To attract weekend excursions and tourists, the route would hug the shoreline as closely as possible. Excursion trips were popular. Beyond Davenport, grading crews made it to Scott Creek where they built a wye beside a small resort area the company hoped to develop called Folger, named after the coffee magnate. Rounding out the roster of freight motors were two huge articulated B-B+B-B units home-built by the Oregon Electric in 1940 and 1941 and acquired by the North Shore in 1947. In March 1899, the railroad had stated that they wished to be sold to the Vanderbilt Company, in direct competition to the Southern Pacific. . The Ocean Shore Railroad was a railroad built between San Francisco and Tunitas Glen, and Swanton and Santa Cruz that operated along the Pacific coastline from 1905 until 1921. The Ocean Shore Railway went bankrupt on December 6, 1909 and was reincorporated as the Ocean Shore Railroad on October 9, 1911, following nearly two years in receivership. Both Ocean Shore Auto Stage Stanley Steamers in Pescadero . It survives, but was not built for the Ocean Shore Railroad. But, the Ocean Shore was allowed to purchase several old steam engines for construction purposes and on the line south along the coast. 30 minutes from depot to depot, 30 minute layover, 30 minute return. El Granada was one of the only towns developed by the Ocean Shore Railroad, with its circular street pattern design. The Salada Beach Station,(sometimes shortened to Salada), was located near where Paloma Avenue (formerly San Mateo Avenue) crosses Highway 1 in present day Sharp Park. Electrified trackage within the city of San Francisco, which served major industries, was operated for many years, in part by the San Francisco Muni. The railroad would have followed the route of its predecessors along the San Mateo Coast, and would have had a large yard in the center of Santa Cruz. From $20. 60 people follow this. One is camouflaged as the ERA Dolphin Real Estate office at the corner of Manor Drive and Oceana Blvd. Since the Ocean Shore had more ready cash and planned to build a double track, one of its tracks was built first. If you want to learn about Pacifica, about the Pacifica Historical Society and see who we are and what we are restoring; go to our website at: pacificahistory.org. But it did not last long. It was purchased in 1936 by W.A. Rail lines ran from San Francisco south to Tunitas Glen and from Santa Cruz north to Swanton. That decision was probably its undoing.As part of Californias coastal history, this rail car brings the City of Pacifica a tangible link to its history. Lieutenant Bill Cravens Jr. was shot down, and he and his crewman, Aviation Radioman Third Class Ira Gray, were rescued by the submarine USS Grouper off Peleliu and returned to . 1, February 1961. The Society hopes that the train car will finally rest next to the Little Brown Church just as it did 100 years ago, a wonderful tourist attraction in our little picturesque town where the mountains reaches the beaches. Car 1409 was discovered in 2004, in a Sebastopol backyard by restoration expert Jeff Millerick. Between 1880 and 1881 the railroad attempted to increase revenue by taking out mortgages and distributing stocks. The Granada Station was moved a block from its original location to the corner of Ave Portola and The Alameda. Despite significant passenger patronage, especially on weekends, the railroad never recovered from losses in the 1906 earthquake and failed to attract enough freight traffic to cover increasing deficits. Rockaway Beach Station was located at the southeast corner of Rockaway Beach Avenue (formerly Hewitt Avenue) and Highway 1. Much of Pacifica's layout owes its beginnings to a small, little-known railroad company. Copyright 2021. Numerous slides damaged the roadway. The railroad failed to do this, and subsequently, the franchise expired and by February 1902, the line was shut down.[1]. Notable people include: J.A. A magnifying glass. Jul 15. . There it turned right and ran down Potrero Street, then to the east of Bayshore, and then following what is Alemany Street today. 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. The Edgemar Station was once located at the intersection of Clifton and Waterford Streets in Pacifica, but has been demolished. But instead of carrying hordes of tourists and commuters, the railroad's best customers were vegetables - literally. [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. Excursion trips were popular. The railroad was rapidly running out of time, money and patience. The railroad line had several stops in Pacifica-Edgemar, Salada, Brighton, Vallemar, Rockaway, Tobin-before plunging into a 354-foot tunnel through San Pedro Mountain. The plans for the Ocean Shore & Eastern and the other Ocean Shore Railroad subsidiary plans never came to be either due to lack of interest or the financial crash that occurred subsequently after the devastating 1906 Earthquake. The Kelly Street Station is now situated near the Johnston House on the south side of Higgins Canyon Road in Half Moon Bay. 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. Construction Resumes 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. All Rights Reserved. Despite everything, optimism remained through 1908. 