Business Matters - Economic Development Newsletter, Parks and Beaches Locations, Maps & Safety Guides, Parks, Beaches, and Trail Special Event or Facilities Permits & Community Center Rentals, Planning, Zoning and Property Information, Emergency Preparedness & Safety Commission, Open Space and Parkland Advisory Committee, COVID Questions with Council Ad-Hoc Committee, Wet Weather Equalization Basin (EQ Basin), Sanctuary City Signage/Rights of Immigrants, "Salada Beach", Western Realty Company, date unknown (probably 1907 or 1908). Sierra Railway purchased by Sierra Railroad on July 10, 1935. If the railroad eventually had three electric freight motors for operation in San Francisco proper, and they did have as many as ten steam locomotives at one time. Works numbers were 39760-39761 in May 1913. See all. Fast-talking promoters lured city-weary prospects to the coastside by offering free trips on the railway, open air concerts and free lunches. The middle leg of the line, 26 miles between Tunitas Glen and Swanton was never completed. All Rights Reserved. The nail in the coffin of the Ocean Shore Railway proved to be neither Southern Pacific interference nor the 1906 earthquake. Ads extolled its allure and the beautiful, balmy climate. A promenade, bandstand, casinos, cafes and several large hillside hotels were envisioned surrounding the lake, which was much larger than the present size. Check out our refreshment options! 12 in ( 1,435 mm) standard gauge. Rockaway Beach Station was located at the southeast corner of Rockaway Beach Avenue (formerly Hewitt Avenue) and Highway 1. Theme: Illdy. Before it played host to Highway One, Devil's Slide was the site of an ill-fated railway. Indeed, Southern Pacific preempted the Ocean Shore's incorporation by a month when it established its own Coast Line Railroad in April 1905 with almost identical goals as its rival, sans double tracks and electrification. Portions of the right of way can be seen along the Rockaway headlands and along the railway berm in Pedro Point. [Bob Gray], The never-used Palmer Gulch bridge, 1920s, already showing a distinct slump in the center. Lots sold at Salada Beach started at $250 for a 25 x 50 foot parcel. Track layers had only reached Mussel Rock outside Daly City by the time of the earthquake, but grading had been completed for many miles further south, with much of the equipment located on Devil's Slide, which was the most precarious part of the route. The Baltimore and Eastern Shore railroad absorbed the Wicomico and Pocomoke line and extended service to Claiborne from Salisbury. Established in 1905, the Ocean Shore Railroad Company's tracks started in San Francisco and ran along a coastal route through the small villages that later became Pacifica. The huge cut between Fairway Park and Vallemar was blasted out by railroad engineers. The Arleta Park Station was built in 1904 and stands at 920 Railroad Avenue in Half Moon Bay. [2] However, for unknown reasons, in November 1892 the Mayor of San Francisco rejected the proposal for the railroad to run its line on 25th Street and Potrero Avenue, which led the railway to frantically reorganize its plans. Property along the San Mateo County coast was selling quickly, while farmers, quarriers, and lumber companies were eager to begin shipping via the completed railroad. Going South from Division Street, the line ran down Florida Street to Mariposa Street, where it turned left and ran to Potrero Street. Three railroad stations still stand. A separate bus service also transported people from Torquay to the California Redwood Park (Big Basin). In total New Jersey today is home to just 950 miles of trackage. See Locobase 13260 for a history of the Pacific's OSRR. . Of the track that remained, much was twisted and contorted to such a degree that it resembled a roller-coaster. Portions of the line were operated for passenger or freight trains. Artichokes went for 75 each in New York. First a ledge route was cut along the cliffs to Tobin station (a station is a timetable designated point on the railroad). In Santa Cruz, the line would have connected with the Santa Cruz Railroad and allowed for the exchange of freight. We should celebrate our very own Car 1409 - the last of its species - the only existing passenger car built . First a ledge was cut into the cliff face from Tobin station to Shelter Cove. Due to how the railway would have entered San Francisco on a major street, the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors required that the railway build track by September 1901, as all the other past railroads had failed to do this. The round-trip fare averaged about 20 (based on the purchase of a $5 monthly ticket). A magnifying glass. But it did not last long. The End of an Era Incorporated in September 1879, the San Francisco & Ocean Shore Railroad Company was conceived to be a narrow gauge railroad running between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. The whistle of the first Ocean Shore Railroad passenger train from San Francisco to Granada echoed of nearby hills 21 June 1908. The North Granada Station was built in 1900, and stands vacant at 10151 Cabrillo Highway in El Granada. By April 1906 the construction crews and trains were just beginning the first several miles of cliff blasting and very difficult bluff work and grading above the ocean. 506 was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in July 1916, #43682. Copyright 2012-2021 Zayante Publishing. Construction Resumes It resurfaced at the edge of the high cliffs, 700 feet above the crashing surf. See Locobase 13260 for a history of the Pacific's OSRR. The work has been slow, because they are also restoring another original, the Little Brown Church in Pacifica, as a history museum and event center. It was a 1909 WL Holman Co. built coach from the old Ocean Shore Railway. Huge cracks opened up along the roadbed. As impressive as it was idealistic, the line . The San Francisco charter allowed for electric-only operation, so the Ocean Shore was forced by circumstance to use electric power in the City of San Francisco until the end in 1920. He became frustrated and looked for interested buyers of his franchise. Meanwhile, the track to Scott Creek was completed by October, several months behind schedule, but still not too far above upper estimates. To attract weekend excursions and tourists, the route would hug the shoreline as closely as possible. The route was originally conceived to be a continuous line between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, but the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, financial difficulties, and the advent of the automobile caused the line to never reach its