Niles Canyon Railways

Images of Rail

by Henry Luna, The Pacific Locomotive Association

All aboard for this photographic journey through the unique railroad history of Niles Canyon, near the city of Fremont. The melodic wail of the steam whistle first echoed off these canyon walls in 1866 when the Western Pacific Railroad laid track into Niles as part of a planned route from San Jose to Sacramento. That was three years before the transcontinental route from Sacramento to Omaha was completed in May 1869. Four months after the driving of the Golden Spike that joined the eastern and western United States by rail, the connecting route from Sacramento to Oakland through Niles Canyon was finished--the very last leg of a rail route that truly joined the Atlantic to the Pacific waters for the first time.

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Great book sharing the history of the Niles Canyon Railway. Lots of detail about the trains and bridges. A must read for anyone who is interested in local history or trains

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Luna and the Pacific Locomotive Association give a pictorial history of the Niles Canyon Railway. It tells the story of the true final connection between the Eastern and Western United States, with emphasis on the southern pacific. Both diesel and steam engines are covered.