Northwestern Pacific Railroad Interurban Lines
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Northwestern Pacific Railroad Interurban Lines
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad (and its predecessor North Shore Railroad) operated a network of electric interurban lines in Marin County, California from 1903 to 1941. The lines ran to Sausalito at the southern tip of the county, where connecting ferries ran to San Francisco. Trains consisted of electric multiple units powered by third rail electrification. The lines were the first third-rail electrification in California, and the first major railroad to use alternating current signals. History The North Pacific Coast Railroad was a narrow-gauge railroad constructed in the 1870s, primarily to haul redwood lumber from the Russian River valley. In 1902, a group headed by John Martin bought the railroad and renamed it as the North Shore Railroad. They raised $6 million to modernize and electrify the railroad . The Sausalito–San Anselmo section of the main line was electrified, as were branches from Almonte to Mill Valley and San Anselmo to San Rafael. (Electrification was pl ...
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Interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 and 1925 and were used primarily for passenger travel between cities and their surrounding suburban and rural communities. The concept spread to countries such as Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and Poland. Interurban as a term encompassed the companies, their infrastructure, their cars that ran on the rails, and their service. In the United States, the early 1900s interurban was a valuable economic institution. Most roads between towns and many town streets were unpaved. Transportation and haulage was by horse-drawn carriages and carts. The interurban provided reliable transportation, particularly in winter weather, between the town and countryside. In 1915, of interurban railways were operating in the United States an ...
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Northwestern Pacific Railroad
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional shortline railroad utilizing a stretch of the 271 mile mainline between Schellville and Windsor with freight and Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) commuter trains. Formerly, it was a regional railroad primarily used for logging that served the entire North Coast of California, with a main line running from Schellville to Eureka, along with an additional portion of the line running from the Ignacio Wye to the edge of San Rafael. The "Southern End" of the line, including Schellville to Willits and from Ignacio to San Rafael is owned by SMART, while the "Northern End" was formally owned and managed by the now-dissolved North Coast Railroad Authority but is now saved for use in California's 2018 Great Redwood Trail Act, which repurposes the unused railroad right-of-way from Eureka to Willits for future use as the Great Redwood Trail. History In the late 1800s both the Southern Pacific Railroad (“SP”) and the Atchi ...
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Early History Of The IRT Subway
The first regularly operated subway in New York City was opened on October 27, 1904, and was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). The early IRT system consisted of a single trunk line below 96th Street in Manhattan, running under Broadway, 42nd Street, Park Avenue, and Lafayette Street. The line had three northern branches in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, and a southern branch to Brooklyn. The system had four tracks between Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall and 96th Street, allowing for local and express service. The original line and early extensions consisted of: * The IRT Eastern Parkway Line from Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center to Borough Hall * The IRT Lexington Avenue Line from Borough Hall to Grand Central–42nd Street * The IRT 42nd Street Shuttle from Grand Central–42nd Street to Times Square * The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line from Times Square to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street * The IRT Lenox Avenue Line from 96th Street to 145th Str ...
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Direct Current
Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even through a vacuum as in electron or ion beams. The electric current flows in a constant direction, distinguishing it from alternating current (AC). A term formerly used for this type of current was galvanic current. The abbreviations ''AC'' and ''DC'' are often used to mean simply ''alternating'' and ''direct'', as when they modify ''current'' or ''voltage''. Direct current may be converted from an alternating current supply by use of a rectifier, which contains electronic elements (usually) or electromechanical elements (historically) that allow current to flow only in one direction. Direct current may be converted into alternating current via an inverter. Direct current has many uses, from the charging of batteries to large power sup ...
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Larkspur Station
Larkspur station is a Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) station in Larkspur, California. The terminal station opened to revenue service on December 14, 2019. It is located from the Larkspur Landing ferry terminal, across Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. History The rail corridor was established by the North Pacific Coast Railroad, and a nearby stop called Greenbrae was served by Northwestern Pacific Railroad interurban lines, Northwestern Pacific Railroad interurban cars between 1903 and 1941. The land for the station was acquired in 1983 by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Initially part of the original plan for system's full buildout, its opening was delayed to a later date as the line's construction was split into phases. Until the line was extended, shuttle bus service connected the Larkspur Terminal with San Rafael Transit Center. Test trains on the extension began running on August 23, 2019. A preview excursion served as the station's inaugu ...
