California and Nevada Railroad
| Locale | East Bay, California |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1884–1903 |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Headquarters | 40th Street/San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, California |
The California and Nevada Railroad was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge steam railroad which ran in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 19th century. It was incorporated on March 25, 1884. J.S. Emery was listed as the railroad's president, for which present day Emeryville is named. On March 1, 1885 the track was completed between Oakland and San Pablo via Emeryville. The track to Oak Grove (present day El Sobrante) was completed on January 1, 1887.
The first 10 miles (16 km) of the California & Nevada was built by its predecessor, the California & Mt. Diablo Railroad. The California & Mt. Diablo Railroad was organized on March 21, 1881 at Emery's, an unincorporated settlement which later became the city of Emeryville. The 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge track commenced at 40th Street/San Pablo Avenue and continued 9.85 miles (15.85 km) north through present day Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito and terminated in Richmond.
The California & Mt. Diablo Railroad proposed to run from a pier on San Francisco Bay in Emeryville, then across central California and across the Sierra Nevada mountains at Sonora Pass near Bodie, California, and then east to a connection with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in Utah. The California and Mt. Diablo was sold to the California and Nevada.
The California and Nevada reached San Pablo, California in 1886. It was subsequently extended around the northern end of the Berkeley Hills and the Sobrante Ridge, then southeastward down the valley drained by San Pablo Creek to Orinda, running along what is now the eastern shoreline of San Pablo Reservoir. A shortage of capital and constant problems with washed-out tracks barred further extensions. For most of its duration, the railroad was primarily run for weekend excursions. By 1891 it owned and operated 22 miles (35 km) of track.
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