goals, and remain with a Northern and Southern division. The former outdoor shelter was enclosed many years ago and is now a private residence. The San Francisco County Board of Supervisors granted the railroad permission to construct trackage from Fulton and Larking Streets, and down away from the city, however construction was stalled after multiple business owners along the route launched lawsuits. Both cars were finally scrapped at Oroville during 2009. Does anyone know if there are rosters for the Ocean Shore Railroad, the San Juan Pacific, the Watsonville Transportation Company and the Pajaro Valley Consolidated Railroad located on-line anywhere? The railroad was conceived to carry basically only freight of the coast-side villages. Despite everything, optimism remained through 1908. [13], The San Francisco, Santa Cruz & Watsonville Railroad Company, San Francisco, San Mateo, & Santa Cruz Railroad, San Francisco & Ocean Shore Railroad Company, San Francisco & West Shore Railway Company, The San Francisco & Southern Railway Company, Last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:35, San Francisco County Board of Supervisors, San Francisco & South Coast Railroad Company, Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad, Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway, "Railroads: Early Coast Railroad Companies", "John Vonderlin: 1895: West Shore Railroad's BIG Plans for the Coastside Half Moon Bay Memories", "Railroads: Early Monterey Bay Railroad Companies", "10151 Cabrillo Hwy N, el Granada | 42Floors", "Ocean Shore RR's "Gas Car" Stopped at Moss Beach Station Half Moon Bay Memories", pacificahistory.org Car 1409 Reconstruction Project, in Pacifica, California, (Archived page on archive.org) oceanshorerailroad.com Car 1409 Reconstruction Project, in Pacifica, California, Half Moon Bay Memories: Ocean Shore Railroad, Secret History: Information about the railroad ramparts and the creek tunnels, Santa Cruz Trains: Railroads of the Monterey Bay Area, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ocean_Shore_Railroad&oldid=1139252270, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:35. The line north from Santa Cruz was leased to the San Vicente Lumber Company, which continued to use the tracks until 1923. "Rum and a Railroad-How Salada Beach Grew", Tom Johnston, Pacifica Tribune, November 9, 1977. . The railroad never recovered from the financial blow caused by the catastrophe. OceanShoreRailroad.org. In 1881, the Santa Cruz Railroad had gone bankrupt, which largely cut off a lot of funding for the San Francisco & Ocean Shore Railroad as some investors had put much of their fortune into the Santa Cruz Railroad too. It should be mentioned that the railroad was suspected of being owned by the Aitchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad, and the San Francisco & South Coast Railroad Company was formed by the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors, and was backed by the Southern Pacific. Plans were redrawn to enter Santa Cruz. [UCSC Legacy Digital Collections Colorized using DeOldify], A Stanley Steamer somewhere along the 27-mile gap with its roof up, ca 1918. Huge cracks opened up along the roadbed. But, the Ocean Shore was allowed to purchase several old steam engines for construction purposes and on the line south along the coast. The Kelly Street Station is now situated near the Johnston House on the south side of Higgins Canyon Road in Half Moon Bay. Much of Pacifica's layout owes its beginnings to a small, little-known railroad company. With one of the worlds most scenic backdrops as a brilliant seascape for passengers, the Ocean Shore Railroad skirted northern Californias coastline to service communities south of San Francisco for the first two decades of the 20th century. A branch line was planned for the hills above Pescadero with a possible extension to Big Basin and Boulder Creek. Bechtel 1921, sold to Hetch Hetchy RR in 1921, then to Sierra RY as No. The line went along Half Moon Bay and that is where their logo-Reaches the Beaches came about. Planned resorts were pictured on post cards, posters and brochures showing an entertainment complex to rival New Yorks famous Coney Island and a huge casino to be built at Salada Beach. In the following weeks, similar riots occurred in Paterson and Elizabeth; dozens were injured and hundreds were arrested. Where: Car #1409 located behind Vallemar Station. The route ended at Tunitas Creek, south of READ MORE The largest city in the state and the most populous city in the United States is New York City, which comprises five counties (boroughs): the Bron P16I Ocean City Railroad P16J en:Anglesea Rail Road P17 en:Salem Railroad P17A en:Alloway and Quinton Railroad P17B en:Salem Branch Railroad P18 en:West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad P18A en:Pleasantville and Ocean City Railroad R en:Philadelphia and Reading Railway R1 en:Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad R1A en:East Trenton Railroad Interactive Ocean Shore Railroad Model Train Pedro Point and Linda Mar Surfing Devil's Slide Tunnel Pacifica Tribune Publisher Bill Drake's Desk (coming soon) Maps, Photos and Reading Material about Pacifica This newly-installed exhibit is interactive; push buttons to start train, and make the train whistle. Unfortunately, the trains were often delayed. Coastside farmers were paid 5 1/2 a choke. Up until just a few years ago the tracks still existed on 12th Street. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, the completion of the Bay Shore Cut-off and the Mayfield Cut-off reduced travel time between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Indeed, right up until its declaration of bankruptcy in 1911, the company was working feverishly to achieve its primary goal. [Cambridge Lutece Colorized by DeOldify], Ocean Shore Railway auditor Ted F. Wurm on right with family members standing on the tracks near Davenport, ca 1910. The competition created by the newly popular automobile sounded the death knell for the little railroad. Four trains (two round-trips) ran daily and six on Sundays and holidays. [, An Ocean Shore construction train pouring fill below the bridge over San Vicente Creek south of Davenport, 1907. Newburgh and South Shore Railroad: NSRC: North Stratford Railroad: NSRX: Jack Frost Cane Sugar: NSS: Newburgh and South Shore Railway . Rail buffs can still see signs of Pacificas early railroad days. Railroad Sights in Pacifica Today Works numbers were 13414-13416, 13421 in May 1893; December. This route only reached as far north to Davenport on the coast with an extension inland to Scranton But, this portion of the line still exists and is privately operated.