The Overland Trail To-Day -- November 5, 2024

San Francisco Examiner, 11-November-1924

The Overland Limited was the premiere transcontinental train of the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. "Union Pacific trains traverse the historic Overland Trail in one-twentieth of the time it took your forefathers."

The Sea to Great Lakes Flyer -- August 23, 2021

San Francisco Call, 04-May-1921

The Overland Limited was the premiere transcontinental train of the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. "The Sea to Great Lakes Flyer."

See the World's Greatest Fleet -- August 29, 2019

Omaha Bee, 05-April-1908

The Union Pacific Railroad invited Omahans to ride the Overland Limited to San Francisco to see the Great White Fleet.

The Great Overland Rail Route -- June 21, 2019

An ad from the second month of transcontinental service.  Central Pacific passengers had to change trains at Promontory Summit.  Union Pacific hauled them from there to Omaha.  A trip from Sacramento to New York, which would require two more changes, took seven days and about 12 hours.

Central Pacific Railroad -- May 28, 2019

Alta California, 27-May-1869

An early ad for transcontinental trains.

Golden Spike 150 -- May 10, 2019

150 years ago today, on 10-May-1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed when the tracks of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met at Promontory Summit, Utah.  This article, from the 11-May-1869 New York Herald, describes the scene.  

I found the list of places connected confusing because it included, along with New York and San Francisco, a place called Plaister Cove.  I think they are referring to Plaister Cove, Nova Scotia.  

THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.

The Last Rail Laid and the Last Spike Driven.

San Francisco and New York Linked to Each Other.

Celebration of the Event Throughout the United States.

Official Announcement or the Completion of the Road -- The Point of Junction.
Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10, 1869.

The last rail is laid -- the last spike driven. The Pacific Railroad is completed.

The point of Junction is 1,080 miles west of the Missouri river and 690 miles east of Sacramento City.

LELAND STANFORD, Central Pacific Railroad.
T. C. DURANT, SIDNEY DILLON, JOHN DAFF, Union Pacific Railroad.

Hour at Which the Last Spike Was Driven -- Places Connected With.

Promontory Point, Utah, May 10, 1869.

The last spike in the Pacific Railroad was driven to-day at five minutes past three o'clock P. M., New York time. The following places were thus connected with Promontory Point: -- San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, New York, Boston and Plaister Cove.

The Celebration at Promontory.

Promontory, Utah, May 10, 1869.

The long-looked for moment has arrived. The construction of the Pacific Railroad is un fait accompli. The inhabitants of the Atlantic board and the dwellers on the Pacific slope are henceforth emphatically one people. I write on Promontory Summit, amid the deafening shouts of the multitude, with the tick, tick of the telegraph close to mv ear. The proceedings of the day are:
1. Prayer by Rev. Dr. Todd, of Pittsfield, asking the favor of Heaven upon the enterprise.
2. Laying of two rails, one opposite the other one, for the Union Pacific Railroad and one for the Central Pacific Railroad.
3. Presentation of spikes to the two companies -- on the part of California by Dr. Harkness, on the part of Nevada by Hon. F. A. Fritle, and on the part of Arizona by Governor Safford.
4. Response by Governor Stanford on the part of the Central Pacific Railroad.
5. Response by General G. M. Dodge on the part of the Union Pacific Railroad.
6. Driving of the last spikes by the two companies; telegraph to be attached to the last spike of the Central Pacific Company, and the last blow to announce to the world by telegraph the completion of the Pacific Railroad.
7. Telegram to the President of the United States.
8. Telegram to the Associated Press.

CELEBRATION OF THE EVENT IN NEW YORK.

If there was no jammed crowd upon Broadway yesterday it was not because of any indifference on the part of our metropolitan population at the completion of so gigantic a work as the Pacific Railroad. Everybody felt happy over the event and expressed their pleasure in that quiet, thoughtful and dignified manner peculiar to the citizens of the greatest city in the New World. Nevertheless, yesterday flags were flying from all the public and many private buildings in New York. By order of Mayor Hall 100 guns were fired on the City Hall Park. The booming of the cannon and clouds of smoke that rose upwards with each discharge attracted a goodly number of persons to the spot; but this was the only crowd -- if it could be called such -- seen in the city yesterday. On Wail street some excitement was manifested. The bulls, aided by the news of the road being completed, managed to toss the stocks of several roads tolerably high. This morning New York woke up calm and serene. The Pacific Railroad is a matter of course. Every preparation is complete to receive and ship the products of nations from and to the Orient.

Congratulatory Messages.

At precisely 3:16 P. M. Mayor Hall received the following telegram:
Promontory Point, May 10,1869.
To Hon. A. Oakley Hall, Mayor, New York City
The last spike in the rail connecting the Atlantic and Pacific by rail has been driven at 3:10 P. M. to-day.
A. S. BROWN, Manager.

Overland Limited -- June 17, 2016

San Francisco Call, 18-June-1911

An ad from the 18-June-1911 San Francisco Call touts the Southern and Union Pacific's investments which sped the time of the Overland Limited from Chicago to San Francisco by 4 1/2 hours.  These investments included the Lucin Cutoff across an arm of the Great Salt Lake.

Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company -- November 16, 2015

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 13-February-1898

The Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company operated lines from Portland, Oregon into Washington and Idaho. Union Pacific took control in 1898, and merged it with the rest of the system in 1936.  The Oregon Short line was a UP subsidiary which was supposed to provide the shortest route from Oregon to Wyoming. 

