Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad
Encyclopedia
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, United States. It operated between the cities of Petaluma
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
, Sebastopol
Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, approximately north of San Francisco. The population was 7,379 at the 2010 census, but its businesses also serve surrounding rural portions of Sonoma County, totaling about 50,000 people...
, Forestville
Forestville, California
Forestville is a census-designated place in Sonoma County, California, United States. The town came into existence during the late 1860s and was originally named Forrestville, after one its founders, but the spelling long ago became standardized with one "r". The population was 3,293 at the 2010...
, and Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
. A company-owned steamboat provided service between Petaluma and San Francisco.
Portions of the original right-of-way have been acquired by the County for the West County Trail, a facility managed by the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department.
A portion of the original right-of-way can be found along the waterfront in Petaluma. There are plans to re-activate this line to become a trolly line.
Timeline
- 1888-1891: Predecessor horsecar lines built in Petaluma and Santa Rosa.
- 1903: Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railway incorporated.
- 1903: Paddle-wheel steamer "Gold" purchased.
- 1904: Railway built and opened between Petaluma, Sebastopol, and Santa Rosa.
- 1910: Steamer "Resolute" purchased and renamed "Petaluma".
- 1913: Branch opened to Two Rock.
- 1914: Steamer "Petaluma" burns, is rebuilt.
- 1920: Steamer "Gold" burns.
- 1925: Passenger service discontinued on the Two Rock Branch.
- 1927: New passenger and freight depot built in Santa Rosa.
- 1928: Petaluma & Santa Rosa purchased by Northwestern Pacific RailroadNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
. - 1931: Santa Rosa line dismantled from McDonald Avenue to Olive Street.
- 1933: All trolley passenger service discontinued.
- 1935: Steamer ferry passenger service discontinued.
- 1946: Santa Rosa line dismantled from Olive Street to Stop 45 junction with Northwestern Pacific RailroadNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
. - 1946-47: Electric locomotives replaced by diesels.
- 1947: Santa Rosa line dismantled from Stop 45 to Leddy junction with Northwestern Pacific RailroadNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
. - 1950: Steamer "Petaluma" sold.
- 1952: Two Rock branch dismantled.
- 1961: Forestville line shortened by 1 miles (1.6 km) to Ross.
- 1966: Southern Pacific RailroadSouthern Pacific RailroadThe 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....
diesel locomotives replace the last Petaluma and Santa Rosa locomotive. - 1969: Forestville line shortened by another mile to Sagu.
- 1973: Eight miles of track abandoned between Denman and Turner.
- 1978: Four more miles of track abandoned between Turner and Alten.
- 1984: Line from Santa Rosa to Sebastopol abandoned. County supervisors direct the parks department to acquire portions of the abandoned right-of-way. Northwestern Pacific RailroadNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
continued using the southern end of the line to serve local industries in Petaluma.
Route
- Milepost 0 - PetalumaPetaluma, CaliforniaPetaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
- Milepost 3.6 - Denman
- Milepost 5.1 - Liberty - branch west to: Cherry (MP 7.7) and Two Rock (MP 10.4)
- Milepost 7.9 - Stony Point
- Milepost 9.4 - Roblar
- Milepost 9.6 - Quarry
- Milepost 10.9 - Orchard
- Milepost 11.3 - Turner
- Milepost 13.2 - Cunningham
- Milepost 14.9 - Alten
- Milepost 16.7 - SebastopolSebastopol, CaliforniaSebastopol is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, approximately north of San Francisco. The population was 7,379 at the 2010 census, but its businesses also serve surrounding rural portions of Sonoma County, totaling about 50,000 people...
- branch east to: Leddy (MP 20.2), Stop 45 (MP 22.6), and Santa RosaSanta Rosa, CaliforniaSanta Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
(MP 23.4) - Milepost 20.9 - GratonGraton, CaliforniaGraton is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in west Sonoma County, California, United States. The population was 1,707 at the 2010 census. Graton's ZIP code is 95444.-Geography:...
