The Golden Age of American Railroading and My Tour of the California State Railroad Museum

By Trenton Gin (SMHS ‘19)

In my Honors US History class, I learned much about something called the Golden Age of American Railroading (1869 — 1910). In this regard, I specifically learned that:

• “Trackage increased substantially — from 35,000 miles in 1865 to 254,000 miles in 1910.
• The first transcontinental railroad was finished on May 10, 1869, when the Union Pacific met the Central Pacific at Promontory in Utah Territory
• Changes for railroading included larger and more powerful locomotives, new types of freight cars, automatic car couplers, the air brake, adoption of the standard gauge by almost all railroads which permitted the interchange of cars between railroads, the creation of four standard time zones across the country allowing trains to run on schedule, the increased use of steel rails, and the bridging of major rivers.
• There was widespread corruption in which “robber barons” were supreme.
• Conflicts broke out between major railroads, and larger lines took over small roads.
• Labor became restive, the number of railroad workers increased rapidly, and the first railroad unions were craft oriented.”

After having learned all the above, my teacher encouraged me to locate some place more than fifty miles from the school that could teach me even more about the Golden Age of American Railroading . . . then go to that place, tour it, and write a 750–1000 History Travel Blog describing that tour.

In the History Travel Blog appearing below, I describe my tour of the California State Railroad Museum — a great place for students to learn more about the Golden Age of American Railroading and in particular the role of the “iron horse” in connecting California to the rest of the nation.

The California State Railroad Museum is located in Sacramento, California, 400 miles from my school, and I toured the museum while visiting Sacramento with my family during my 2018 spring break.
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Living in the city of San Marino, I have very little exposure to the railroad industry. Often it is just the inconvenience of delays and going over bumps at railroad crossings in South Pasadena’s Mission District or San Gabriel Valley’s Del Mar Avenue. I recall that my family once rode the Metro Gold Line to Downtown and then the Metro Red line to Hollywood. The trains were sleek and modern and felt like buses on the inside. Life in Southern California is so removed from the railroad industry that once bolstered the industrial revolution of this nation. That is what my visit to the California State Railroad Museum represented — a glimpse of a bygone era of coal and steam-engine locomotives tracing across the country, bringing raw materials and people to distant destinations in the western expansion of the growing nation.

Located in the Old-Town Sacramento portion of our state’s capital city stands the brick buildings, housing the landmark museum. Prior to entering the building, I was fascinated to be able to climb onto the relics of actual railroad cars and engines.

What impressed me was the sheer size and weight of these iron and steel engines. They stood about 12 to 15 feet high. I wondered how much power was needed to move each train. I tried to imagine the momentum (mass times velocity) of one of these in motion.

One of the interesting features outside the museum was this working rail cart turn-about. I always wondered how rail carts were turned around, and now I know.

A rail turn-about where trains stopped and switched directions.

I was getting excited to go into the museum. Railroads have been a very important part of our nation’s history and I appreciate this museum’s efforts to capture and put on display the glorious period of railway transportation.

Just inside the entrance of the museum stands a replica of a steam engine showcasing the intricate mechanism of piston and connecting-rods that drive the wheels of a train.

It was interesting to see the various types of lamps, bells, and whistles used by the railroad engineers. I had to remember that at the time, these locomotives did not have electricity and therefore oil lamps were used for lighting and bells or whistles were used for signaling.

A display of bells, lamps, and other examples of railroad engineering

The American wilderness was treacherous and the terrain was difficult. Many of the railroad workers were Chinese brought from the Canton region of China.

The Chinese brought with them cooking utensils, food items, seasonings, tea, and even porcelain teapots and bowls from their home in Canton so that they would feel close to their far away home.

It was a matter of American pride to build the Intercontinental Railroad. The workers toiled long and hard to build it as fast as they could.

Railroad travelers enjoyed fine dining in the dining cars where gourmet chefs prepared tasty cuisines in the attached galleys.

I was amazed by the mechanical marvels that these locomotives represented. The railroad industry made many railway owners very wealthy, including our very own Harry E. Huntington in San Marino.

The future of rail travel is fascinating — what would it be like to pilot a futuristic high-speed rail?

Thank you for reliving my journey into the past of the old-west and the railroads that set the path to the future of our nation.

My visit to the California State Railroad Museum was both educational and fun. I learned about our nation’s history and how much of it was linked to the railroad industry. During my visit, there was a gathering of model train collectors displaying elaborate model trains and miniature rail dioramas. These hobbyists carry on the memory of the railway system even after the actual trains are long gone. Their models and this museum continue to preserve the memory of the great railways that connected the East to the West in America.