506 was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in July 1916, #43682. By 2004 they were in shabby condition. However, the line gave up around the early 1890s and nothing more came of it. To get supplies and materials to the site, they anchored a ship offshore and transported materials along an aerial tramway. The first attempts to construct a railroad between San Francisco and Santa Cruz began as early as 1870, with the organization of the San Francisco, Santa Cruz, & Watsonville Railroad Company. First a ledge was cut into the cliff face from Tobin station to Shelter Cove. Regular passenger service only began in October 1907 to Tobin (Pedro Valley). Where: Car #1409 located behind Vallemar Station. Funds were solicited locally in early 1908, allowing construction to continue, but the railroad was running entirely on rapidly-increasing debt. The April 18, 1906, earthquake caused major damage and delayed completion of the railroad. OceanShoreRailroad.org. Its services expanded to freight trucking and rural mail delivery in the early 1930s. Four trains (two round-trips) ran daily and six on Sundays and holidays. Car #1409 was the last purchased by the Ocean Shore Railroad, and ran on rails from San Francisco through Daly City to the coastal towns of Pacifica, Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton, Granada, Half Moon Bay and beyond with connections to Santa Cruz. The main building carried the slogan "OCEAN SHORE RAILROAD" painted across its top. 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. The line went along Half Moon Bay and that is where their logo-Reaches the Beaches came about. This benefited the Ocean Shore immensely in 1906. One is ex Central Pacific coach 70, built in 1868. Most of the Ocean Shore right of way was paved over and turned into Highway 1, reputed to be the most spectacular road on the West Coast. That decision was probably its undoing. The line finally ceased operating scheduled trains after August 27, 1920 and was abandoned on October 20, 1920. Join your colleagues from industry, academia, and government at the 41st International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering (OMAE 2022) in Hamburg, Germany from June 5 - 10, 2022. The firm declared bankruptcy in late 1933 only to reform with the same franchise rights as the Coastside Transport Company in November of that year. 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 [UCSC Legacy Digital Collections Colorized using DeOldify], An Ocean Shore Auto Stage Stanley Steamer leaving Tunitas for Santa Cruz, ca 1914. However, it is assumed the railroad went under due to lack of finances, as no other paper traces are found. For more info on the history of the Ocean shore Railroad, courtesy of Coastside Buzz and Michelle Dragony, please go here: Ocean Shore Railroad History by the Pacifica Historical and Ocean Shore Railroad Societies . Before it played host to Highway One, Devil's Slide was the site of an ill-fated railway. Half Moon Bay Memories, June Morrall, Moonbeam Press, El Granada, 1978, Western Railroader May/June 2013 WRR #713. Works numbers were 39760-39761 in May 1913. Then they bored a tunnel through the point itself. Incorporated in 1906, the Ocean Shore Railway Company planned to run a high-speed electric railway between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Folger, and Horace D. As impressive as it was idealistic, the line was held prisoner by natural forces that eventually took too much of a toll to keep its striking route churning. Band. 201 or 202. The Ocean Shore's story is truly that of the Little Engine That Could, pushing on despite everything to finish its visionary route from San Francisco to Santa Cruz along the windswept margins of San Mateo County's foggy coastline. 1. Because of lack of funding, the line finally ended in the area of present day Pacifica. Beyond there the line headed uphill to where the construction crews encountered one of the most difficult engineering obstacles on the entire line, the solid rock of Point San Pedro. Holman built them both in 1909. There, they laid track on a ledge cut above the ocean that rounded Rockaway Point, headed uphill to Tobin station (San Pedro Point) and met one of the most difficult engineering obstacles on the entire line-the solid rock of Point San Pedro. The station and auxiliary buildings were demolished in the early 1950's. Said lawsuits took away time and money, as by 1881 the railroad had promised to construct a line to the border of San Mateo County, but in reality had not laid a single rail. Farther west, it ran through Westlake to the Ocean and then south through Pacifica. 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? Of the track that remained, much was twisted and contorted to such a degree that it resembled a roller-coaster. Not all sections were completed. Portions of the right of way can be seen along the Rockaway headlands and along the railway berm in Pedro Point. The structure was originally one story but now stands as a two story residence. When completed, the car will hold the Societys working model of the Ocean Shore RR in Pacifica a spectacular HO scale display built by the Vargas Brothers. At the same time the company investors were building the line south from San Francisco, they were also building their line north from Santa Cruz to connect with the San Francisco extension. Huge cracks opened up along the roadbed. Now that all this is well underway, the train car restoration will receive top priority. 