SAN FRANCISCO & SAN JOSE RR COMPANY
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Historical Snapshot The San Francisco & San Jose Rail Road: Though first incorporated on September 6, 1851 as the Pacific & Atlantic Rail Road, its initial intention was to build between San Francisco and San Jose. The Financial Panic of 1855 dictated otherwise. For the next seven years the project would languish. Finally, Peter Donahue of the Union Iron Works, Auctioneer, Henry Newell and others privately financed the line as the San Francisco & San Jose Railroad Company. Three years later on January 16, 1864, the first through train reached San Jose. Business soon became brisk and it was obvious to all the line would be a money maker. Not forgetting the company's original charter, in 1865 Donahue & Company incorporated the Southern Pacific Railroad to build south to the Colorado River at Needles and there meet the Atlantic & Pacific (AT&SF interests) building west. In 1868 the subsidiary company, the Santa Clara & Pajaro Valley was begun to extend south to Gilroy California as part of the Southern Pacific expansion. The Central Pacific interests, wanting to control California, offered Donahue & Company $1,000,000 more than it cost to build the road plus earnings. By 1869 when the first train reached Gilroy, the Southern Pacific, Santa Clara & Pajaro Valley and the San Francisco & San Jose railroads belonged to the Central Pacific interests. With the construction of the San Francisco & San Jose would come much Californa railroad history to follow. With the exception of low volume ferry connections to San Francisco, the Company would be the only line to reach San Francisco. Likewise, it was the birth place of the Southern Pacific. Today that very same 50-mile route, 139 years later, sees 12,000 - 14,000 passengers a day and it is still the only freight route to San Francisco. As history would report it, the Atlantic & Pacific would cross the Colorado River at Needles, California and extend its line into Los Angeles, San Diego and Oakland California. The Southern Pacific would cross the river at Yuma, Arizona and build east to the Texas & Pacific. * See Atlantic & Pacific for more related History!
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SF&SJ 4-4-0 #5
Image, San Francisco & San Jose 4-4-0 #5 Ordr No. SFSJ05I In this classic view 4-4-0 steam locomotive #5, the "San Mateo" is captured with train at San Jose, CA. Date on back of photo is 1866. This view scanned was made from a copy of the original photograph, which was made from a glass plate. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------
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