Western Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad (abbreviated WP) is a former railroad company in the United States . It operated a main line from Salt Lake City to San Francisco and numerous branch lines in California , some of which belonged to subsidiaries, such as the Sacramento Northern Railway , the Tidewater Southern Railway , the Indian Valley Railroad and the Deep Creek Railroad .
history
The company was founded on March 3, 1903 as the Western Pacific Railway and opened the nearly 1500 kilometers long standard gauge line for freight traffic on December 1, 1909 and for passenger traffic on August 22, 1910. George Gould's Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad held the Majority of shares in the company. The construction cost was $ 78 million, twice as much as planned. As a result, there were no longer enough funds available to purchase branch lines, so that not enough traffic could be acquired to cover the borrowing costs. The Western Pacific Railway therefore had to file for bankruptcy in 1915. In 1916 the company was re-established as Western Pacific Railroad, which acquired the assets of the Western Pacific Railway. The railway company Western Pacific Railroad Company was a complete subsidiary of the also newly established "Western Pacific Railroad Corporation". Owners of preferred bonds of the former Western Pacific Railway were given the right to acquire shares in that company. Western Pacific Railroad Corporation also owned 50% of the shares in Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.
In 1926, the WP came under the control of Arthur C. James , who also held significant shares in Great Northern , Northern Pacific and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy . In order to connect the route of the WP with the network of the Great Northern, a route was built from Keddie Wye to Bieber , which was opened in 1931.
On August 2, 1935, another bankruptcy administration had to be ordered. In the following period the financial situation was reorganized until December 29, 1944.
In 1970 the railway company was converted into a 100% subsidiary of the newly founded Western Pacific Industries . With effect from April 4, 1979, the railway company became independent again as part of a management buy-out . In 1982 the Western Pacific Railroad was taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad together with the Missouri Pacific Railroad .
The most important train in the WP network is the California Zephyr , an express train that runs between Chicago and San Francisco and uses the Western Pacific route from Salt Lake City.
Corporate management
president
- March 3, 1903-23. June 1905: Walter John Bartnett
- June 23, 1905–6. November 1913: Edward T. Jeffery
- November 6, 1913–4. March 1915: Benjamin F. Bush
- July 14, 1916-30. March 1927: Charles M. Levey
- March 30, 1927-31. December 1931: Harry M. Adams
- January 1, 1932-31. December 1948: Charles Elsey
- January 1, 1949-30. June 1949: Harry A. Mitchell
- July 1, 1949-30. June 1965: Frederic B. Whitman
- June 30, 1965-30. November 1970: Myron M. Christy
- December 1, 1970-31. December 1972: Alfred E. Perlman
- January 1, 1973-9. June 1982: Robert G. Flannery
- June 9, 1982-11. January 1983: Robert C. Marquis
Chairman of the Board
- July 14, 1916--1926: Alvin W. Krech
- 1926 - June 4, 1941: Arthur Curtiss James
- August 2, 1935 - December 31, 1944: Bankruptcy trustees Thomas M. Schumacher and Sidney M. Ehrman
- Dec. 1, 1970 - December 31, 1972: Howard A. Newman
- Jan. 1, 1973 - December 31, 1975: Alfred E. Perlman
Company headquarters
Until October 1, 1941, the railway company was based in the Mills Building in San Francisco. Then she moved to the 526 Mission Street building.