 1902 36 seats & baggage/mail/express compartment nine vestibuled wooden motors[32]
401-404 North Shore shops Trailers 1904 66 seats four unpowered open platform wooden trailers converted from narrow-gauge Pullman coaches built in 1879[31]

Ferries

Remains

All of the NPC trackage has been abandoned either by the NPC or the NWP. Some of the original right of way can be seen at the Samuel P. Taylor State Park near Fairfax, and along the shores of Tomales Bay and Keyes Estuary. Former stations remain in San Anselmo, Duncans Mills, and Point Reyes Station. The wooden water tank and a freight shed are maintained and in good condition at Freestone.

One NPC steam locomotive, No.12 the "Sonoma," remains as a restored static exhibit in its circa 1870s appearance at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. The firm of Carter Brothers provided engineering and contract services, and also built many cars for the line.[34] A flatcar NS 1725 and caboose NS 2002 (as NWP 6101)[35] have been restored and are operated by the Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources at its Railroad Museum at Ardenwood in Fremont, CA. Several former railroad cars are located at Duncans Mills; one, a former passenger coach, was used as the Point Reyes Station library beginning in 1931.[36][37]

References

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Floyd, Donald R. California Narrow Gauge: The Role of Narrow-Gauge Railroads in California's Transportation Network, pp. 49-53, The Gibson Press, Mountain View, California, 1970.
  2. ↑ Stindt (1964) pp.88-89
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Stindt (1964) p.31
  6. ↑ Demoro (1986) pp.13 & 88
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Dickinson (1970) pp.132-133
  9. ↑ Dickinson (1974) p.27
  10. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.27,72-74,108,110 & 155
  11. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.5,63,67,136 & 150
  12. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.10,68,87 & 148
  13. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.40 & 137
  14. ↑ a b Kneiss (1956) p.140
  15. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.66-67,115 & 134
  16. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.50,134 & 156
  17. ↑ Dickinson (1970) pp.46 & 83-83
  18. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.88-89
  19. ↑ Dickinson (1974) p.46
  20. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.55,80 & 116
  21. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.87,109.113,& 136
  22. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.76,109 & 137
  23. ↑ Dickinson (1974) p.82
  24. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.70,96 & 120
  25. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.91 & 155
  26. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.2,92,107 & 114
  27. ↑ Dickinson (1974) pp.93-94,115 & 156
  28. ↑ Patented water tube boiler: Patent #682,765, application filed 20 June 1901, patent granted 17 September 1901.
  29. ↑ Patented cab forward: Patent #35,806, application filed 25 November 1901, patent granted 11 March 1902.
  30. ↑ Kyle K Wyatt: Cab Forward Locomotives, 30 November 2006.
  31. ↑ a b c Stindt (1964) p.214
  32. ↑ a b Stindt (1964) p.220
  33. ↑ Stindt (1964) p.218
  34. ↑ MacGregor, Bruce. The Birth of California Narrow Gauge: A Regional Study of the Technology of Thomas and Martin Carter, pp. 1, 590-2, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 2003. Template:ISBN.
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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