Los Gatos Library Collection Browse folders and entries from Los Gatos Library

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The last train to Los Gatos came on Jan. 25, 1959.

Organized by railfans, ~1,300 people crammed into six coaches to ride one last time. At the station, they watched Engineer Bill Jones, who had ran trains through Los Gatos since the 1890s, pull the "first spike," marking the end of the railroad.

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A Southern Pacific "Peninsula Commute" train drops off riders at sleepy Los Gatos, the end of the line — 1950s.

Until 1959, commuter trains linked Los Gatos to San Francisco via Los Altos. But, auto/bus competition was vicious. By the end, only ONE round trip train served the city! The rest? Buses.

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Congregating in Oakland, Southern Pacific RR and local officials celebrate the first day of "Red Train" service to Melrose — Dec. 13, 1911.

Spurred by competition, 1910-1913 saw the SP electrify most of its East Bay commuter lines. Finally gone were the days of loud lumbering steam on city streets!

this is peak

Photo Credits: digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/21165...

Double decker streetcars are often seen as a European thing. But, they did exist here in the USA!

Blessed with lovely weather, San Diego's Coronado RR ran double decker cars for beachgoers. It was a "California Type," meaning it had an enclosed center for all-weather use — imagine riding it today!

Photo Credits: eastbayhillsproject.org/gallery/not-...

Slowing down, the Sacramento Northern "Meteor" approaches a lone passenger at Pleasant Hill — 1938.

Despite falling ridership, traffic occasionally warranted a three car train for the "Meteor." Two coaches (with plush red seats) and one parlor car! By 1940, it slumped to just one or two cars.

How would you get the timing that far down? 4:30 - 4:45 would be very competitive with driving, I'd imagine.

I wonder if the Amtrak Airos would be a good fit for this?

Could I get a link to the source document? I genuinely never knew that they were actually trying to push passenger rail down the Coast Sub! Where will it stop?

[Cable?] car converted to trolley. 1897. San Diego, California. [Citizens Traction Company.]

Photo Credits: digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/21162...

Take a look at this: a cable car converted into a streetcar!

Conversions like this were common at the turn of the century. For lines like San Diego's short lived Citizens Traction Company, (seen here), converting old cable cars was often MUCH cheaper than buying a brand new streetcar!

Photo Credits: eastbayhillsproject.org/gallery/cons...

An afternoon Key Route train crawls under a new signal bridge... one built for a planned electric railway to San Jose!

Built in 1911, this stood where the San Jose Shortline would have connected to the Key Route. However, the San Jose line was never built, leaving the signal bridge obsolete.

SP Pike Size Passenger Trains – Part 2: The Oakland – Sacramento Locals Before we start, I’d like to express my thanks to Bob Morris for graciously allowing me to share some of his SP photographs in this post. For additional images or to purchase prints, please v…

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Rumbling past a patch of wall barley, the Southern Pacific "El Dorado" powers past Crockett on its morning run to Sacramento.

Thanks to plummeting ridership, by 1960 only two very reduced local trains still ran to Sacramento: the "El Dorado" and "Senator." Both were discontinued by 1962.

The SN was NOT high speed.

Between Oakland and Pittsburg, trains averaged 35mph. On the flat, open country to Sacramento, they averaged 55mph with a top speed of ~65mph. Heading up the Valley to Chico entailed an average of 40mph, often less.

It took over 6 hours to ride the whole line.

If you check it out in person, you'd hardly believe an active railroad yard was ever there!

Obligatory mention: Homeroom now sits on the old yard. GREAT mac n cheese!

VIA?

I've always thought a cheaper (but longer) alternative would be to gradually improve the Gold Runner. Parallel passenger-only track, grade separation, and 110mph service... and someday upgraded to CAHSR.

Photo Credits: eastbayhillsproject.org/gallery/40th...

Offloading fresh milk cans, the Sacramento Northern "Meteor" drops off riders at the cramped Oakland station — 1940.

Originally, a Downtown terminal at 11th & Webster was planned. They had permission from the city, but not money. So, they prioritized San Francisco, bypassing central Oakland.

The Central California Traction Co. wasted no time abandoning passenger service — ending it the same day the State RR Commission approved it!

Approved that morning, the last interurbans to Sacramento, Stockton, and Lodi ran on Feb. 3, 1933. Train #35 was the last run, arriving in Lodi at 11:04PM.

Sometimes I wonder how different our country would be had our illustrious rail services not faced the midcentury hangman's noose.

Photo Credits: collected by Steve Stouza, taken by Alan Weeks.

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Looks like talk about the Geary Subway is back. But 70 years ago, Geary already had rail transit!

Muni's very first streetcar line ran down Geary — their most popular and profitable route. It was 'bustituted' in 1956 for a proposed subway... one we're still waiting for today.

Further up the grade, in Montclair they recently painted a SN mural too!