North Pacific Coast Railroad

North Pacific Coast Railroad
Reporting mark	NPC
Locale	Marin and Sonoma Counties, California
Dates of operation	1871–1907
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge); originally 3 ft  (914 mm)
Headquarters	Sausalito, California

The North Pacific Coast Railroad (NPC) was a common carrier narrow gauge steam railroad begun in 1874 and sold in 1902 to new owners who renamed it the North Shore Railroad (California) (NSR) and which rebuilt the southern section into a standard gauge electric railroad.

The NPC operated in the northern California counties of Marin and Sonoma that carried redwood lumber, local dairy and agricultural products, express and passengers. The NPC operated almost 93 mi (150 km) of track that extended from a pier at Sausalito (which connected the line via ferry to San Francisco) and operated northwest to Duncans Mills and Cazadero (also known as Ingrams). The NPC became the North Shore Railroad (California) (NSR) on March 7, 1902. In 1907 the North Shore Railroad became part of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP). Southern portions of the line were standard gauged and electrified by the North Shore for suburban passenger service, though most of the trackage north of San Rafael remained 3 ft  (914 mm) gauge until abandonment in the late 1930s.

All of the NPC trackage has been abandoned either by the NPC or the NWP. Some of the original right of way can be seen at the Samuel P. Taylor State Park near Fairfax, along the shore of Tomales Bay and Keyes Estuary and passenger depots remain in San Anselmo and Duncan Mills. One NPC steam locomotive, No.12 the "Sonoma," remains as a restored static exhibit in its circa 1870s appearance at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

North Pacific Coast Railroad tunnel near Keys Creek

Route

Inside the tunnel

Bridge over Keys Estuary viewed from California State Route 1.

Former railroad grade adjacent to Tomales Bay viewed from California State Route 1.

Mileposts conform to Southern Pacific Railroad convention of distance from San Francisco^[1]

• San Francisco - Sausalito via Ferry
• Sausalito (milepost 6.5)
• San Rafael
• Junction (later known as San Anselmo) (milepost 16.5)
• Fairfax (milepost 18.3)
• Point Reyes Station (milepost 36.4)
• Marshall (milepost 45.4)
• Tomales (milepost 53.1)
• Valley Ford (milepost 59.5)
• Freestone (milepost 63.7)
• Occidental (milepost 67.6)
• Monte Rio (milepost 73.8)
• Duncans Mills (milepost 77.1)
• Cazadero (milepost 84.3)

Electrification

The NSR was operated by John Martin and Eugene de Sabla, Jr., pioneers in the electric railroad business. The line was double tracked from Sausalito to San Anselmo except for the tunnel at Alto. A power house was built at Alto and power was also purchased at San Rafael. Electrical power was transmitted to the trains at 600 volts by a third rail. Some steam coaches were rebuilt as powered coaches, a number of cars were purchased from the St. Louis Car Co. and some similar cars were built at the NSR shops. Some cars were powered combination passenger-baggage cars and some passenger cars were unpowered (trailers). Service started to Mill Valley on August 20, 1903, and to San Rafael on October 17, 1903. The electric lines were expanded after 1907 as part of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.

Locomotives

Number	Name	Builder	Type	Date	Works number	Notes[2]
1	Saucelito	Baldwin Locomotive Works	2-6-0	1873	3495	sold to White Lumber Company of Elk, California 1876[3]
2	San Rafael	Mason Machine Works	0-4-4T	1874	537	burned at Tomales 1905 & rebuilt became NWP #89[4]
3	Tomales	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1875	3722	became NWP #83[5]
4	Olema	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1874	3629	wrecked 1894 & rebuilt became NWP #81[6]
5	Bodega	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1875	3703	dismantled by 1897[7]
6	Valley Ford	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1874	3664	leased to Dollar Lumber Company in 1899[8]
7	Tamalpais	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1875	3721	[9]
8	Bully Boy	Mason Machine Works	0-6-6T	1877	584	burned at Tomales 1905[10]
9	M. S. Latham	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1875	3749	wrecked 14 February 1894[11]
10	Bloomfield	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1876	3840	sold 1895 Guatemala Western #1
11	Marin	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1876	3842	became NWP #82[12]
12	Sonoma	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1876	3843	sold 1879 Nevada Central #5 (preserved at California State Railroad Museum)[13]
13		Baldwin Locomotive Works	2-6-0	1883	6611	became NWP #195[14]
14		Brooks Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1891	1885	became NWP #92[15]
15		Brooks Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1891	1886	became NWP #90[16]
16		Brooks Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1894	2421	became NWP #91[17]
17		Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1875	3749	NPC 1894 rebuild of wreck-damaged #9 wrecked again in 1900[18]
18		Brooks Locomotive Works	4-6-0	1899	3418	reputedly the largest 3-foot (0.91 m) gauge locomotive in the world when built became NWP #145 then #95[19]
20		NPC Sausalito shop	4-4-0	1900	1	became NWP #84[20]
21	Thomas-Stetson	NPC Sausalito shop	4-4-0	1901	2	cab-forward rebuild of #5 scrapped 1905[21]
22		Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1874	3664	former #6 renumbered when returned from Dollar Lumber Company in 1901[8]

References

• Kneiss, Gilbert H. (1956). Redwood Railways. Berkeley, California: Howell-North. 
• MacGregor, Bruce. Palo Alto, (2003). The Birth of California Narrow Gauge. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-3550-6. 
• Stindt, Fred (1974). Trains to the Russian River. Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. 
• Stindt, Fred. Kelseyville and Modesto, (1964; 1982 Fourth Printing). The Northwestern Pacific Railroad: Redwood Empire Route. Dunscomb Press. Library of Congress Catalog No.64-24033. 
• Sievers, Wald and Stindt, Fred (1969). N.W.P. Narrow Gauge. 
• Dickinson, A. Bray (1974). Narrow Gauge to the Redwoods. Trans-Anglo Books. ISBN 0-87046-010-2. 
• Demoro, Harre W. (1983). Electric Railway Pioneer: Commuting on the Northwestern Pacific, 1903-1941. Interurban Press. ISBN 0-916374-55-6. 

1. ^ Stindt (1964) pp.88-89
2. ^ Dickinson (1970) pp.132-133
3. ^ Dickinson (1974) p.27
4. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.27,72-74,108,110 & 155
5. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.5,63,67,136 & 150
6. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.10,68,87 & 148
7. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.40 & 137
8. ^ ^{a b} Kneiss (1956) p.140
9. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.66-67,115 & 134
10. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.50,134 & 156
11. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.46 & 52
12. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.88-89
13. ^ Dickinson (1974) p.46
14. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.55,80 & 116
15. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.87,109.113,& 136
16. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.76,109 & 137
17. ^ Dickinson (1974) p.82
18. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.70,96 & 120
19. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.91 & 155
20. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.2,92,107 & 114
21. ^ Dickinson (1974) pp.93-94,115 & 156

External links

• PacificNG.com: North Pacific Coast Railroad