South Pacific Coast Railroad

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The South Pacific Coast Railroad was incorporated on March 20, 1876.[1] It operated until May 21, 1887 when it and it's various leased lines were consolidated into the South Pacific Coast Railway.[2] The SPCRwy stock was sold and transferred to Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker and Collis Huntington on August 1, 1887[3] . These gentlemen then leased the SPCRwy to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. The information on this page is for the independent 1876-1887 South Pacific Coast Railroad.

Route of the SPCRR

Brief Description

A trip on the three foot narrow gauge South Pacific Coast Railroad began in San Francisco where two ferry slips on the south side of the ferry building at the foot of Market Street served the railroad. One slip was for passenger travel and the other was for freight. Three ferryboats, the Newark, Bay City, and Garden City operated between the San Francisco Ferry building and Alameda. Between 1878 and 1884 the Alameda ferry terminal was at Alameda Point. In March 1884 a new Alameda passenger ferry terminal opened out in the Bay via a 2.75 mile long trestle.[4] Freight continued to be handled at the Alameda Point freight ferry slip.

From Alameda the railroad went down the east side of San Francisco Bay to San Jose passing the communities of Alvarado, Newark, Alviso, and Santa Clara. From San Jose the railroad began its trek over the Santa Cruz Mountains with a gentle grade up Los Gatos Creek passing Campbell's and Los Gatos before traveling through the first tunnel and tackling the steeper grade to Wright's. At Wright's the railroad passed through a 6,157 foot tunnel to Highland (later Laurel) and through a 5,793 foot tunnel to Glenwood. Then traversing a short tunnel came out on Zayante creek where it traveled downgrade passing through another short tunnel before reaching Felton. Crossing the San Lorenzo River at Big Trees it joined the Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad for the trip down the narrow San Lorenzo River canyon to Santa Cruz passing through three more tunnels along the way. Two major branches were constructed. One between Felton and Boulder Creek to serve the redwood lumber industries and one between Campbell's and New Almaden to serve the Quicksilver Mines and the farmers and vintners along the way.

Corporate History

South Pacific Coast Railroad Company

Incorporated March 20, 1876, [1] Newark to Big Trees, 44.9 miles[5]

The South Pacific Coast Railroad, as constructed and operated between March 1876 and May 1887, was composed of a conglomeration of seven separate railroads each with a separate corporate identity and stock holders. As a new section was built a new corporation was formed usually with either a Board of Directors similar to the South Pacific Coast Railroad or with a Board made up of South Pacific Coast Railroad employees. The first section to start construction was the South Pacific Coast Railroad between Dumbarton Point/Newark and Big Trees in the Santa Cruz mountains. This railroad was built upon the bones of the bankrupt Santa Clara Valley Railroad.

The Santa Clara Valley Railroad was an attempt to create competition with the Southern Pacific’s peninsula line from San Francisco to San Jose. San Jose farmers were fed up with the SP’s monopoly and high freight rates. Attempts to build a railroad between San Jose and Alviso, with shipping via water to San Francisco, were unsuccessful as unbeknownst to everyone the Southern Pacific in 1871 had quietly purchased the shipping rights from all of the south bay landings.[6] The SCVRR was organized by the farmers with the help of outside capitalists to bypass the south bay landings and build a narrow gauge railroad between a landing at Dumbarton Point, on the east side of San Francisco Bay, and Santa Cruz via San Jose.[7] The initial construction between Dumbarton Point and Santa Clara began in October 1975 and continued through the fall and winter. As construction was started so did the law suits from local property owners. The suits included an injunction to stop construction of a drawbridge on Dumbarton Point.[8]As grading got underway a contract for ties was signed with a supplier in the Santa Cruz mountains dependent on the newly opened Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad. The winter of 1875-1876 was a wet one. In December numerous slides closed the SC&FRR and the tie order could not be shipped.[9] The rains also washed out the newly graded roadbed of the SCVRR. The Baldwin Locomotive that was ordered had arrived and payment was due.[10] The Carter Brothers had begun construction on rolling stock with payment due on delivery.[11] By the end of January 1875 it was clear that the SCVRR was bankrupt. Attempts at new financing had failed.

In steps some mysterious capitalists.

Alfred E. Davis is the first person mentioned in the press associated with the SPCRR. However the press dismissed Mr. Davis as a major owner[12] and began speculating who were the owners of the railroad. The railroad's checking account was with the Nevada Bank and the offices were in the new Nevada Bank building on Montgomery Street, San Francisco. The newspapers initially assumed that the newly crowned Bonanza Kings: Fair; Flood; MacKay; and O'Brien were backing the railroad.[13][14] It had to be someone with lots of money because the railroad did not ask for any government assistance. No one was stepping forward to take take the credit and the newspapers continued to speculate.[15] However, some facts were beginning to be revealed. A. E. Davis admitted in an interview that as of April 1879 he had put $700,000 of his own money into the SPCRR[16] and Edward Mix the road's construction engineer stated that A. E. Davis was a one fourth owner.[17] But just who the other owners were and who was in control were still mysteries.[18][19]