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. Works number was 41999 in April 1915. To attract weekend excursions and tourists, the route would hug the shoreline as closely as possible. Some of this may have been damaged in the heavy winter storm of 1909 that wrecked large portions of the right-of-way, effectively shutting it down until late April. Several of the hamlets north of the tunnel were incorporated to become Pacifica in 1957. Much of Pacifica's layout owes its beginnings to a small, little-known railroad company. In March 1927 it was rebuilt and sold to the St. Clair Tunnel Co as 9175, Class Z-3-a. By 1940 the body was placed on the ground, and in 1977 was moved to a nearby ranch. This section ran from McDaniel through Easton, Hurlock, Salisbury and Berlin to Ocean City, MD. One landslide, on January 15, 1916 closed the line for more than two months and required over $300,000 in repairs. The company reincorporated as the Ocean Shore Railroad Company, Inc., on November 16, 1934 and continues to exist as this legal entity to manage the sales and leasing of various properties the company still owns in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties.[5]. Lots sold at Salada Beach started at $250 for a 25 x 50 foot parcel. One is now the Vallemar Station Grill, located at 2125 Coast Highway. This proved disastrous when the earthquake struck, since much of that machinery was either buried or tossed into the sea. Construction of the Ocean Shore in Santa Cruz County began in mid-1905 and continued apace through to the earthquake on April 18, 1906. The publicity of the beautiful coast side and the public who just visited and later settled changed our area forever, even the roads we drive on are often built upon the old railroad tracks. 1504 or 1505) in 1912. Portions of the right of way can be seen along the Rockaway headlands and along the railway berm in Pedro Point. Between 1895 and 1898 there was no work actually done, which was unsetting to the financers. In the following weeks, similar riots occurred in Paterson and Elizabeth; dozens were injured and hundreds were arrested. The tracks north from Santa Cruz were completed as far north as Swanton, north of Davenport. Another tunnel south of Pescadero Beach appears on the 1961 USGS quadrangle map but has also now disappeared. All Rights Reserved. About. They were operated by a thirty horsepower steam engine designed in a novel and space-saving manner, although they were known for burning through water quickly. The company eventually abandoned passenger services on August 25, 1937, with the Southern Pacific Railroad-backed Pacific Greyhound Company taking over, while Coastside shifted its focus entirely to freight and parcel delivery. The third is Tobin Station on San Pedro Point (corner of Danman Avenue and Shelter Cove Road). The former outdoor shelter was enclosed many years ago and is now a private residence. There were many others under construction at around the same time which harmed the railroad's bottom line. The collapse of Knickerbocker led to a run on money and the withdrawal by many from high-risk investments. The railroad tried to fight the opposition of the plans in San Francisco in the Supreme Court, but failed. 413 miles (665 kilometres) The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in South Jersey in the 20th century. The round-trip fare averaged about 20 (based on the purchase of a $5 monthly ticket). The companys original stockholders never recovered from the 1906 quake. While the Ocean Shore Railroad was being built, local papers of course, carried accounts of the construction progress. After the 1906 earthquake, the progress of the little railroad had come to the attention of the nation. Going South from Division Street, the line ran down Florida Street to Mariposa Street, where it turned left and ran to Potrero Street. There are 16 links in this category Alameda Belt Line Incorporated in 1906, the Ocean Shore Railway Company planned to run a high-speed electric railway between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Service between Tunitas and Swanton began on April 1, 1914 under the direction of James W. Gray, a former Ocean Shore brakeman. This dramatic ride caused a great deal of trouble for the rail line, because the roadbed was built on an unstable piece of shifting mountainside known, appropriately, as Devil's Slide. The Ocean Shore Railwaya project over thirty years in the makingbegan with a bang and then died a slow and painful death as natural disasters, financial crises, bankruptcy, and mismanagement doomed the most optimistic railroad in the history of the Central Coast of California. It resurfaced at the edge of the high cliffs, 700 feet above the crashing surf. The Thornton Station was once located at the southwest corner of Skyline Boulevard & John Daly Boulevard on the outskirts of Daly City. The line had tight curves, street trackage, a float bridge - all elements that endeared the railroad to its fans. In September 1903, the San Francisco & Southern Railway was formed to construct a line between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, via the same route as its predecessors. 