Western Pacific Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Founder | George Jay Gould |
| Defunct | 1983 |
| Fate | Acquired by Union Pacific Corporation and merged into Union Pacific Railroad system |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | Northern California, Nevada, Utah |
Key people | Walter J. Bartnett, Edward T. Jeffery, Benjamin F. Bush, Charles M. Levey, Harry M. Adams, Charles Elsey, Harry A. Mitchell, Frederic B. Whitman, Myron M. Christy, Alfred E. Perlman, Robert G. "Mike" Flannery, Robert C. Marquis |
| Products | Freight and passenger rail services (including California Zephyr) |
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad formed in 1903 with the purpose of competing against the Southern Pacific Railroad’s dominant control over northern California rail transportation. Its Feather River Route served as a direct rival to Southern Pacific’s Overland Route segment running between Salt Lake City/Ogden, Utah and Oakland, California for close to eighty years. Western Pacific played a significant role in operating the California Zephyr passenger service.
In 1982, Western Pacific was purchased by Union Pacific Corporation and subsequently integrated into the Union Pacific Railroad system, thereby broadening UP’s network and market presence.
History
The first incarnation of the Western Pacific Railroad (1862–1870) constructed the western portion of the original transcontinental railroad linking Sacramento to San Jose (later extended to Oakland) before merging with the Central Pacific Railroad in 1870.
The later Western Pacific Railway Company was established in 1903 by businessman George Jay Gould, who sought to create a standard gauge rail connection to the Pacific Coast as part of his Gould transcontinental network. Backed financially by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad—also under Gould’s control—the company acquired the Alameda and San Joaquin Railroad and built the Feather River Route, completed in 1909 as California’s final major rail construction project. Following mortgage bond defaults, its assets were sold in 1916 to The Western Pacific Railroad Company.
Although initially constructed with light rail materials, much of WP’s mainline remained on original rails by 1935 despite carrying substantial freight traffic. In 1931, WP extended northward from Feather River Canyon to link with the Great Northern Railway at Keddie Wye—a remarkable engineering feat combining bridges and a tunnel.
The economic challenges of the Great Depression led WP into bankruptcy in 1935, resulting in corporate reorganization. The company operated several short-line subsidiaries such as Sacramento Northern Railway, Tidewater Southern Railway, Central California Traction, Indian Valley Railroad, and Deep Creek Railroad. By 1970, WP controlled over 1,180 miles of mainline track and nearly 2,000 miles including its subsidiaries.
WP was a crucial participant in the California Zephyr route from Oakland to Salt Lake City between 1949 and 1970. The railroad retired its last steam engine in 1953, completing its transition to diesel locomotives.
Following its acquisition by Union Pacific Corporation in 1982, WP was merged into a combined system alongside Union Pacific Railroad and Missouri Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific pays tribute to WP’s heritage by maintaining locomotive No. 1983 in a Western Pacific-inspired paint scheme.
Passenger operations
Western Pacific’s premier passenger train was the California Zephyr. Other significant services included:
- Exposition Flyer (operated from Chicago to Oakland in cooperation with Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad between 1939 and 1949)
- Royal Gorge (connecting Oakland to Denver via Pueblo)
- Scenic Limited (running between Oakland and Denver through Pueblo)
- Zephyrette (serving the route from Oakland to Salt Lake City)
Executives
Throughout its years of operation, Western Pacific was led by a succession of twelve presidents, each guiding the company through different phases of its strategic and operational development:
- Walter J. Bartnett (1903–1905)
- Edward T. Jeffery (1905–1913)
- Benjamin F. Bush (1913–1915)
- Charles M. Levey (1916–1927)
- Harry M. Adams (1927–1931)
- Charles Elsey (1932–1948)
- Harry A. Mitchell (1949)
- Frederic B. Whitman (1949–1965)
- Myron M. Christy (1965–1970)
- Alfred E. Perlman (1970–1972)
- Robert G. "Mike" Flannery (1973–1982)
- Robert C. Marquis (1982–1983)
See also
- Hercules – Steam-powered tugboat once owned by Western Pacific
- Western Pacific Railroad Museum
- Western Refrigerator Line – Subsidiary of Western Pacific
External links
- Articles with short description
- Western Pacific Railroad
- 1983 disestablishments in California
- American companies disestablished in 1983
- American companies established in 1903
- Companies based in San Francisco
- Defunct California railroads
- Defunct Nevada railroads
- Defunct Utah railroads
- Former Class I railroads in the United States
- Predecessors of the Union Pacific Railroad
- Railway companies disestablished in 1983
- Railway companies established in 1903
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment