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Re: Concrete Posts on SP Subsidiary Problem--Historians?
Author: Burr Wilson
Date: 09-24-2015 - 09:38
James,
The timeline you present here is a good effort at condensing NWP history, but it tells only half the story of the company. As a lifelong observer of the NWP, I must step into this discussion of lore and correct a glaring omission;
Yes, there was a North Pacific Coast narrow gauge railroad, but significantly there was another significant railroad in the NWP family tree. The standard gauge California Northwestern RR (later, San Francisco and North Pacific RR) was built by San Francisco industrial tycoon Peter Donahue. It started service during the 1870's in Petaluma and first built north through Sonoma County and then later built south into Marin County, competing with the NPC narrow gauge railroad company. Through reversals of financial fortune, acquisitions and wheeling-dealings, both the narrow and standard gauge railroads were overtaken by SP and ATSF interests, and ultimately combined into an SP-ATSF jointly controlled company with annually alternating board of directors. In 1928, ATSF sold out its half-interest in the NWP, thus NWP became a wholly owned subsidiary of the SP.
Today, the narrow gauge route is abandoned and converted to various other uses, but most of the standard gauge mainline route through Marin and Sonoma counties remains intact as a rail corridor, now being modernized and upgraded by SMART.
This is as brief and concise as I can present in two paragraphs, but there is a wealth of research information available through the NWP historical Society at [www.nwprrhs.org] Also, several fine books by rail historian and author Fred Stindt are in circulation at local libraries. Stindt's "Trains to the Russian River", first edition published in 1975, is a authoritative account of the NWP and its various predecessor's history, with a pleasing personal narration around Fred's hometown railroad roots in Guerneville. Happy NWP reading to you.
The timeline you present here is a good effort at condensing NWP history, but it tells only half the story of the company. As a lifelong observer of the NWP, I must step into this discussion of lore and correct a glaring omission;
Yes, there was a North Pacific Coast narrow gauge railroad, but significantly there was another significant railroad in the NWP family tree. The standard gauge California Northwestern RR (later, San Francisco and North Pacific RR) was built by San Francisco industrial tycoon Peter Donahue. It started service during the 1870's in Petaluma and first built north through Sonoma County and then later built south into Marin County, competing with the NPC narrow gauge railroad company. Through reversals of financial fortune, acquisitions and wheeling-dealings, both the narrow and standard gauge railroads were overtaken by SP and ATSF interests, and ultimately combined into an SP-ATSF jointly controlled company with annually alternating board of directors. In 1928, ATSF sold out its half-interest in the NWP, thus NWP became a wholly owned subsidiary of the SP.
Today, the narrow gauge route is abandoned and converted to various other uses, but most of the standard gauge mainline route through Marin and Sonoma counties remains intact as a rail corridor, now being modernized and upgraded by SMART.
This is as brief and concise as I can present in two paragraphs, but there is a wealth of research information available through the NWP historical Society at [www.nwprrhs.org] Also, several fine books by rail historian and author Fred Stindt are in circulation at local libraries. Stindt's "Trains to the Russian River", first edition published in 1975, is a authoritative account of the NWP and its various predecessor's history, with a pleasing personal narration around Fred's hometown railroad roots in Guerneville. Happy NWP reading to you.
