Red Trains in the East Bay: The History of the Southern Pacific Transbay Train and Ferry System (Special 65)

Another Interurbans Special classic: this one covers the entire life of the train and ferry system that once connected San Francisco, Oakland and Alameda. The book covers much more than simply the Southern Pacific trains -- it begins in 1851 when the first suggestion was made to connect Contra Costa to San Francisco and continues systematically through the years as various ferry systems were opened and train systems were built, providing detailed information on every aspect (including fires, earthquakes, and wrecks), the transition from narrow to broad gauge, the transition from steam to electric, the connections between trains and ferries, the building of the Bay Bridge and the engineering genius that carried the trains across, and finally, the end of the trains and their disposition. Illustrated throughout with wonderful black and white photos, maps, schematic diagrams of the cars, and drawings of the repair shops, terminals, and piers. Includes numerous charts and tables with everything from timetables to the names of the ferry captains. 351 pages with index.