Rail transportation in Solano County, California facts for kids

This article explores the history of railroads and the different railway companies that operated in Solano County, California. It covers how trains helped connect towns and transport goods across the county over many years.

The Start of Railroads in Solano County (1849-1859)

In the mid-1800s, Solano County was just starting to grow. Towns like Benicia and Vallejo were getting post offices, and the county itself was officially formed in 1850. People began to think about building railroads to make travel and trade easier.

• 1851: The Marysville and Benicia Railroad was one of the first ideas. It aimed to connect Marysville to Benicia or Knights Ferry.
• 1856: Another company, the San Francisco and Sacramento Railroad, planned a 52-mile line from Benicia to Sacramento. They also wanted to use steamships to connect Benicia to San Francisco.
• 1857: The San Francisco and Marysville Railroad took over the Marysville & Benicia Railroad. They even started some construction in 1859.

Building the Tracks: The 1860s

The 1860s were a busy time for railroad building in Solano County. Many new companies formed, and tracks started to appear.

• 1864: The Napa Valley Rail Road began building tracks from Suscol (south of Napa) up to Calistoga.
• 1865: A big company called California Pacific Rail Road was formed. It combined several smaller railroad companies, including the San Francisco & Marysville Rail Road.
• 1866: California Pacific Rail Road started building tracks from Vallejo towards Suisun and then to Davisville (now Davis).
• 1868: The California Pacific line quickly expanded. It reached Suisun, Elmira, Dixon, and Davisville. Later that year, tracks even reached Washington (now West Sacramento).
• 1869: The Napa Valley Rail Road extended its line to Napa Junction. Here, it could connect with the California Pacific Railroad.
• 1869: The Vaca Valley Rail Road was created to build a line from Elmira to Madison, passing through Vacaville. This line was completed from Elmira to Vacaville in June 1869.
• 1869: The famous Transcontinental Railroad, connecting the East and West coasts, was finished in Utah. This event made people even more excited about railroads.
• 1869: The California Pacific Railroad became an even larger company by combining with the California Pacific Railroad Extension Company.

Railroads Grow and Connect (1870s-1890s)

By the 1870s, railroads were becoming a key part of life in Solano County.

• 1870: The California Pacific Railroad finally reached Sacramento.
• 1875: The Vaca Valley Rail Road extended its line from Vacaville to Winters.
• 1876: The powerful Central Pacific Railroad began operating the California Pacific line.
• 1877: The Vaca Valley Rail Road changed its name to the Vaca Valley and Clear Lake Railroad. It extended its tracks further, reaching Madison.
• 1879: Central Pacific finished a new track between Fairfield/Suisun and Benicia. This new route made travel more direct, avoiding the older, longer path through American Canyon and Cordelia.
• 1885: The Southern Pacific Railroad took over the operation of the California Pacific from Central Pacific.
• 1888: The Vaca Valley & Clear Lake Railroad became part of the Northern Railway, which was a company owned by Southern Pacific.
• 1898: The California Pacific Railroad officially became part of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
• 1902: The Cement, Tolenas and Tidewater Railroad started operating near Fairfield. This was an industrial railroad, likely used to move materials like cement.

New Ideas and Electric Lines (1900s-1940s)

The early 1900s saw new plans for railroads, including electric lines, and more connections being built.

• 1903: The Sacramento and Oakland Railroad was planned, but this project was later stopped.
• 1907: The Sacramento and Vallejo Railroad was also proposed but never built.
• 1910: The Vallejo Traction Company planned an electric railroad within Vallejo, but this project was also abandoned.
• 1912: The Northern Electric Railway bought the Vallejo & Northern Railroad. Northern Electric was working to build a line from Vallejo to Sacramento.
• 1913: The Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railway completed an "interurban" line. This was a type of electric train that connected cities like Sacramento and Oakland.
• 1914: Northern Electric Railway finished a line connecting Willeta (near Suisun) to Vacaville.
• 1915: The Sacramento Valley West Side Electric Railway started operating a 12-mile branch line from Dixon Junction to Dixon. It connected with the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railway. This line was later abandoned in 1917.
• 1920: The Mare Island Freight Line began operating. It connected the Mare Island Navy Yard to Napa Junction.
• 1928: The Sacramento Northern Railway, a company owned by the Western Pacific Railroad, took over the San Francisco-Sacramento Railroad.
• 1930: A new bridge connecting Benicia and Martinez was completed. This bridge meant that trains no longer needed to use ferries like the "Solano" and "Contra Costa" to cross the water.
• 1930: Sacramento Northern connected its main line to the Vacaville Branch, adding a 9-mile section of track.

Modern Railroads (1950-Present)

In more recent times, some older rail lines closed, but new passenger services began.

• 1954: The "Ramon," a ferry that carried Sacramento Northern trains across the Carquinez Strait, was taken out of service.
• 1956: The Mare Island Freight Line Company was sold to the U.S. Government.
• 1957: The last passenger train ran on Southern Pacific's Esparto Branch, which was part of the old Vaca Valley Railroad.
• Late 1980s: The Winters Branch, another part of the old Vaca Valley Railroad, was no longer used by Southern Pacific.
• 1996: The Southern Pacific railroad company was sold to the Union Pacific Railroad.
• 1991: Amtrak California's Capitol Corridor passenger train service began. This service offers frequent trips between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, helping people travel without cars.

Population of Solano County Towns

This table shows how the population of some Solano County towns changed over time, which can sometimes relate to how railroads helped them grow.

A train engine sits parked on the rails near the Mare Island Bridge in Vallejo, California

List of Solano County Railroads

Here is a list of many of the railroad companies that have been part of Solano County's history. Some are still active, while others are part of the past.

A conductor stands in front of a train from the Western Railroad Museum in Solano County

An antique store in Cordelia, California housed in old rail cars

A train sits behind a sign in Cordelia, California

• Benicia Land and Terminal Railway
• Cement, Tolenas and Tidewater Railroad
• Mare Island Freight Line Company
• Napa and Vaca Valley Railroad
• Sacramento and Oakland Railroad
• Sacramento and Vallejo Railroad
• Sacramento Valley West Side Electric Railway (1915-1917) - This line connected to Dixon and was planned to go further north.
• San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway
• Union Pacific Railroad - This company operates trains today.
  • Southern Pacific Railroad - A very important historical railroad, now part of Union Pacific.
    • Central Pacific Railroad - Another major historical railroad.
      • California Pacific Railroad (1865-1876)

* Napa Valley Railroad * San Francisco and Marysville Railroad (1857-1865) ** Marysville and Benicia Railroad (1851-1857)

• • • Northern Railway - A company that was part of Southern Pacific.
      • Vaca Valley & Clear Lake Railroad

* Vaca Valley Rail Road

• Western Pacific Railroad - Another historical railroad.
  • Sacramento Northern Railroad
    • Northern Electric Railway
      • Vallejo and Northern Railroad
      • West Side Railroad (1911-1912) - Planned to go from Sacramento to Rio Vista, but only a small part was built.
    • Sacramento Northern Railway
      • Sacramento-San Francisco Railway

* Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railway

• Vallejo Traction Company - A proposed electric railway within Vallejo in 1910.