California and Nevada Railroad
Encyclopedia
The California and Nevada Railroad was a steam narrow gauge railroad which ran in the East Bay
of the San Francisco Bay Area
in the late 19th century. It was incorporated on March 25, 1884. J.S. Emery was listed as the railroad's president, for which present day Emeryville is named. On March 1, 1885 the track was completed between Oakland and San Pablo via Emeryville. The track to Oak Grove (present day El Sobrante) was completed on January 1, 1887.
The California & Mt. Diablo Railroad proposed to run from a pier on San Francisco Bay in Emeryville
, then across central California and across the Sierra Nevada mountains at Sonora Pass
near Bodie, California
, and then east to a connection with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in Utah
. The California and Mt. Diablo was sold to the California and Nevada.
The California and Nevada reached San Pablo, California in 1886. However, a shortage of capital and constant problems with washed-out tracks prevented the line from ever getting any further than Orinda
, located east of the Berkeley Hills
. For most of its duration, the railroad was primarily run for weekend excursions. By 1891 it owned and operated 22 miles (35.4 km) of track.
On May 29, 1896 and again on July 12, 1899 the railroad was placed into receivership
. After 1900 the railroad ceased to operate. The railroad was sold at foreclosure
on November 29, 1902.
was acquired by "Borax" Smith who used it as the basis for construction of his massive interurban
Key System
causeway and ferry pier.
On March 7, 1903 the Oakland and East Side Railroad acquired the right-of-way of the California and Nevada on behalf of its parent company, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
(see "paper railroad
"). Santa Fe wanted the California & Nevada to gain access to Oakland from the Santa Fe's terminal at Richmond, California
. The track east of San Pablo to Orinda was abandoned. In 1903, Santa Fe converted the narrow gauge to standard track gauge between San Pablo and Oakland. Upon completion of the standardization, on May 16, 1904, the Oakland and East Side Railroad was leased to the Santa Fe. That same day, the first Santa Fe train passed over the line.
parallel line to the west.
Today, the Ohlone Greenway
runs along the original California & Nevada right-of-way between El Cerrito Del Norte Station and Albany. A bicycle path follows the course of the tracks while a BART aerial line runs along the western edge, within the old right-of way. In fact, for a few years, BART and Santa Fe trains ran simultaneously here.
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
in the late 19th century. It was incorporated on March 25, 1884. J.S. Emery was listed as the railroad's president, for which present day Emeryville is named. On March 1, 1885 the track was completed between Oakland and San Pablo via Emeryville. The track to Oak Grove (present day El Sobrante) was completed on January 1, 1887.
California & Mt. Diablo Railroad
The first 10 miles (16.1 km) of the California & Nevada was built by its predecessor, the California and Mount Diablo Railroad. The California & Mt. Diablo Railroad was organized on March 21, 1881 at Emery's, an unincorporated settlement which later became the city of Emeryville. The track commenced at 40th Street/San Pablo Avenue and continued 9.85 miles (15.9 km) north through present day Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito and terminated in Richmond.The California & Mt. Diablo Railroad proposed to run from a pier on San Francisco Bay in Emeryville
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
, then across central California and across the Sierra Nevada mountains at Sonora Pass
Sonora Pass
Sonora Pass is the second-highest highway pass in the Sierra Nevada, lower by 321 ft. than Tioga Pass to the south. State Route 108 traverses the pass.-Description:...
near Bodie, California
Bodie, California
Bodie is a ghost town in the Bodie Hills east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California, United States, about 75 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe. It is located east-southeast of Bridgeport, at an elevation of 8379 feet . As Bodie Historic District, the U.S. Department of the...
, and then east to a connection with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The California and Mt. Diablo was sold to the California and Nevada.
The California and Nevada reached San Pablo, California in 1886. However, a shortage of capital and constant problems with washed-out tracks prevented the line from ever getting any further than Orinda
Orinda, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Orinda had a population of 17,643. The population density was 1,389.5 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Orinda was 14,533 White, 149 African American, 22 Native American, 2,016 Asian, 24 Pacific Islander, 122 from other races, and...
, located east of the Berkeley Hills
Berkeley Hills
The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges that overlook the northeast side of the valley that surrounds San Francisco Bay. They were previously called the "Contra Costa Range/Hills" , but with the establishment of Berkeley and the University of California, the current usage was...
. For most of its duration, the railroad was primarily run for weekend excursions. By 1891 it owned and operated 22 miles (35.4 km) of track.
On May 29, 1896 and again on July 12, 1899 the railroad was placed into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
. After 1900 the railroad ceased to operate. The railroad was sold at foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
on November 29, 1902.
Oakland & East Side Railroad
The nascent pier into San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
was acquired by "Borax" Smith who used it as the basis for construction of his massive interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
Key System
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
causeway and ferry pier.
On March 7, 1903 the Oakland and East Side Railroad acquired the right-of-way of the California and Nevada on behalf of its parent company, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
(see "paper railroad
Paper railroad
In the United States, a paper railroad is a company in the railroad business which exists "on paper only": as a legal entity which does not own any track, locomotives, or rolling stock. Frequently, paper railroads were set up as subsidiaries by larger parent railroads, or formerly existed and...
"). Santa Fe wanted the California & Nevada to gain access to Oakland from the Santa Fe's terminal at Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. The track east of San Pablo to Orinda was abandoned. In 1903, Santa Fe converted the narrow gauge to standard track gauge between San Pablo and Oakland. Upon completion of the standardization, on May 16, 1904, the Oakland and East Side Railroad was leased to the Santa Fe. That same day, the first Santa Fe train passed over the line.
Route
- Oakland
- Emery (Emeryville)
- Berkeley
- Albany
- El Cerrito
- Richmond
- San Pablo
- Oak Grove (El Sobrante)
- Fargos
- Orinda Park
- Bryant
The right-of-way today
The track from San Pablo to Orinda follows much of the route of the San Pablo Dam Road through El Sobrante. The Santa Fe line between Richmond and Oakland was abandoned by the Santa Fe in the early 1980s when the Santa Fe obtained trackage rights into Oakland via Southern Pacific Railroad'sSouthern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
parallel line to the west.
Today, the Ohlone Greenway
Ohlone Greenway
The Ohlone Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle path in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.The path is named for the Ohlone Indians who originally lived in the area....
runs along the original California & Nevada right-of-way between El Cerrito Del Norte Station and Albany. A bicycle path follows the course of the tracks while a BART aerial line runs along the western edge, within the old right-of way. In fact, for a few years, BART and Santa Fe trains ran simultaneously here.