As the Santa Clara Valley Railroad was heading towards bankruptcy Alfred E. Davis was home in San Francisco having recently completed a three year contract for supplying and managing a fleet of wagons and teams to haul charcoal and ore for the mines of Eureka, Nevada.[20][21] The completion of the Ruby Hill Railroad had made his freighting business obsolete. Just a year earlier he sold his stock in the Ophir mine in Virginia City. He was one of the original stockholders in 1862 [22]and sold the stock at a sharp increase in value.[23][24] Back home A. E. Davis was wealthier and looking for a new venture to invest in. The movement of freight had been an interest of Mr. Davis ever since his May 1849 arrival in San Francisco when he had to earn his living by renting a mule and cart to move freight around the city. What he later found out was that he could earn significantly more money moving freight than panning for gold.[24]

In the late January 1876 rumors began circulating that the SCVRR debts were being paid and the locomotive was sold. On February 4, 1876 A. E. Davis and B. B. Minor checked into the Auzerais House in San Jose.[25] Butler B. Minor was a civil engineer with a reputation of assisting businesses getting started. He was often appointed the Secretary of new corporations. The majority of them were mines.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] He was also a stockholder of the Newark Land Company.[34] On February 13, 1876 the San Jose Daily Mercury reported that the Santa Clara Valley Railroad had a new Board of Directors: H. Bartling, President and General Manager; A. E. Davis, Treasurer; B. B. Minor, Secretary, George Kidd and Carey Pebbles, Directors. The home office remained in San Jose but the Treasurer's office moved to San Francisco. The report further said that the contract for the locomotive had been paid and rails had been ordered. [35] A. E. Davis seems to have stepped in to rescue the SVCRR.

A month later on March 20, 1876 the South Pacific Coast Railroad is incorporated with the following Board of Directors: Alfred E. Davis, President and Treasurer; Joseph Clark, Vice President, possibly an attorney; Edward Barron, a capitalist and former butcher, Seth Cook, a capitalist; George Kidd, Capitalist and President of the Bank of Stockton; J. Barr Robertson, a stock holder in the SCVRR and the Newark Land Company as well as the Agent for the California Land Investment Company; and Cary Pebbles, a former Director of the SCVRR and a strawberry farmer.[1] The capital stock of the SPCRR was established at 10,000 shares with the required 10% initially subscribed. Alfred Davis owned 994 shares of SPCRR stock and the others owned one share each.[36] With an infusion of capital the South Pacific Coast Railroad rose from the ashes of the SCVRR with a mission to build a railroad from Dumbarton Point through the counties of Alameda, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz, on the most practicable route to the town of Santa Cruz with branch lines to Saratoga and New Almaden.[1]

Through 1878 the Board remained the same with the same stock holders. In 1879 two things happened: George Kidd died and his stock was held in probate for a year; and a new California State Constitution was approved establishing a Railroad Commission. Reports to the new Commission were not required for the year 1879. The 1880 report to the Railroad Commission reported that all 10,000 shares of the SPCRR stock had been subscribed to 7 unnamed stockholders. Sometime between December 1878 and December 1880 the remaining 9000 shares of stock were sold. Future information suggests that A. E. Davis, or a loyal partner, bought 1500 shares and James C. Flood, and James G. Graham each purchased 3750 shares of SPCRR stock.[37] The loyal partner may have been Edward Barron who had know Alfred Davis since the 1850's when they were both butchers in San Francisco. Fair and Flood would have to have been silent partners giving control to A. E. Davis as the number of reported stockholders had not increased, the seven directors were known, and they did not include either Flood or Fair.[38] James Fair may have bought his SPCRR shares in October 1879 after Alfred Davis gave him a tour of the railroad.[39] Similarly James C. Flood may have bought his shares after an August 1880 tour with Davis.[40]

It would seem that with A. E. Davis's 2494 shares of SPCRR stock and Fair's and Flood's 3750 each shares that Fair and Flood would have been in control. But there is more to control than just stock in the SPCRR. By June 1879 A. E. Davis owned 98 percent of the Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad stock.[41][42] He also probably still controlled the stock of the Bay & Coast Railroad. Without the SC&FRR and the B&CRR the South Pacific Coast Railroad had no northern or southern connections. Therefore with his 2494 shares of SPCRR stock and 98% of ownership in the SC&FRR and control of the B&CRR Davis controlled the entire railroad. And it also helped that Fair and Flood did not like each other and were unlikely to pool their resources. That all changed in December 1885 but we will get to that later.

