NWPRRHS San Rafael “Double Bill” Program 10/12/2026

The Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society announces an exciting October “double bill” program:  “The Transcontinental Railroad-through the official photos” and  “Before the Bridge- Railcars across Carquinez Strait”.

Noted vintage photography researcher and scholar Steve Heselton presents a fascinating “double bill” railroad program. Part 1 covers the dramatic story of the transcontinental railroad construction between 1862 and 1869, and the race between the Union and Central Pacific Railroads as shown through the photographs of Alfred Hart, the official photographer of the Central Pacific.

Part 2 is an intriguing look at the unique challenge the Central Pacific faced traversing the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta on the way to San Francisco, before the Carquinez railroad bridge was built. The world’s largest ferryboat “Solano” was an answer to that challenge.

Join us Monday, October 12th, 2026 at the San Rafael Community Center – 618 B Street, San Rafael. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the program begins at 7:00 pm. FREE and open to the public but donations gratefully accepted to cover costs. Length is approx. 2 hours overall (1 hour for each program- with an intermission and light refreshments in-between).