Portland and Puget Sound Express -- February 7, 2015

Tacoma Times, 14-January-1915

The Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company was a Union Pacific subsidiary that operated lines from Portland, Oregon into Washington and Idaho. 

==================================

After 5 o'clock mass, we went to the 40th anniversary all-classes reunion at Good Shepherd School.  It was nice to see many of the people again. 

Chicago in Less Than Three Days -- May 16, 2014

"Double Drawing-Room Sleeping Cars, Buffet, Smoking and Library Cars, with barber.  Dining Cars -- meals a la carte.  Daily Tourist Car Service and Personally Conducted Excursions every week from San Francisco at 6 p.m.  The best of everything."  This ad from the 21-October-1901 San Francisco Call promotes service from San Francisco to Chicago in less than three days via Union Pacific and the Chicago and North Western.  Southern Pacific would be in there, too. 

San Francisco and San Jose Railroad 150 -- October 26, 2013

I see that I missed the 17-October-2013 150th anniversary of the opening of the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad between the city and Menlo Park.  The Southern Pacific took over in 1870 and today CalTrain operates commute service and Union Pacific hauls freight.  Here is a postcard view of the Menlo Park Southern Pacific station. 

Central Coast Railroad Festival 2013 -- October 14, 2013

The dedication of the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum (http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2013/10/san-luis-obispo-railroad-museum.html) was part of the 2013 Central Coast Railroad Festival.  Events took place around  San Luis Obispo and throughout the central coast.  We visited an HO narrow gauge at the library.

Union Pacific sent an SD 9043 MAC, 8087, for the occasion.  It was impressive to see it up close. 

San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum Dedication -- October 13, 2013

We visited beautiful San Luis Obispo for the dedication of the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum and the 2013 Central Coast Railroad Festival.  I've been trying to remember, but I think this is the first time I was ever present for the opening of a museum.  We got off work early on Friday and had a nice drive down to San Luis Obispo.  We checked in at the Madonna Inn and found it as interesting as we had always heard.

Saturday we went to the museum, in the former Southern Pacific freight house.  Parking was tight.  Volunteers were giving rides on two speeders on the track by the museum.  There was a crowd on the platform, where vendors were selling books and photos.  We went in through the small bookstore.  The main part of the museum was a large room with exhibits on the local railroads, Southern Pacific/Union Pacific, the Pacific Coast Railroad and the Santa Maria Valley Railroad.  They had a mining car from a cinnabar mine south of San Luis Obispo.  There was a car and a section of track from an temporary agricultural railroad.  There was a freight agent's desk with an official SP spittoon.  They had lanterns and schedules and other railroad paraphernalia.  Upstairs in the back, they had model railroad layouts with room for many more to come.

I told several volunteers they had a wonderful museum.  I hope to visit again.

The dedication at 11:30 had a speech by Brad Larose, president of the museum, who talked about the 23 year process that led to the opening.  Lisa Stark, Union Pacific Director of Public Affairs called the museum founders the most organized and professional group she had worked with.  UP declared San Luis Obispo an official Train Town USA.  Jan Marx, Mayor of San Luis Obispo, said that the town council had worked with the museum people for many years.  She said the retirement home billboard out front will come down and be replaced by a sign for the museum.  She issued a proclamation for the opening day, and then joined a group cutting the ribbon.

Then we went and looked at a locomotive that UP sent for the occasion, an SD 9043 MAC.  It was nice to see it up close.

We walked to the train station, then drove to the public library, where an HO narrow gauge group had a display. 

Building America -- UP 150 -- July 22, 2013

Because we had to cut short our Disneyland trip, we decided to spend two nights in Sacramento.  Traffic was good on the drive up. 

We walked through Old Sacramento and had lunch at Johnny Rockets in the K Street Mall.  Then we went to the state railroad museum.  The upstairs gallery had "Building America: Abraham Lincoln, California, and the Union Pacific Railroad," a touring exhibit  in honor of UP's 150th anniversary.  It included documents, artifacts, histories of some of UP's acquisitions, and many advertising posters.  We watched an Amtrack locomotive get pulled out the roundhouse doors. 

We checked into the Governor's Inn, which we had not visited for years.  It was nice, and was very quiet. 

The next day we had planned to go to the state fair, but it was too hot.  We drove to Folsom and visited the outlets, then back to Sacramento and went to the California State Museum.  My wife thinks it would be a great place to take a field trip.  We had not visited since the Lincoln Bicentennial.  There was a small exhibit on the missions and one on Charles and Ray Eames.  Many visitors headed straight for the Eames.  My wife didn't remember them till she saw the chairs.  The exhibit on Japanese-American relocation made me tear up. 

Then we visited the K Street Mall.

The next day we drove home, with a stop at the Nut Tree.  Traffic was clear till we got to the Berkley city limits. 

While we in Southern California, Tim Lincecum pitched a no-hitter.  The National League lost the All Star Game. 

Free Guide to the West -- January 10, 2013

The Union Pacific System offered a Free Guide to the West to help people plan their vacations.  The ad is from the April, 1931 Photoplay Magazine.

Train Station #26 -- September 3, 2010

Seattle's Union Station, right next to King Street Station (http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2010/08/train-station-25-august-5-2010.html), is a former train station, opened by the Union Pacific and the Milwaukee Road in 1911, which has been renovated and made into an office building. I took the photo when we visited Seattle in July, 2010.

Overland Limited -- August 30, 2010

An advertisement from the 26-August-1907 San Francisco Call touts the 7 daily passenger trains operated by Southern Pacific and Union Pacific between San Francisco and Chicago.