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Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit
Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is a rail line and bicycle-pedestrian pathway project in Sonoma and Marin counties of the U.S. state of California. When completed, the entire system will serve a corridor between Cloverdale in northern Sonoma County and Larkspur Landing in Marin County. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . The first phase of the system, a segment between Northern Santa Rosa and Downtown San Rafael, opened to public preview and excursion services (as far south as Marin County Civic Center) on June 29, 2017. Regular service began on August 25, 2017, after Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) gave the final approval for the Positive train control (PTC) system. The southern of the line was completed to Larkspur with service commencing on December 14, 2019. History Background and formation The last passenger rail service along the Northwestern Pacific Railroad south of Willits was discontinued in 1958 as automobile ...
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San Rafael Transit Center
The San Rafael Transportation Center (also called C. Paul Bettini Transportation Center) is an intermodal passenger transport, intermodal transportation center located in downtown San Rafael, California. It is a primary transfer point for several local and regional bus operators, and a commuter rail station on the Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) system. History The original San Rafael railway depot that served the Northwestern Pacific Railroad was located at what is now a cafe north of the station. As rail use fell into decline and was discontinued in the mid-20th century, buses came to prominence with the expansion of the road and highway system. The current transportation center was constructed around the station building in 1991. SMART testing began in March 2016. Service began with preview rides on July 8, 2017, and full service commenced on August 25, 2017. The station acted as the southern terminal train station, terminal of the line until December 14, 2019, when ...
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Golden Gate Transit
Golden Gate Transit (GGT) is a public transportation system serving the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States. It primarily serves Marin County, Sonoma County, and San Francisco, and also provides limited service to Contra Costa County. In , Golden Gate Transit had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . Golden Gate Transit is one of three transportation systems owned and operated by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District; the others are the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Ferry, both of which connect San Francisco and Marin County. Funding for cross-bridge "Transbay" bus service is partially subsidized by Golden Gate Bridge tolls in addition to traditional federal and state sources. GGT operates some bus service within Marin County under contract with Marin Transit. History Golden Gate Transit service began on January 1, 1972, as the culmination of years of work for the Golden Gate Bridge to alleviate traf ...
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Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula—to Marin County, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait. It also carries pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and is designated as part of U.S. Bicycle Route 95. Being declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco and California. It was initially designed by engineer Joseph Strauss in 1917. The bridge was named for the Golden Gate strait, the channel that it spans. The Frommer's travel guide describes the Golden Gate Bridge as "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world." At the time of its opening in 1937, it was both the longe ...
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Mount Tamalpais And Muir Woods Railway
The Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway was a scenic tourist railway operating between Mill Valley and the east peak of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California, covering a distance of , with a spur line to the Muir Woods. The railroad was incorporated in January 1896, and closed in the summer of 1930. Originally planned as a electric trolley line, the railroad was powered by a succession of geared steam locomotives. Billed as the "Crookedest Railroad in the World," the line was renowned for its steep and serpentine route, winding through picturesque terrain to a mountaintop tavern providing first-class hospitality and panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite its popularity, the railway met its demise following a fire in 1929, and dwindling ridership when the automobile could finally drive to Tamalpais' summit. Origin Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais's peaks rise over the redwood-shaded canyons and rugged grass-covered hills of Marin. Its highest point, Ea ...
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Mission-style
The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California. It is sometimes termed California Mission Revival, particularly when used elsewhere, such as in New Mexico and Texas which have their own unique regional architectural styles. In Australia, the style is known as Spanish Mission. The Mission Revival movement was most popular between 1890 and 1915, in numerous residential, commercial and institutional structures, particularly schools and railroad depots. Influences All of the 21 Franciscan Alta California missions (established 1769–1823), including their chapels and support structures, shared certain design characteristics. These commonalities arose because the Franciscan missionaries all came from the same places of previous service in Spain and colo ...
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Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The railroad reached the Kansas–Colorado border in 1873 and Pueblo, Colorado, in 1876. To create a demand for its services, the railroad set up real estate offices and sold farmland from the land grants that it was awarded by Congress. Despite being chartered to serve the city, the railroad chose to bypass Santa Fe, due to the engineering challenges of the mountainous terrain. Eventually a branch line from Lamy, New Mexico, brought the Santa Fe railroad to its namesake city. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at various times, it operated an airline, the short-lived Santa Fe Skyway, and the fleet of Santa Fe Railroad Tugboats. Its bus line extended passenger transportation to areas not acce ...
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