Difference between revisions of "South Pacific Coast Railway"

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===The Tunnels===
===The Tunnels===
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In 1887 a total of ten tunnels existed between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. In 1893 the Wright's tunnel portal was rebuilt following a massive slide. In 1902 tunnel No. 1, 1.4 miles south of Los Gatos, was day lighted after the third rail was installed to Wright's.<ref>''Santa Cruz Morning Sentinel'' February 25, 1903, page1</ref>  
A total of ten tunnels were dug between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. Eight were dug by the South Pacific Coast contractors and two by Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad contractors. In 1880 when the SPCRR opened between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz eight tunnels were in use. Of the other two, one collapsed shortly after construction and the other was abandoned after a new lower, straighter, and larger tunnel was dug.
 
{|class="wikitable"
|+Tunnels of the South Pacific Coast Railway
|-
!No.
!Location
!Built By
!Year Open
!Length
!Enlarged for Standard Gauge
!Abandoned
!Note
|-
|1
|1.4 miles south of Los Gatos
|SPCRR
|March 1880
|191 feet
|
|
|February 1903-Dual gauge track bypasses tunnel.<ref>''Santa Cruz Morning Sentinel'' February 25, 1903, page 1</ref> Day-lighted soon after.
|-
|2
|Between Wright's and Highland
|SPCRR
|April 1880
|6,150 feet
|
|
|December 1892-Massive slide at Wright's end.<ref>''San Francisco Call'' December 30, 1893, page 2</ref> Concrete tunnel portal, dam, and spillway completed November 1893<ref>''Santa Cruz Daily Sentinel'' October 19, 1893, page 3</ref>
|-
|3
|Between Highland and Glenwood
|SPCRR
|October 1879
|5,850 feet
|
|
|
|-
|4
|South of Clem's
|SPCRR
|December 1878
|912 feet
|
|
|
|-
|5
|0.5 miles north of Doughtery's
|SPCRR
|February 1879<ref>''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' February 22, 1879, page 3</ref>
|300 feet
|
|
|
|-
|6
|1 mile south of Big Trees
|SPCRR
|
|338 feet
|
|January 1993
|
|-
|none
|0.25 miles south of Rincon
|SC&FRR
|August 1875<ref>''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' August 21, 1879, page 3</ref>
|125 feet
|
|October 1879
|
|-
|7
|0.25 miles south of Rincon
|SPCRR
|October 1879<ref>''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' October 4, 1879, page 3</ref>
|282 feet
|
|
|Built slightly to the west and below tunnel No.8 reducing the curvature and grade and increasing the height of original tunnel<ref>''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' July 26, 1879, page 3</ref>
|-
|8
|Misson Hill, Santa Cruz
|SC&FRR
|October 1876
|918 feet
|
|Still in use
|
|}


===Locomotives===
===Locomotives===

Revision as of 09:45, 25 July 2020

This page is under construction

Contributors: John F. Hall;



SPSPCemblem.jpg In May 1887 the South Pacific Coast Railway was formed by a consolidation[1] of the South Pacific Coast Railroad, the Bay & Coast Railroad, the Oakland Township Railroad, the Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad, the San Francisco and Colorado River Railroad, the Felton & Pescadero Railroad, and the Almaden Branch Railroad for the purpose of transferring the consolidated railroad to new owners. The information on this page is for the Southern Pacific leased line, the 1887-1937 South Pacific Coast Railway.

Brief Description

Corporate History

The South Pacific Coast Railway was formed in May 1887 as a consolidation of the: South Pacific Coast Railroad Company; Bay and Coast Railroad Company; Oakland Township Railroad Company; San Francisco and Colorado River Railroad; Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad Company; Felton and Pescadero Railroad Company; and the Alameda Branch Railroad Company. At the time of consolidation the stockholders of the South Pacfic Coast Railway were: James G. Fair, 44,844 1/2 Shares; Charles S. Neal, 10,048 shares; Alfred E. Davis, 4900 1/2 shares; Charles Stewart, 79 shares; E. J. Coleman, 25 shares; L. B. Benchley, 23 shares; E. J. Swift, 20 shares; R. H. Hall, 20 shares; Henry Skinner, 20 shares; E. J. Cox, 15 shares; S. V. Mooney, 1 share; Seth Cook, 1 share; E. S. Pillsbury, 1 share; V. W. Gaskill, 1 share; and Luther Fillmore,1 share.[2] A total value of $6,000,000 or 60,000 shares at a par value of $100 each.

The consolidation was made to facilitate the transfer of the South Pacific Coast Railroad and its leased lines to new owners. The new consolidation was debt free. To pay for the transfer to the new owners the South Pacific Coast Railway, right-of-way, rolling stock, track, buildings, etc., was mortgaged for $5,500,000. The mortgage was guaranteed by the Southern Pacific Company. The mortgage company, The Farmers' Loan and Trust Co. of New York, then issued Bonds to the stock holders of the SPCRY. Finally, after an additional cash payment of $500,000 the stock holders then transfered their shares to Leland Stanford, C. P. Huntington, and Charles Crocker.[3]

On August 1, 1887 a new Board of Directors of the SPCRY was elected. The Directors were Leland Stanford, C. P. Huntington, Charles Crocker, Charles F. Crocker, Timothy Hopkins, W. V. Huntington, and N. T. Smith. Leland Stanford was elected President and Charles F. Crocker Vice-President.[4] The Board then leased the SPCRY to the Southern Pacific Company.

