Sacramento's Southern Pacific Shops

Images of Rail

by Kevin W. Hecteman

In 1862, the Central Pacific Railroad was founded and began building eastward from Sacramento as part of the transcontinental railroad. This required a shop capable of keeping the railroad's equipment in running order. So in 1867, in the swamps just north of town, the Sacramento shops were born. For well more than a century, this massive complex kept the Central Pacific and its corporate successor, the Southern Pacific, operating smoothly. For many decades, the shops were the largest employer in the Sacramento area, employing carpenters, painters, draftsmen, boilermakers, electricians, clerks, upholsterers, and others. The shops' forces designed, built, and maintained locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and other railroading equipment. The complex closed in 1999. Most of the area, popularly known as the Railyards, is set for redevelopment. The California State Railroad Museum handles maintenance and restoration of its collection in two of the shops buildings and plans to develop a Railroad Technology Museum on the site.

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2010

Reviews

[Roy Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's all about the photos. I opted for the Kindle edition and it worked out great. It's a bit of work to view the photos in all their glory, but worth it. Double tap to pull out the photo, then double tap again to expand it to full resolution. In this book the photos are very detailed and more than fill the screen.
This book is heavy on the steam era, which I find interesting, but I would have like a bit more of the GRIP program. The aerial photos of the shop site over the years are fantastic. The round-house used to be the BMOC, but was dinky compared to what the boiler and erection shops evolved to.
Cannot wait until the railroad technology museum on the site is up and running. I will have to visit.