Solano_Benicia_CA
At 400 feet in length and over 100 feet wide,
and with over 1600 feet of track on her deck (and the capability to
carry 2 passenger trains (including their engines plus a switcher), she
was the largest train ferry in the world and a true engineering wonder.
The Solano was designed and built by the Central Pacific Railroad and
placed in service in 1879. She served as a critical link between
Sacramento and San Francisco between Benicia and Port Costa for the
Central Pacific and later the Southern Pacific Railroads till 1930
(that's over 50 years of intense service). —Thomas
Rubarth
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