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. Traded by the museum in May, 1984 to Lake Shore Railroad Historical Foundation, Elkhart, IN for Amtrak GG1 No.4906 (ex-PRR 4903). to USAX 6814; to Kurth Lmbr 20; retired 1955; to ???? It went to Hetch Hetchy in 1921, then to Sierra RY as Number 2. Numerous slides damaged the roadway. 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. Incorporated on June 1889 to construct a standard gauge line between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, the line was a private company and had unknown financers. 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. Beyond Tobin a tunnel had to be bored through the point itself and beyond the tunnel, the rails had to traverse the face of Devils Slide. This benefited the Ocean Shore immensely in 1906. Ocean cliffs collapsed, dumping over 4,000 feet of railroad track, along with rolling stock and construction equipment, into the sea. As I've mentioned in previous postings, I have intentions of modeling the Ocean Shore Railroad, a modern day recreation of a prototype that ceased operations in 1920. 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. The California Highway One Book, Rick Adams and Louise McCorkle, New York: Ballantine Books, 1985. The Kelly Street Station is now situated near the Johnston House on the south side of Higgins Canyon Road in Half Moon Bay. Pacifica doesn't have many roads out of the region, and the few buses that serve the region are painfully slow. All rights reserved. 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. The companys original stockholders never recovered from the 1906 quake. 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. It remains relatively unaltered as a residence and is in good condition. Road Number . Click Here. The former outdoor shelter was enclosed many years ago and is now a private residence. The San Francisco charter allowed for electric-only operation, so the . However, it is assumed the railroad went under due to lack of finances, as no other paper traces are found. Many of these visitors liked the area so well that they became the first settlers, buying land offered by the Ocean Shore Railroad realtors. In March 1899, the railroad had stated that they wished to be sold to the Vanderbilt Company, in direct competition to the Southern Pacific. Salada Beach, near the natural lagoon known as Laguna Salada (in the Sharp Park golf course), was designed to be a major watering hole. The Granada Station was moved a block from its original location to the corner of Ave Portola and The Alameda. You could get one for $10 down, $3 a month. Both Ocean Shore Auto Stage Stanley Steamers in Pescadero . Most Ocean Shore Railroad services ceased on August 17, 1920. Construction of the Ocean Shore in Santa Cruz County began in mid-1905 and continued apace through to the earthquake on April 18, 1906. 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. The line was taken over by the Pennsylvania in 1928. All Rights Reserved. El Granada was one of the only towns developed by the Ocean Shore Railroad, with its circular street pattern design. After the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Aitchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad had ended some bitter rivalries in December 1881, on Christmas Eve it was stated that the San Francisco & Ocean Shore Railroad's multi-state plan (involving the California Central Railway) was merely a ploy to scare the Southern Pacific Railroad into reducing the cost of freight switching at junctions with the Aitchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe. [Bob Gray], The never-used Palmer Gulch bridge, 1920s, already showing a distinct slump in the center. Between 1880 and 1881 the railroad attempted to increase revenue by taking out mortgages and distributing stocks. A solution had to be found and the new Ocean Shore Railroad had an idea. This storm mixed with creditors finally calling in their debt put an end to the reckless optimism that had been motivating the company previously. The line progressed southwest from San Francisco until the right of way struck the Pacific Ocean coast near Edgewater and the San Mateo County line. 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. There it turned right and ran down Potrero Street, then to the east of Bayshore, and then following what is Alemany Street today. Weekend passengers had flocked to the beaches on good days, but at other times the trains were virtually empty. 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. [, An Ocean Shore construction train pouring fill below the bridge over San Vicente Creek south of Davenport, 1907. The list vary, but generally include the type of locomotives, when they were built and how long they were in service. Copyright 2021. American Locomotive Company (Alco), Schenectady Works, NY, 1942 . The nail in the coffin of the Ocean Shore Railway proved to be neither Southern Pacific interference nor the 1906 earthquake. The line north from Santa Cruz was leased to the San Vicente Lumber Company, which continued to use the tracks until 1923. Local wits maintained that all it took to cause a washout on the Ocean Shore was a good heavy fog, and there was always plenty of that. It resurfaced at the edge of the high cliffs, 700 feet above the crashing surf. There were many others under construction at around the same time which harmed the railroad's bottom line. 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. In December 1899 the railroad's franchise in San Francisco expired, and subsequently, the line had given up all hopes of ever achieving a route and abandoned plans. One is camouflaged as the ERA Dolphin Real Estate office at the corner of Manor Drive and Oceana Blvd. Incorporated in March 1892, the line intended to construct an electric interurban railway between San Francisco and Santa Cruz via a tunnel at San Pedro Point. The trip from San Francisco to Salada Beach took 57 minutes, though it was advertised as taking 25 minutes. Designed to connect San Francisco and Santa Cruz, the incomplete Ocean Shore Railroad offered one of the most scenic rides in California. One of the hardest things in modeling this railroad is creating a believable paint scheme for cars and rolling stock, always working under the 'what if' premis. OCEAN SHORE RAILROAD. It is a restaurant now, and has dioramas and photos of the Ocean Shore Railroad in its interior. Mainline service ended in 1921. The company decided that it was not feasible to operate a railroad all the way down the Eastern Shore to Cape Charles and at Little Creek, and stopped operations on May 18, 2018. On August 2, 1964, New Jersey experienced its first race riot, in Jersey City. 