The Narrow Gauge Years

1887-1908

Conversion to Standard Gauge

1893 - 1908


Crossings

The SPCRwy crossed Southern Pacific railroads five times. At each crossing the South Pacific Coast was required to stop before crossing.

In Oakland
Seventh Street - SPC/SP Double track crossing double track
First Street - SPC/SP Double track crossing double track.
In Alameda
Pacific Avenue - SPC/SP Double track crossing single track
In Santa Clara
Single track crossing SPC/SP
In Santa Cruz
Two single track crossings SPC/SP

The Tunnels

A total of ten tunnels were dug between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. Eight were dug by the South Pacific Coast contractors and two by Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad contractors. In 1880 when the SPCRR opened between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz eight tunnels were in use. Of the other two, one collapsed shortly after construction and the other was abandoned after a new lower, straighter, and larger tunnel was dug.

Tunnels of the South Pacific Coast Railway
No. Location Built By Year Open Length Enlarged for Standard Gauge Abandoned Note
1 1.4 miles south of Los Gatos SPCRR March 1880 191 feet February 1903-Dual gauge track bypasses tunnel.[5] Day-lighted soon after.
2 Between Wright's and Highland SPCRR April 1880 6,150 feet December 1892-Massive slide at Wright's end.[6] Concrete tunnel portal, dam, and spillway completed November 1893[7]
3 Between Highland and Glenwood SPCRR October 1879 5,850 feet
4 South of Clem's SPCRR December 1878 912 feet
5 0.5 miles north of Doughtery's SPCRR February 1879[8] 300 feet
6 1 mile south of Big Trees SPCRR 338 feet January 1993
none 0.25 miles south of Rincon SC&FRR August 1875[9] 125 feet October 1879
7 0.25 miles south of Rincon SPCRR October 1879[10] 282 feet Built slightly to the west and below tunnel No.8 reducing the curvature and grade and increasing the height of original tunnel[11]
8 Misson Hill, Santa Cruz SC&FRR October 1876 918 feet Still in use

Locomotives

South Pacific Coast Railway Locomotive Roster

Rolling Stock

Ferryboats

Newark

Bay City

Garden City

Freight boat, tracks on deck

Encinal

Passenger and Freight boat, tracks on deck Ordered by the South Pacific Coast Railroad and delivered to the South Pacific Coast Railway



References

  1. ↑ Daily Alta California, May 26, 1887, page 6
  2. ↑ Daily Alta California May 25, 1887, page 2
  3. ↑ Sacramento Daily Record-Union July 16, 1887, page 4
  4. ↑ Daily Alta California August 2, 1887, page 1
  5. ↑ Santa Cruz Morning Sentinel February 25, 1903, page 1
  6. ↑ San Francisco Call December 30, 1893, page 2
  7. ↑ Santa Cruz Daily Sentinel October 19, 1893, page 3
  8. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel February 22, 1879, page 3
  9. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel August 21, 1879, page 3
  10. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel October 4, 1879, page 3
  11. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel July 26, 1879, page 3

Reference Material Available Online

Photographs

Collected South Pacific Coast Railroad Photographs. Images collected from private collections, libraries and historical societies.

Maps

The South Pacific Coast Railroad ca. 1886 for Google Earth By John Hall

Trackage

SPC Track Status

South Pacific Coast Track Status Timeline by John Hall.

A timeline of track life, including: construction, service dates and gauge changes.

Color Cards

Color swatches using PMS color representing the paint layers found on the carbody.

Color Card: South Pacific Coast - Coach #39: Body PDF icon 1.48 MB

Color Card: South Pacific Coast - Caboose #47: Body PDF 0.88 MB

Color Card: South Pacific Coast - Coach #42 circa 1904. by Andrew Brandon PDF 0.97 MB Drawn to Southern Pacific Common Standards, using paint samples taken from Coach #39 by Randy Hees, Dimensional Data from Mike Collins and Bruce MacGregor.

Organizations

Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources. Dedicated to the preservation of equipment built by the Carter Brothers and other car builders of the west coast.

Further Reading

MacGregor, Bruce A., South Pacific Coast, Howell-North 1868
MacGregor, Bruce A., Narrow Gauge Portrait South Pacific Coast, Glenwood 1975
MacGregor and Truesdale, A Centennial South Pacific Coast, Pruett 1982
MacGregor, Bruce A., The Birth of California Narrow Gauge, Stanford 2003
MacGregor, Bruce, The Centennial History of Newark, Newark Days 1876
Holmes, Norman W., Prune Country Railroading, Shade Tree 1985
Hamman, Rick, California Central Coast Railways, Pruett 1980
Shaw, Fisher, Highland, Oil Lamps and Iron Ponies, Bay Books 1849
Ford, Robert S., Red Trains in the East Bay, Interurban 1977
McCaleb, Charles S., Surf, Sand & Streetcars, Interurban 1977
Harlan, George H., Ferryboats, Howell-North 1967
Bruntz, George G., History of Los Gatos, Valley 1971


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