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Rubath (Thomas and William) "Solano" Ferry Model Papers
MS 954  
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Collection location Contact California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives
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Series 1. Clippings

Scope and Contents

¶ Series one of the Thomas and William Rubarth Collection contains numerous article clippings focusing on the histories of the ferryboats "Solano" and "Contra Costa", including how they were built, how long they were in use, and their ultimate fates after being decommissioned. There are also a total of eight magazines: The Southerner (Winter, 2008), Marine Modeling International (Sept. 2008), NMRA Magazine (Oct. 2010), Railroad Model Craftsman (Mar. 2007), Seaways' Ships in Scale (Jan-Feb. 2008), two copies of Transfer, published by the Rail-Marine Information Group (Jun-Dec. 2004 and Jul-Dec. 2005), and The Solano Historian (Jan-Jun. 2002). Seven of the magazines cover the topic of model railroad and ship building, and specifically how to build a highly detailed model of the "Solano" ferryboat, while the last one pertains to local history in Solano County, CA, including the "Solano" Ferryboat, as well as life in the area from the 1940s to the 1950s. ¶
box 1, folder 1

Antioch Daily Ledger. January, 1972

box 1, folder 2

Benicia Herald Clippings. 1899-1947

box 1, folder 3

Benicia Historical Society Calendar. 1995

box 1, folder 4

Benecia Historical Society Calendar. 1999

box 1, folder 5

Benecia-Port Costa Train Ferry

box 1, folder 6

Benecia's Historic Waterfront

box 1, folder 7

Correspondence. Contra Costa

box 1, folder 8

Correspondence. Sketch of Solano Ferryboat

box 1, folder 9

Correspondence. SP Oakland Mole Pics

box 1, folder 10

Demolition Crews Blast Hulk of Old 'Contra Costa'

box 1, folder 11

The Gyro-Compass on the World's Largest Train Ferry

box 1, folder 12

International Marine Review

box 1, folder 13

Marine Borers and Their Relation to Marine Construction on the Pacific Coast

box 1, folder 14

Marine Engineering

box 1, folder 15

Marine Modelling International. Sept. 2008

box 1, folder 16

NMRA Magazine. Oct.2010

box 1, folder 17

Of Walking Beams and Paddle Wheels

box 1, folder 18

Pacific Marine Review

box 1, folder 19

"Port Costa: A Saga of Sails, Sacks and Rails. 1879-1941"

box 1, folder 20

Profile of Model Builder Jim Turner

box 1, folder 21

Railroad Model Craftsman. Mar. 2007

box 1, folder 22

Seaways' Ships in Scale. Jan-Feb, 2008

box 1, folder 23

Scientific American. March, 1905

box 1, folder 24

Side-Wheel Car Ferry Contra Costa

box 1, folder 25

Solano Facts

box 1, folder 26

The Solano Historian. Jan-Jun, 2002

box 1, folder 27

The South Pacific Builds a Bridge: The Sage of the Martinez-Benecia Bridge

box 1, folder 28

The Southerner. Winter 2008

box 1, folder 29

SP Train: Fairwell to Tower No.3 Port Costa & The Martinez Bridge

box 1, folder 30

Steamer Solano

box 1, folder 31

Trains. November, 1974

box 1, folder 32

Transfer Boat "Solano"

box 1, folder 33

Transfer No.41. Jun-Dec, 2004

box 1, folder 34

Transfer No. 43. Jul-Dec, 2005

 

Series 2. DVD

Scope and Contents

Series two of the Thomas and William Rubarth collection contains the sole DVD, a presentation entitled, "Remembering the Solano", produced in March 2021 by the Orion Neighborhood Television Company. The total run time of the DVD is forty-one minutes and fifteen seconds.
box 2

"Remembering the Solano"

 

Series 3. Information Panels

Scope and Contents

¶ This series of the Thomas and William Rubarth Collection contains large print information panels and photographs used specifically for an exhibit on the history of the Solano ferryboat. There are a total of twenty panels that detail the mechanical aspects of the Solano and cover the history of its operation in the California Bay Area, a replica of the Solano's sign that would have been used as a decoration for the exhibit, and a series of panels with maps of SP and CP routes in California and how the Solano fit into those routes. ¶
box 2

Southern Pacific's Solano Sign

box 2

Solano Ferryboat Exhibit Sign

box 2

Solano History Panels

box 2

Early Solano

box 2

Solano in Her Later Years

box 2

Solano Being Loaded

box 2

Solano's Last Crossing

box 2

Solano Being Scuttled

box 2

Early Port Cost Dock

box 2

Later Port Costa Docks

box 2

Poster for Demonstration of a Model of the Solano

box 2

SP and CP Route Map Panels

box 2

Large Prints of the Solano Ferryboat

box 2

Hidden Solano Model Tidbits

box 2

Solano Vs. Wyoming

 

Series 4. Photographs and Pictures

Scope and Contents

¶ This series in the Thomas and William Rubarth Collection contains an assortment of photographs and pictures (both copies and originals), a majority of which are related to the Solano ferryboat. The photos, which are undated, show the Solano, as well as its sister ship the Contra Costa, at various points on the water and docked at Port Costa, both empty and carrying train cars. There are also serveral large print maps of the port and surrounding area, as well as schematics of the ferryboats. In addition to these, there is also a large amount of photos, and several negative film strips of a model of the Solano at various stages of progress. There are two postcards featuring the Solano at Port Costa, and several copies of the Southern Pacific Lines' logo. Finally, there is a framed photo of an unidentified train going over an unknown bridge, and a photo of an unidentified man posing next to a model sailing ship. ¶
box 1, Folder 35

Car Ferry Steamer Solano and Slip at Port Costa

box 1, folder 36

Jim Turner Sitting Next to a Model Ship

box 1, folder 37

Negatives of a Model Ship

box 1, folder 38

Negatives of the Solano Ferryboat

box 1, folder 39-40

Photographs of a Model of the Solano Being Built

box 1, folder 41

Postcards of the Solano Ferryboat

box 1, folder 42

Prints of Aerial View of Port Costa

box 1, folder 43

Prints of the Contra Costa Ferryboat

box 1, folder 44

Prints of Locomotives

box 1, folder 45

Prints of the Port Costa Rail Yard

box 1, folder 46

Prints of the Solano Ferryboat

box 1, folder 47

Prints of the Solano Ferryboat Model

box 1, folder 48

Southern Pacific Lines Logo

box 1, folder 49

A Train Crossing a Bridge

Collection Contents
Series 1. Clippings
Series 2. DVD
Series 3. Information Panels
Series 4. Photographs and Pictures
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