- Milepost 23.8 - ForestvilleForestville, CaliforniaForestville is a census-designated place in Sonoma County, California, United States. The town came into existence during the late 1860s and was originally named Forrestville, after one its founders, but the spelling long ago became standardized with one "r". The population was 3,293 at the 2010...
The Battle of Sebastopol Road
The Petaluma and Santa Rosa line followed Sebastopol Road approaching Santa Rosa from Sebastopol. The construction crew needed to cross the north-south steam railroad to reach downtown Santa Rosa. The steam railroad had operated a parallel branch line from Santa Rosa to Sebastopol since 1890, and would not consent to the crossing allowing a new competitor to offer direct service downtown. Trolley service began to the west side of the crossing on 29 November 1904. Rails were laid on the east side of the steam railroad tracks, and an electric wire was strung overhead in preparation for installing the crossing. A crossing was prefabricated in Sebastopol and loaded on a flat car pushed to the crossing location. But when the interurban crew arrived to install the crossing on 3 January 1905, they found a pair of steam locomotives on either side of the crossing fitted with steam nozzles to spray hot water on anyone approaching the crossing site. The interurban construction crew retreated.The following day the regularly scheduled interurban car #57 arrived secretly carrying the construction crew. Before the steam railway could respond, the crew laid a temporary track across and over the steam rails and had a team of horses pull trolley #57 across to serve downtown Santa Rosa. The steam railroad then obtained a temporary injunction from a San Francisco judge prohibiting installation of the crossing. For a few weeks, passengers from Sebastopol were required to depart their arriving trolley and walk over the steam railroad to reboard trolley #57 for the remainder of the trip.
The injunction was dissolved in late February and the interurban construction crew assembled again to install the crossing on 1 March 1905. The steam railroad appeared to be unaware of the status of their injunction, so their locomotives again discouraged the construction crew with hot water. The steam railroad also had a flat car loaded with gravel on hand for their men to fill in the excavation as soon as the interurban crew tried to dig out the crossing site. Tempers flared and several hundred Santa Rosa citizens assembled to watch the entertainment. Santa Rosa police ultimately restored order, and the crossing was installed that evening.
Roster of passenger rolling stock
| Number | Builder | Type | Date | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | American Car Company American Car Company American Car Company was a streetcar manufacturing company based in St. Louis, USA. It was founded in 1891 by William Sutton and Emil Alexander, who had previously founded the Laclede Car Company in 1883 also in St. Louis, and had both got their start working in the streetcar business at St... |
Motor | 1904 | 47'9" | retired 1933 |
| 53 | American Car Company American Car Company American Car Company was a streetcar manufacturing company based in St. Louis, USA. It was founded in 1891 by William Sutton and Emil Alexander, who had previously founded the Laclede Car Company in 1883 also in St. Louis, and had both got their start working in the streetcar business at St... |
Motor | 1904 | 47'9" | retired 1933 |
| 55 | American Car Company American Car Company American Car Company was a streetcar manufacturing company based in St. Louis, USA. It was founded in 1891 by William Sutton and Emil Alexander, who had previously founded the Laclede Car Company in 1883 also in St. Louis, and had both got their start working in the streetcar business at St... |
Motor | 1904 | 47'9" | became inspection car in 1932 retired 1941 |
| 57 | American Car Company American Car Company American Car Company was a streetcar manufacturing company based in St. Louis, USA. It was founded in 1891 by William Sutton and Emil Alexander, who had previously founded the Laclede Car Company in 1883 also in St. Louis, and had both got their start working in the streetcar business at St... |
Motor | 1904 | 47'9" | became inspection car in 1932 retired 1941 |
| 59 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | 44' | retired 1932 |
| 61 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | 44' | retired 1932 |
| 63 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | 44' | retired 1932 preserved Western Railway Museum Western Railway Museum The Western Railway Museum, in Solano County, California is located on Highway 12 between Rio Vista and Suisun. The museum is built along the former mainline of theSacramento Northern Railway... |
| 65 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | 44' | retired 1932 |
