With one of the world's most scenic backdrops as a brilliant seascape for passengers, the Ocean Shore Railroad skirted northern California's coastline to service communities south of San Francisco for the first two decades of the 20th century. Although constructed using the same contractors as the Coast Line Railway, the Coast Line was running behind schedule so the Ocean Shore's initial single track was built to Davenport first. See Locobase 13260 for a history of the Pacific's OSRR. Powered by, Railroad historian John Schmale: 'Stanley Steamers' Filled in the Ocean Shore's 26-Mile 'Gap, An Ocean Shore Railway construction train atop a bridge near Davenport, 1907. Construction Resumes Early in the morning of April 17, 1906, an 8.1 earthquake started a rockslide above the new rail line. By 1940 the body was placed on the ground, and in 1977 was moved to a nearby ranch. Tobin Station is located on San Pedro Point, at the corner of Danmann Avenue and Shelter Cove Road. A stagnant economy following the earthquake had led to a recession and by October 1907, the New York Stock Exchange was half the value it had been the previous year. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 13 January 2019 email and well-drafted spreadsheet, the latter noting the absence of this locomotive from Locobase and providing detailed data. Three railroad stations still stand. . During wet winters, when portions of the railroad's right-of-way were washed out or otherwise damaged, the steamers also provided service shuttling passengers around inoperable sections. The company initially planned for a top-of-the-line electric railway, but the 1906 earthquake curtailed . To get supplies and materials to the site, they anchored a ship offshore and transported materials along an aerial tramway. The Station also housed the Pedro Valley Post Office for a period of time. It hugged the mountain at Devil's Slide and traveled south through Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada and Half Moon Bay. The railroad was rapidly running out of time, money and patience. 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. The two incomplete short tunnels at Pomponio Beach existed into the 1970s before they collapsed or were demolished for safety reasons. Then they bored a tunnel through the point itself. 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. Length. The huge cut between Fairway Park and Vallemar was blasted out by railroad engineers. 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. 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 huge cut between Fairway Park and Vallemar was blasted out by railroad engineers. 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. Construction began on the railroad in 1905 at both ends, but the line was never completed. Rail lines ran from San Francisco south to Tunitas Glen and from Santa Cruz north to Swanton. The Ocean Shore Railway started construction on May 18th, 1905 on what was to be a double track electric line to run about 83 miles from 12th & Mission Street in San Francisco to Santa Cruz. Of the track that remained, much was twisted and contorted to such a degree that it resembled a roller-coaster. 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. 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. But, as with most of the other fantastic beach developments, they failed to materialize beyond the artists conceptions. Between Tunitas Creek and Scott Creek, some cuts and fills can be found beside Highway 1, but much more was once visible. Through service from San Francisco to Santa Cruz via rail and steamer cost $4.50 a ticket and took a total of 8:15 hours northbound and 7:50 hours southbound. Although the crisis was short-lived, it led to many of the remaining and new investors in the Ocean Shore Railway to pull out. 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. Most ended up in East Coast homes and restaurants. 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. Our trains also feature snack bar cars with family-friendly prices to help you further enjoy your ride. Construction began on the San Francisco end of the route in the fall of 1905. The Stanley Steamers called in at Waddell Creek, Gazos Creek, Pigeon Point, Pebble Beach, Pescadero, San Gregorio, Tunitas Glen, and Torquay, providing transportation to and from some of the most remote communities on the Central Coast. The publicity department produced large colorful broadsides and posters ex-tolling the beautiful beaches and other attractions. All but the last of these projects came to nothing. Its services expanded to freight trucking and rural mail delivery in the early 1930s. Copyright 2021. The line would have crossed the Diablo Range, which would have been a monumental feat. 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 stood as a residence until the early 1980s. 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. Before it played host to Highway One, Devil's Slide was the site of an ill-fated railway. Grading, meanwhile, had progressed as far as Pigeon Point. [6] Construction began in September 17, 1905, with the grades being dug out at points in San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Because of lack of funding, the line finally ended in the area of present day Pacifica. All Rights Reserved. Artichokes went for 75 each in New York. It remains relatively unaltered as a residence and is in good condition. [3] Other plans that were originally considered, would have operated the railway under 3300 volts Alternating-Current, utilizing both third rail and overhead catenary wiring. Copyright 2012-2021 Zayante Publishing. 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. Numerous slides damaged the roadway. The Bay Coast Railroad (a subsidiary of Cassatt Management LLC) was the last operator to run trains all the way from Maryland to Little Creek. Mainline service ended in 1921. Two cars were in Oroville. 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 structure was demolished and its lumber was recycled to build part of the home at 635 Rockaway Beach Avenue. [ Reply To This Message ] Date: 03/13/02 17:17 RE: San . Check out our refreshment options! to USAX 6814; to Kurth Lmbr 20; retired 1955; to ???? Most ended up in East Coast homes and restaurants. Lots were at first generally sold closest to the depots. [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. Travel was often interrupted by the results of a heavy rain that caused culverts under the tracks to jam with debris, washing away the roadbed. 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. Choose from Ocean Shore Railroad stock illustrations from iStock. Seven years ago, the Pacifica Historical Society learned from John Schmale that an OSRR passenger car was being used as a tool shed up by some railroad tracks near Sebastopol, some 50 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The structure was originally one story but now stands as a two story residence. Ocean Shore Steam Locomotive Roster. The Southern Division was subsequently leased to the San Vicente Lumber Company while the Northern Division was scrapped. Equipment Roster. El Granada was one of the only towns developed by the Ocean Shore Railroad, with its circular street pattern design. The firm's persistence finally paid off in March 1927 when it received permission to run passenger, freight, and express service across the entirety of the old Ocean Shore route including all settlements along the way. The railroad was rapidly running out of time, money and patience. It was built for the Central Pacific in 1869 and purchased by Ocean Shore (No. Both cars were finally scrapped at Oroville during 2009. 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. The tracks from San Francisco were completed as far south as Tunitas Creek, south of Half Moon Bay. 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. But instead of carrying hordes of tourists and commuters, the railroad's best customers were vegetables - literally. If you don't want. MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RAILROAD COMPANY The Michigan Southern Railroad operates 21 miles of track from White Pigeon to Sturgis, Michigan, located approximately Skip to content Report an Emergency 1.855.258.4514 | 24/7 Customer Service 1.855.955.7245 | Customer Console | Employee Portal There are two stations still existing and a levee. 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. Funds were solicited locally in early 1908, allowing construction to continue, but the railroad was running entirely on rapidly-increasing debt. The Ocean Shore Railway started construction on May 18th, 1905 on what was to be a double track electric line to run about 83 miles from 12th & Mission Street in San Francisco to Santa Cruz. Coastside farmers were paid 5 1/2 a choke. Notable people include: J.A. 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. On August 2, 1964, New Jersey experienced its first race riot, in Jersey City. However, most paper-records dropped off around this time, so nothing more is heard about the railway. 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. That decision was probably its undoing. Unfortunately, construction began in fall of . Another tunnel south of Pescadero Beach appears on the 1961 USGS quadrangle map but has also now disappeared. The station remained vacant until it was demolished in the early 1940s. 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. Help us restore car #1409 bought by the Ocean Shore Railroad in 1913. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcCsc0VkCcs This video tells the story of a train model created in 1999 in Pacifica Ca. Railroad building had just reached Mussell Rock, where the San Andreas fault dives into the Pacific Ocean, when disaster struck. To get supplies and materials to the site, they anchored a ship offshore and transported materials along an aerial tramway. The tracks north from Santa Cruz were completed as far north as Swanton, north of Davenport. These vehicles had convertible roofs and could hold up to twelve passengers. Funded primarily by investors on the East Coast, the line was required by the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors to construct a section of track immediately in San Francisco. 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. From $20. A passenger station would have been built at 25th & Potrero in San Francisco and was financed primarily through business-men in New York. Following abandonment, the railroad company fought for decades over ownership of their right-of-way, large portions of which they had purchased wholesale rather than as easements. 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. New investors formed a new company under the name Ocean Shore Railroad rather that Railway. This entity continued construction, albeit to only build a single steam powered line because of the financial savings. 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. All Rights Reserved. Vallemar Station remains relatively unaltered and is situated at 2125 Coast Highway. Rail lines ran from San Francisco south to Tunitas Glen and from Santa Cruz north to Swanton. Artichokes, beans, Brussels sprouts, peas, potatoes and other coastside produce were in high demand. All work can use financial support too! Dr. In total New Jersey today is home to just 950 miles of trackage. 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) . Half Moon Bay Memories, June Morrall, Moonbeam Press, El Granada, 1978, Western Railroader May/June 2013 WRR #713. View our variety of available train rides in Hamburg, NY below. Coastside produce were in high demand railroad was running entirely on rapidly-increasing debt San. But has also now disappeared of April 17, 1906, an 8.1 earthquake started rockslide. 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