History of the San Ramon Branch Line, 1891-1978
by Jim Lane

Arrival of the Railroad

America’s Golden Age of Railroads began in the late nineteenth century. California’s first railroad was built in Sacramento in 1856 and the transcontinental line was completed when the “Golden Spike” was driven in 1869.  After that rail lines were constructed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

The San Ramon Branch Line railroad opened in 1891 after much dreaming, lobbying and planning for rail service by local citizens.  They knew train service would allow freight and passengers to be transported during the rainy seasons when county roads were impassable.  After Danville Grange No. 85 was organized in 1873, members led several efforts to bring a railroad to the San Ramon Valley.

Early in 1890 a young entrepreneur, William Kye, grandly announced plans for a transcontinental railroad that would go through Alamo, Danville and San Ramon.  Kye was offering to pay for the right-of-way land and his crew surveyed the valley.

This activity rekindled the interest of the Southern Pacific Railroad which had done an 1887 survey. Meetings with landowners began in May of 1890.  However, the Southern Pacific would not pay for the right-of-way.  More meetings were held.  Some landowners were willing to donate land, others were not. In the meantime Kye disappeared, leaving the field to SP.

A core group of valley leaders were determined to get a railroad built. These men included August Hemme of Alamo, R. O. Baldwin of Danville, Charles Wood of Sycamore Valley and George McCamley of San Ramon.  They and others helped raise $15,000 to purchase the right-of-way from owners reluctant to donate. The remainder was donated.

The route was graded late in 1890 and the tracks laid early in 1891.  The San Ramon Branch Line extended 20 miles north from San Ramon to Avon where it connected with the Oakland/Stockton line. The first regular trip took place on June 7, 1891.  In 1909 SP extended the line to Radum near Pleasanton where it connected to the Oakland/Tracy line.

Significance of the Railroad

Just as the railroad accelerated the West’s development by providing passenger and freight movement, it accelerated development in the valley.  Since Danville’s downtown was next to the SP Station, significant new building activities took place.  New houses, hotels, businesses, warehouses and boardwalks were constructed.  There was less impact in Alamo and San Ramon where the depots were further from the village centers.   

Throughout the valley floor, walnuts and fruits of all kinds were planted because of the increased ease of transport. Farmers gradually shifted away from grain crops.  With heavy freight moved to the rails, the dirt roads stayed in better shape and valley residents were able to travel with greater speed and ease. They visited friends in the East Bay, attended July Fourth celebrations in Concord and lobbied County Supervisors in Martinez.

In 1906, William Meese built Ramona Park next to the track near today’s Greenbrook Townhouses.  It was a rustic amusement park with a dance floor, ball fields and picnic area.  Groups from throughout the Bay Area reserved the park and came by train for a day in the warm sun, making the valley a premier destination for picnickers.

The Railroad’s Demise

Although the Branch Line was a significant transportation asset for people in the valley, it soon came under the same technological and economic pressures as the rest of railroading.   The San Ramon two-story depot was removed in 1927.  Passenger service dwindled as automobiles, trucks and buses became more common.  Passenger trains gave way to freight trains with a passenger car attached.  Finally passenger transport ended on the Branch Line in 1934.

Even though more efficient diesel locomotives replaced steam by the 1950s, trucks proved more competitive.  By the 1970s the rail line was a shadow of its former self. In 1973 only 413 cars ran the line; in 1975 there were a mere 123 cars.  Southern Pacific petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the line and, after two years of intense local opposition, the request was granted.  Operations ended in 1978 and rails were removed by 1979.

The Right-of-Way Blooms as a Trail

After the rails were removed there was considerable debate about right-of-way use, including a proposal for light rail. Contra Costa County gradually obtained control over the corridor and, in the early eighties, the County, Danville and San Ramon agreed to keep the right-of-way undeveloped.  Citizen efforts established a new trail which became the Iron Horse Regional Trail. Today the right-of-way is a paved trail and transportation corridor and is maintained by the East Bay Regional Park District. Eventually it will link Martinez to Pleasanton and beyond.

In 1999 the Danville depot opened as a valley history museum and in 2001 the Iron Horse Trail was completed in the San Ramon Valley. Thus, with a restored depot and the Iron Horse Trail, the San Ramon Branch Line lives on as an integral part of the San Ramon Valley.

Branch Line Facts

• 1891                        San Ramon Branch Line opened
• 1893                        1500-2000 dozens of eggs shipped a week
• 1896                        10 car loads of Bartlett pears shipped
• 1909                        Line extends to Radum, near Pleasanton
• 1912                        120 cars of gravel and rock shipped from Pleasanton for new Mt. Diablo Road
• 1923                        4322 boxes of cherries shipped
• 1934                        Passenger service ended
• 1940s                      Troops transported to Camp Parks
• 1944                        Two  60-car rock trains (6000 tons each), ran 7 nights a week for military construction
• 1947                        Two  steam excursions on the Branch Line
• 1950s                      Diesel locomotive replaced steam
• 1978-9                     Train service ends and tracks are removed
• 1986-2001               Iron Horse Regional Trail is completed in the San Ramon Valley

Information from San Ramon Branch Line of the Southern Pacific by Irma McGinnis Dotson
Book may be purchased from the Museum Store in person or by mail.

Updated February 2007