Settling Down to Operation

Once the company settled down to the work of railroad construction the officers and Board of Directors changes slightly. B. B. Minor moves on to other things and George H. Waggoner takes his place as Secretary, Auditor, and Paymaster. Mr. Waggoner is A. E. Davis's nephew-in-law having married Alfred's brother Sam's daughter Louisa.[43]

Bay & Coast Railroad Company

Incorporated May 1, 1877, Directors: Alfred E. Davis 996 shares; Daniel Cook 1 share; J. C. Tucker 1 share; Joseph Clark 1 share; B. B. Minor 1 share[44]
Alameda to Newark 24.8 miles [5]
Leased to the SPCRR

Oakland Township Railroad Company

Incorporated January X, 1881 Directors: Alfred E. Davis; Daniel Cook; Seth Cook; Joseph Clark; and Edward Barron. Alameda to northerly and westerly boundary of Oakland[45]

Alameda to Oakland 4.1 miles[5]

Leased to the SPCRR

Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad Company

Incorporated Santa Cruz to Felton 7.1 miles[5]

Leased to the SPCRR

San Francisco & Colorado River Railroad

Incorporated Alameda Mole to Alameda Point 3.0 miles[5]

Leased to the SPCRR

Alameda & San Joaquin Valley Railroad Company

Incorporated survey only

Felton & Pescadero Railroad Company

Incorporated Felton to Boulder Creek 7.3 miles[5]

Leased to the SPCRR

Almaden Branch Railroad Company

Incorporated Campbell's to New Almaden Station 9.6 miles[46]

Consolidation to the South Pacific Coast Railway Company

The Transfer to New Owners

Stations and Line Side Industry

San Francisco Ferry Building

Alameda Ferry Terminal

Alameda Point

Operation

Passenger

SPC Timetable No. 30
SPC Timetable No. 30 Chart

Commuter Service $.015 (1880 dollars) with inflation $3.77 (2020 dollars)

BART Embarcadero station from Lake Merritt station $3.70, from MacArthur station $3.95

Through train Parlor Car service an additional $0.50

Excursions

Freight

Lumber, lime, cordwood, ties, brick, grain, flour, hay, fruit (fresh and canned), produce, sugar, oil, fuel oil, machinery, stoves, rolling stock, stone, gravel, coal, beer, paper pulp, paper, molasses (SPCRwy), locomotives, ships, sugar beets, butimun.

Crossings

The SPCRR 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 and straighter tunnel was dug.

Locomotives

South Pacific Coast Railroad 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










  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Proffatt, John; The Law of Private Corporations, 1876, pages 208-210
  2. ↑ Daily Alta California, May 26, 1887, page 6
  3. ↑ Daily Alta California, August 2, 1887, page 1
  4. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune March 15, 1884, page 5
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 South Pacific Coast Narrow Gauge R. R. Timetable No. 30, March 28, 1886
  6. ↑ San Jose Daily Mercury September 16, 1874, page 3
  7. ↑ San Jose Daily Mercury October 5, 1875, page 3
  8. ↑ Daily Alta California December 26, 1875, page 1
  9. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune December 4, 1875, page 3
  10. ↑ San Jose Daily Mercury January 23, 1876, page 4
  11. ↑ Daily Alta California November 6, 1875, page 1
  12. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune July 17, 1878, page 2
  13. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel September 30, 1876, page2
  14. ↑ San Jose Weekly Mercury, November 9, 1876, page 3
  15. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune June 4, 1878, page 2
  16. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel April 12, 1879, page 2
  17. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel July 12, 1879, page 2
  18. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel October 16, 1880, page 3
  19. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune March 19. 1884, page 3
  20. ↑ Eureka Daily Sentinel July 25, 1875, page 3
  21. ↑ Sacramento Daily Union June 19, 1872, page 3
  22. ↑ Sacramento Daily Union December 18, 1862, page 2
  23. ↑ The Daily Appeal January 14, 1875, page 3
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 California’s Representative Men, 1881, page 219
  25. ↑ San Jose Daily Mercury February 4, 1876, page 3
  26. ↑ Daily Alta California October 29, 1871, page 1
  27. ↑ Daily Alta California May 26, 1872, page 1
  28. ↑ Daily Alta California June 28, 1872, page 1
  29. ↑ Daily Alta California July 26, 1872, page 2
  30. ↑ Pacific Rural Press August 2 1873, page 80
  31. ↑ Daily Alta California September 17, 1873, page 1
  32. ↑ Daily Alta California August 29, 1874, page 2
  33. ↑ Daily Alta California March 14, 1875, page 2
  34. ↑ Daily Alta California March 14, 1875, page 2
  35. ↑ San Jose Daily Mercury February 13, 1876, page 3
  36. ↑ Report of the Board of Commissioners of Transportation to the Legislature of the State of California, December 1877, page 212
  37. ↑ San Francisco Chronicle December 22, 1885, page 5
  38. ↑ Third Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of Calfornia 1882, page 324
  39. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel October 18, 1879, page 3
  40. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel August 28, 1880, page 3
  41. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune June 17, 1879 page 2
  42. ↑ Daily Alta California May 25, 1887, page 2
  43. ↑ 1880 U. S. Census for Newark, California
  44. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune August 17, 1877, page 3
  45. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune January 7, 1881, page 3
  46. ↑ South Pacific Coast Railroad Timetable No.33 April 2, 1887

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

South Pacific Coast Track Status Timeline by John Hall.

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

SPC Rail Status by Segment and Year for PacificNG Nov 06 2019.pdf

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
Elliott, W. W., Santa Cruz County California Illustrations with Historical Sketch, Elliott 1879
Thompson & West, Historical Atlas Map of Santa Clara County, 1876

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