San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway facts for kids
SFN&C station in Napa in the 1910s
|
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Vallejo-Napa-St. Helena-Calistoga |
| Dates of operation | 1905–1937 |
| Successor | Greyhound, Navy Department |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 42 miles (68 km) |
The San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway was an electric interurban railroad in California, USA. An interurban railroad is like a streetcar or tram that connects different cities. This railway later changed its name for a short time to the San Francisco and Napa Valley Railroad.
Contents
Building the Railway Line
In 1901, two brothers, Col. J.W. Hartzell and H.F. Hartzell, got permission to build an electric railway. This permission, called a franchise, let them build tracks on city streets and county roads. Their new line would run next to the Napa Valley Railroad that already existed.
Starting the Project
In April 1902, a company called the Benicia, Vallejo & Napa Valley Railroad Company was officially started. The railway began in Vallejo, a port city. From Vallejo, people could take a ferry across the bay to San Francisco.
Where the Trains Traveled
The railway stretched north for about 41.7 miles (67.1 km) all the way to Calistoga. Along the way, it passed through several towns:
Opening Day and Extensions
Building the railroad started in 1903. The first trains began running from Vallejo to Napa on July 4, 1905, which was a big celebration! The line was later extended to Yountville by 1907. On January 1, 1908, it reached St. Helena, and finally, on September 2, 1908, it made it all the way to Calistoga.
Changes Over Time
The railroad changed its name a few times. In 1906, it was called the San Francisco, Vallejo & Napa Valley Railroad. Then, in 1911, it became the San Francisco, Napa & Calistoga Railway Company. The railway kept running until 1936. By 1938, about 22 miles (35 km) of tracks and power lines between Napa and Calistoga were removed.
Railway Equipment and Power
This electric railroad was special because it was the first one west of the Mississippi River to use alternating current (AC) power. Most other interurban railroads at the time used direct current (DC).
Early Passenger Cars
Many of the first passenger cars were beautiful wooden cars. They were made by the Niles Car Company and looked a lot like some cars used by the Sacramento Northern Railway.
What the Railway Had
By 1931, the railway had:
- 9 motor passenger cars (these cars had their own engines)
- 5 unpowered trailer passenger cars (these cars were pulled by the motor cars)
- 1 electric locomotive (a powerful engine for pulling freight)
- 20 freight cars (for carrying goods)
The railway used 3,300 Volts of 25 Hz AC power.
Newer Steel Cars
In 1933, two new steel cars were built for the railway. These were some of the very last traditional interurban cars made in the United States before newer designs like the PCC streetcar became popular.
A Difficult Day in 1913
On June 19, 1913, a serious accident happened. Two trains on the San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway crashed into each other. This was the worst interurban train accident in California at that time. Sadly, thirteen people lost their lives.
Why the Railway Stopped Running
Passenger trains kept running even after facing challenges. However, in 1937, the ferry service that connected Vallejo to San Francisco was stopped. Without the ferry bringing passengers, the railway couldn't make enough money to continue.
The Last Journeys
The very last passenger trains ran on September 12, 1937. Mail trains stopped a bit later, on September 30. On February 13, 1938, a special "farewell" train trip was organized by the Electric Railway Historical Society of California. It ran between Vallejo and Napa.
After the Trains Stopped
After passenger service ended, the company tried running bus services to San Francisco. But they sold this bus service to Greyhound in 1942. A part of the track north of St. Helena was taken over by the Southern Pacific railroad. They used it to move freight until the 1980s.
The freight service to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard continued for a while. It was managed by the Sacramento Northern Railway until the Navy Department took it over in 1956. Finally, in 1957, the company was officially closed down.
Electric locomotives worked at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard from 1919. However, the overhead electric lines became dangerous when large cranes were installed during wartime. So, in April 1942, two GE 44-ton switcher locomotives, numbered 30 and 40, took over the work. Another one, number 50, joined them in August 1943.
After the war, in 1946, locomotive number 40 became Sacramento Northern Railway #141. The two remaining engines were replaced in 1956 by similar ones owned by the U.S. Navy. Locomotive number 30 became Sacramento Northern Railway #147, and number 50 became Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad #3.
Places to See Today
You can still find reminders of this railway today:
- The old SP Depot is located on Lincoln at Fair Way (which used to be called Railroad Avenue).
- There's a historical marker across the street from the Calistoga Fire Department. This fire department is built where the SFNCR depot used to be.
- The railroad's former car barn, where they stored and repaired trains, is still standing in Napa at Sixth Street and Soscol Avenue.