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) . Two cars were in Oroville. As impressive as it was idealistic, the line . 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 Society is also looking for old passenger car trucks and at least one interior seat. +. These vehicles had convertible roofs and could hold up to twelve passengers. Works numbers were 32627, 32646 in January 1908. The End of an Era See also "Ocean Shore Electric Railway," Locomotive Firemen's Magazine, Volume 39, Number 9 (September 1905), pp. Rum and a Railroad-How Salada Beach Grew, Tom Johnston, Pacifica Tribune, November 9, 1977. Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 47, p. 249. 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. Regular passenger service only began in October 1907 to Tobin (Pedro Valley). The Farallone City Station was built in 1903 where Seventh Street crosses the Railroad right-of-way (now Highway 1) in Montara. how much is a wedding at the breakers palm beachnixon high school yearbooks how much is a wedding at the breakers palm beach 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 route ended at Tunitas Creek, south of READ MORE Tobin Station is located on San Pedro Point, at the corner of Danmann Avenue and Shelter Cove Road. Upon his return to San Francisco, Downey Harvey faced lawsuits resulting from the tragic death of an Ocean Shore train conductor. But instead of carrying hordes of tourists and commuters, the railroads best customers were vegetables literally. All work can use financial support too! Most ended up in East Coast homes and restaurants. Notable people include: J.A. 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. The third is Tobin Station on San Pedro Point (corner of Danman Avenue and Shelter Cove Road). Click below for a listing of assistance programs & phone numbers. Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 18, p.196 and Volume 19, p. 191; and roster notes by L S Twombly dated 10 December 1983 and supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Date Exchange collection. 1. The railroad failed to do this, and subsequently, the franchise expired and by February 1902, the line was shut down.[1]. The Route Through Pacifica Around May 1881, various rumors were circulating around San Francisco in relation to the San Francisco & Ocean Shore Railroad. Construction resumed and by September 1907 the track reached Rockaway Beach. In the north, passenger and freight service to Granada opened in June 1908 and Half Moon Bay in October, while tracks were laid across the Tunitas Creek bridge by January 1909. 30 minutes from depot to depot, 30 minute layover, 30 minute return. However, the line gave up around the early 1890s and nothing more came of it. The main Granada station was just a few hundred feet oceanward. Theme: Illdy. Restoration work by historical society volunteers, supported by our fund raisers, has continued for seven years. [Marvin T. Maynard Colorized using DeOldify], The Ocean Shore Railroad beside Islais Creek and Mission Street outside San Francisco, 1915. The missing section, 26 miles between the southern bank of Tunitas Creek to the southern bank of Scott Creek, was never completed. Real estate plans all along the coast were also envisioned, such as a massive boardwalk and amusement park at Granada, with cheap affordable housing being found at Montara. A passenger station would have been built at 25th & Potrero in San Francisco and was financed primarily through business-men in New York. Neighborhood Legal Services: (716) 847-0650. Rail lines ran from San Francisco south to Tunitas Glen and from Santa Cruz north to Swanton. Optimism was always the Ocean Shore Railway's greatest strength and weakness. There, you needed a $5 down payment. Equipment Roster. By 2004 they were in shabby condition. For the Downey Harveys, such a retirement meant living at Del Monte, the exclusive resort built by the Southern Pacific Railroad at Monterey. Copyright 2021. Meanwhile, the track to Scott Creek was completed by October, several months behind schedule, but still not too far above upper estimates. Works number was 41999 in April 1915. The North Granada Station was built in 1900, and stands vacant at 10151 Cabrillo Highway in El Granada. Then they bored a tunnel through the point itself. 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. Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment. Ocean Shore Railroad by John Schmale Article featured in the Western Railroader #713. Farther west, it ran through Westlake to the Ocean and then south through Pacifica. [Uncertain provenance Colorized using DeOldify], Ocean Shore Railway's depot in Santa Cruz overlooking the Southern Pacific yard, 1907. The railroad was rapidly running out of time, money and patience. The main building carried the slogan "OCEAN SHORE RAILROAD" painted across its top. The new West Shore Railway was meant to haul freight and passenger service, at a time estimate of two hours and ten minutes between the two cities. The Hoboken Shore Railroad started off as the Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad, a shortline that served a large industrial clientele running the length of Hoboken's (New Jersey) waterfront. The station went through many name changes including San Pedro Terrace, San Pedro Terrace By-The-Sea and finally Pedro Valley. More volunteers and more donations, will of course, speed things up. 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. 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. 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. It was created in 1933 as a joint consolidation venture between two competing railroads in the region: the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company . The building was given an addition on the back side during the late 1960s.[10]. That decision was probably its undoing. On top of all the drama and failure, though, the most remarkably fact about the Ocean Shore Railway is how close it came to succeeding in a task that had dogged so many companies before it. An apartment complex was built on its location in the early 2000's. Portions of the right of way can be seen along the Rockaway headlands and along the railway berm in Pedro Point. Construction Resumes At the time, the planned line continuation to, several small hamlets along the line north of the tunnel included Salada Beach, Brighton, and Vallemar. 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