| 67 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | 44' | retired 1932 |
| 69 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | 44' | converted to express Railway Express Agency The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system... trailer in 1919 retired 1932 |
| 71 | Holman Car Company | Trailer | 1905 | 44' | retired 1929 |
| 73 | Holman Car Company | Trailer | 1905 | 44' | retired 1929 |
| 01 | Holman Car Company | Express Railway Express Agency The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system... Trailer |
1916 | built as #8 express Railway Express Agency The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system... motor demotorized 1917 designated express Railway Express Agency The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system... trailer 1920 retired 1933 |
Roster of freight motors
| Number | Builder | Type | Date | Works Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Holman Car Company | Express Railway Express Agency The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system... Motor |
1916 | demotorized as line car #4 in 1917 redesignated express Railway Express Agency The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system... trailer #01 in 1920 |
|
| 100 | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
Motor | 1912 | leased from Southern Pacific Railroad Company 1933-1941 | |
| 502 | American Car Company American Car Company American Car Company was a streetcar manufacturing company based in St. Louis, USA. It was founded in 1891 by William Sutton and Emil Alexander, who had previously founded the Laclede Car Company in 1883 also in St. Louis, and had both got their start working in the streetcar business at St... |
Motor | 1917 | purchased from Kansas City - Kays Valley Railroad 1920 retired 1946 | |
| 504 | Ocean Shore Railroad Ocean Shore Railroad The Ocean Shore Railroad was intended to be built from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, California, via a route along the Pacific coastline.-History:... |
Motor | 1917 | purchased from Ocean Shore Railroad Ocean Shore Railroad The Ocean Shore Railroad was intended to be built from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, California, via a route along the Pacific coastline.-History:... 1921 retired 1947 |
|
| 506 | Petaluma & Santa Rosa RR | Motor | 1923 | built from Sacramento Northern Railroad frame #1000 with motors from Ocean Shore Railroad Ocean Shore Railroad The Ocean Shore Railroad was intended to be built from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, California, via a route along the Pacific coastline.-History:... retired 1947 |
|
| 1002 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | rebuilt as steeple cab in 1920 and as cabless multiple unit slave #1004B in 1928 retired 1947 | |
| 1004 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | rebuilt as steeple cab in 1920 and renumbered 1004A with multiple unit controls in 1928 retired 1947 | |
| 1006 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | rebuilt as steeple cab in 1920 and as cabless multiple unit slave #1008B in 1929 retired 1947 | |
| 1008 | Holman Car Company | Motor | 1904 | rebuilt as steeple cab in 1920 and renumbered #1008A with multiple unit controls in 1929 retired 1947 | |
| 1010 | Petaluma & Santa Rosa R.R. | Motor | 1917 | Flat car rebuilt with motors from Express Motor #8 sold to City of San Francisco 1921 repurchased 1930 retired 1947 | |
| 1 | General Electric General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... |
44-ton diesel electric | 1946 | 28338 | became Southern Pacific Railroad Company #1904 in 1958 |
| 2 | General Electric General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... |
44-ton diesel electric | 1942 | 15034 | ex-Lehigh Valley Railroad Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad... #61 then Rio Grande and Eagle Pass Railroad #10 acquired 1946 became Southern Pacific Railroad Southern 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.... #1905 in 1958 |
| 3 | General Electric General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... |
44-ton diesel electric | 1943 | 17928 | ex-Southern Pacific Railroad Company #206 acquired 1958 retired 1964 |
| 4 | General Electric General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... |
44-ton diesel electric | 1945 | 27817 | ex-Southern Pacific Railroad Company #1903 acquired 1958 retired 1966 |
External links
- Western Railway Museum which has restored and operates P&SR car #63.
- Petaluma Trolley which has restored P&SR car #8.
- Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society is restoring P&SR caboose #1.
- Western Sonoma County Historical Museum in the P&SR Sebastopol Depot
- West County Trail
- Map of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad