Transcontinental Railway Completed -- September 8, 2019

Daily Alta California, 08-September-1869

150 years ago, on 08-September-1869, the transcontinental railroad was truly completed when a train of the original Western Pacific Railroad ran from Sacramento to Alameda, where passengers could board a ferryboat to San Francisco.  This article describes the first return train. The Niles Canyon Railroad operates a surviving portion of the line. 

THE WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD.

Passengers on the train for Stockton and Sacramento over the Western Pacific Railroad, yesterday morning, left this city at seven o'clock reached Stockton at 12 noon; left at 12:15 and arrived at Sacramento at 1:37. The train consisted of four passenger cars, and when it left the ferry pier carried about forty passengers, but when it reached Sacramento it was crowded, a large number of passengers having been picked up en route. Beyond San Leandro, going toward Stockton, the track is laid so hurriedly that fast running time cannot now be made, of course, but the work of putting down the ballast is going rapidly forward and trains will soon make as good time this side of Stockton as between that city and Sacramento - 48 miles -- which is now run in an hour and twenty-two minutes. The road from Stockton to Sacramento is in splendid condition, and the rest of the road will soon be as good, when fast time will be made. Next week passengers bound East overland will leave this city and proceed directly to the junction of the Central Pacific Railroad, without stopping at Sacramento. Passengers from Sacramento, bound East, will be taken up to Brighton, where the overland train will be made up. The trains leave this city regularly every morning at 7 and 3:30 P.M. The train from Sacramento (leaving that city at 3:30 P.M.) arrived here at 10:30 last night.

Daily Alta California, 08-September-1869