Re: Good By Niles Canyon Railroad?
Author: fkrock
Date: 06-23-2015 - 08:45
The tunnel was part of the original 1865 plan. The contractor, Jerome B. Cox, filed suit for over $700,000 owed for construction of the first 20 miles from San Jose. Charles McLaughlin, chief engineer of the first WPRR, refused to pay because Cox had not built the tunnel that was part of the contract. So the graded right of way you see today was built in 1865 and the track around the big curve was meant to be temporary so I guess it technically was a shoofly.