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. lightning strike map near me 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 . Theme: Illdy. Ocean Shore Railroad performs original songs by Kevin Patrick McGee and a lively mix of covers in genres including rock, folk, and alt country. 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. The Railroad Commission, however, limited the franchise repeatedly, forcing Gray to redirect traffic to Colma and San Mateo, drastically reducing his potential profits. All Rights Reserved. The Ocean Shore Railroad was a railroad built between San Francisco and Tunitas Glen, and Swanton and Santa Cruz that operated along the Pacific coastline from 1905 until 1921. It went to Hetch Hetchy in 1921, then to Sierra RY as Number 2. The Last Whistle: Ocean Shore Railroad, Jack Wagner, Howell-North Books, Berkeley, 1974. ex BNSF 2020; ex ATSF 3030; ex ATSF 3130; nee ATSF 1130. Learn More. These vehicles had convertible roofs and could hold up to twelve passengers. Is Pacifica the Bay Area's Most Underrated Gem? 4018. Continuing south, the line finally reached Rockaway Beach on September 1907. Artichokes went for 75 each in New York. 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. The ads claimed that the towns had no taxes and no saloons. Salada Beach, near the natural lagoon known as Laguna Salada (in the Sharp Park golf course), was designed to be a major watering hole. Elihu Jackson, of Salisbury, treasurer. On July 16, Gray sold the company to Edward Serretto, Louis Alfred Mattei, and Emile Michel. Today there are two very old ex Ocean Shore cars in Tuolumne County. Coastside survived for another five years before selling out to Highway Transport Company on August 4, 1942. In July 1895 however, the line was reorganized to form the West Shore Railway Company, whose goals were to build a standard gauge railway line between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. However, the Directors had rejected this last-minute, and the railroad had lost a lot of finances. The earthquake delayed construction of a second track (Southern Pacific's) by a year, meaning that the Ocean Shore was able to profit off the cement plant's initial output during that time. Along the route south of San Francisco, progress was moving more slowly. Instant roadbed. Restoration work by historical society volunteers, supported by our fund raisers, has continued for seven years. These list tend to be quite detailed. The nail in the coffin of the Ocean Shore Railway proved to be neither Southern Pacific interference nor the 1906 earthquake. First a ledge was cut into the cliff face from Tobin station to Shelter Cove. [Marvin T. Maynard Colorized using DeOldify], The Ocean Shore Railroad beside Islais Creek and Mission Street outside San Francisco, 1915. On August 2, 1964, New Jersey experienced its first race riot, in Jersey City. It consisted of an office, waiting room and freight shed, all of which were small. Artichokes, beans, Brussels sprouts, peas, potatoes and other coastside produce were in high demand. To create a level bed for tracks on Devil's Slide, they stuffed nine tons of black powder into a specially constructed tunnel and literally blew the top off the mountain. Works numbers were 13414-13416, 13421 in May 1893; December. Three railroad stations still stand. to USAX 6814; to Kurth Lmbr 20; retired 1955; to ???? The third is Tobin Station on San Pedro Point (corner of Danman Avenue and Shelter Cove Road). A solution had to be found and the new Ocean Shore Railroad had an idea. Tobin Station is located on San Pedro Point, at the corner of Danmann Avenue and Shelter Cove Road. The whistle of the first Ocean Shore Railroad passenger train from San Francisco to Granada echoed of nearby hills 21 June 1908. The railroad hired a surveying team, who published a final report on March 1876 detailing the feasibility. By the end of 1907, the railroad ran from 12th and Mission, along present-day Alemany Boulevard in San Francisco to the Pacific, then along the oceanside to Tobin station in present-day Pacifica. Bricks laid out in the word "Montara" can be seen in the pavement in front of the front door. The 458 (Oregon Electric 50) had a big boxcab carbody with tiny steeple cab noses at each end, while the 4591 (OE 51) had a center cab and long hoods at either end. 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. View our variety of available train rides in Hamburg, NY below. The station stood as a residence until the early 1980s. Together, these two actions effectively stranded the Ocean Shore in West Santa Cruz with no outlet south, thereby imperilling its plans for a route across the county and beyond. Early in the morning of April 17, 1906, an 8.1 earthquake started a rockslide above the new rail line. Thanks. It had rarely made a profit and, in 1920, was forced to stop operations. The railroad was to be funded via public money, however, most records cut off around 1872 so it speculated that two other railroads had taken away the public interest.