Hey! It's National Train Day Today!
As if you didn't have enough to celebrate in May, today is National Train Day! While many cities are doing cool events today, San Francisco is not, which is lame. There wouldn't have BEEN a San Francisco if there wasn't a transcontinental railroad. And, if you're not using Amtrak to take a trip in California, you really should try it sometime. I've taken the train to San Diego and I always take it to Sacramento and it's just so much more civilized than the Hell that is flying these days - which is like taking Muni in the sky I think!
And don't forget - the guy who was called "crazy" and did much of the engineering of said transcontinental railroad was Theodore Judah - for whom Judah Street and the N Judah are named after!
Comments
I've always thought that it was the answer to a great historic oversight when The City named the street south of Irving after a man who has been somewhat neglected by history. By some calculations, he was the "One" who made the "Big Four" possible. It's rather like whatever one thinks of PG&E, they rectified another oversight by naming one of their 500 kV substations "Tesla", after Nikola Tesla, who laid the foundations for today's vast three-phase AC electric systems. And I say this as a retired employee of Southern California Edison.
Posted by: Bob Davis | May 9, 2010 12:18 AM
Uh, great stuff about Judah (one of the truly tragic figures of California history), but San Francisco was a lively city on the order of 100,000+ in population at the time the transcontinental RR was finished, thanks to the Gold Rush and the Comstock lode. In fact, it's probably more accurate to say that there wouldn't have been a transcontinental RR if it hadn't been for SF.
Posted by: halli | May 14, 2010 1:44 PM
Concept: Ted Judah. Reality? Well duh, gold, silver, and what more. It's a combo of both. But the guy was shit on repeatedly and that's why if nothing else I'm glad I live on the N Judah line, it's just sad that the N Judah like all of Muni, is so fucked right now.
Posted by: Greg Dewar
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May 15, 2010 8:58 PM