[1]. Originally chartered as the Delaware Shore Railroad in February, 1873 it was completed between Woodbury and Penns Grove in July, 1876. . The line was taken over by the Pennsylvania in 1928. Never Completed Two cars were in Oroville. The site of the station was later used as the site for a small grocery store, which continued in operation until the structure was demolished to make room for Fassler Avenue in the early 1970s. Investors dropped out, and, with less money, the directors decided to substitute a single-track steam line for the planned two-track electric railway.One hundred years ago, the Ocean Shore Railroad ran through our scenic coastal community, meandering along cliff sides and past lush farm fields, carrying city dwellers, who for the first time were able to visit our beautiful coastal area. The company initially planned for a top-of-the-line electric railway, but the 1906 earthquake curtailed . Coastside farmers were paid 5 1/2 a choke. Remnants of the right-of-way survive all along the coast, especially in San Mateo County. Fast-talking promoters lured city-weary prospects to the coastside by offering free trips on the railway, open air concerts and free lunches. The railroad was conceived to carry basically only freight of the coast-side villages. The station remained vacant until it was demolished in the early 1940s. Ocean cliffs collapsed, dumping over 4,000 feet of railroad track, along with rolling stock and construction equipment, into the sea. Although the new firm stated its intention to fill the 26-mile gap between Tunitas Creek and Scott Creek, it never had the funds to do so. The ads claimed that the towns had "no taxes and no saloons." Optimism was always the Ocean Shore Railway's greatest strength and weakness. Artichokes went for 75 each in New York. With dreams of a leisure train that would shuttle daytrippers down the coast, the Ocean Shore Railway Company drew up plans for 73 miles of tracks between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Indeed, right up until its declaration of bankruptcy in 1911, the company was working feverishly to achieve its primary goal. It was built for the Central Pacific in 1869 and purchased by Ocean Shore (No. [4] The railway was backed primarily by a group of very successful and wealthy business-men of San Francisco, including future railroad president: J. Downey Harvey. The round-trip fare averaged about 20 (based on the purchase of a $5 monthly ticket). The middle leg of the line, 26 miles between Tunitas Glen and Swanton was never completed. The end of the Ocean Shore Railroad started with the arrival of the automobile, at the very time the railroad was financially being forced to cease operations. Shore installations, fuel and ammo depots, and airplanes on the airfields were left burning, but the Japanese seemed very much entrenched, and the AA fire was intense. Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 51, p.323. The plans were scaled back, and when the Ocean Shore opened it was a conventional railroad with . It was purchased by Ocean Shore, No. The bridges over Tunitas Creek and Palmer Gulch remained for many decades until they either collapsed or were demolished. Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (Union Pacific Railroad) KOSU: King Ocean Services: KPCX: Koppers Industries: KPCZ: K and P Cartage: KPGX: Kentucky Processing: KPLU: K Line: KPLX: Koppel (Western Resources) . [Louis L. Stein, Jr. Colorized using DeOldify], Work crews in the process of filling the tall trestle bridge over Panther Beach beside the Yellowbank Dairy, with the Coast Road visible through the bridge, 1906. Investors dropped out, and, with less money, the directors decided to substitute a single-track steam line for the planned two-track electric railway. 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 See also "Ocean Shore Electric Railway," Locomotive Firemen's Magazine, Volume 39, Number 9 (September 1905), pp. Due to the initial popularity of the service, a second Stanley Steamer was added to the roster on June 10. For the Downey Harveys, such a retirement meant living at Del Monte, the exclusive resort built by the Southern Pacific Railroad at Monterey. See all. It resurfaced at the edge of the high cliffs, 700 feet above the crashing surf. It survives, but was not built for the Ocean Shore Railroad. Update on Car #1409. On board were 500 San Franciscans, great, good-time-loving people, who were treated to free picnic lunches and sales pitches for building lots. Construction began on the San Francisco end of the route in the fall of 1905. Barbara VanderWerf, Granada: A Synonym for Paradise - The Ocean Shore Railroad Years, Gum Tree Lanes Books, El Granda, 1992. Construction on the Southern Division was primarily focused on the Scott Creek Railway line rather than the route north, although surveyors were likely busy determining the best means of crossing Scott Creek. In 1894 a government study on the feasibility of the railroad was released, but nothing more was heard, suggesting that the line lost revenue and funding. Four trains (two round-trips) ran daily and six on Sundays and holidays.
