Guide to the Thomas and William Rubarth "Solano" Ferry Model Papers MS 954
Library & Archives staff
California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives
2023
Contributing Institution:
California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives
Title: Thomas and William Rubarth "Solano" Ferry Model papers
Identifier/Call Number: MS 954
Physical Description:
1.67 Linear Feet
1 record carton + 1 OV box
Date (inclusive): 1899-2021
Abstract: ¶ The Thomas and William Rubarth "Solano" Ferry Model Papers contain photographs, clippings of articles, information panels,
and other materials, written and digital, related to the Southern Pacific-operated ferryboat, "Solano", as well as copies
of magazines that cover the subject of model railroading and ships. Included in the collection there are also photos, articles,
and copies of maps of Port Costa in the San Francisco Bay area where the "Solano" and another ship, "Contra Costa", operated
during their use between the 1870s to the 1930s. The dates of the materials in this collection range from 1900 to 2021.¶
Language of Material:
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact Library Staff
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Thomas and William Rubarth, 2023
Arrangement
MS 954 is arranged into four series:
Series 1. Clippings
Series 2. DVD
Series 3. Information Panels
Series 4. Photographs
Biographical / Historical
¶ Some time in the 1980s, brothers William and Thomas Rubarth commissioned master model builder, and close friend, Jim Tuner
to build an HO-scale (1:87) model of the Solano, a railroad transfer paddlewheel ferry boat, which Turner hand built and completed
in 2003. The brothers were initially unable to find much in the way of photos or information on the ferryboat, until they
consulted the California State Railroad Museum and the San Francisco Maritime Museum, both of which were able to supply some
photos. During a trip to the Bay Area, the brothers were able to visit the wreck of the "Solano", and found scale drawings
of the ferryboat in a 1890 article from the "Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers". These drawings formed
the basis of the model built by Turner, who began slowly working on it, while the Rubarth brothers continued their research
into the exact specifications of the ship. Since the ship was altered numerous times over the course of its existence, Turner
and the Robarth brothers settled on recreating the 1930s configuration of the ferry since most photographs were of that version.
While Turner worked on the ferryboat, William Rubarth constructed a model of the pier and the station at Port Costa, as well
as minute details of the model, such as the rails, which required over four-thousand hand-placed spikes. ¶
¶ The model was later featured in numerous model and historic railroader magazines and on an episode of the popular documentary
show, "California's Gold" hosted by Huell Howser. Before this, Turner had built numerous model ships and airplanes. When it
was completed, the radio-controlled, working model of the "Solano", along with the working recreation of the wharf it docked
at, reached nearly nine feet in length. The model was built as a travelling display so that the ferry's operation could be
simulated at various train shows. In 2023, the model was donated to the California State Railroad Museum.¶
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Thomas and William Rubarth Collection, MS 954, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives,
Sacramento, California.
Processing Information
"Solano" train ferry boat and Port Costa dock HO scale, scratch-built models built by Jim Turner have been transferred to
the CSRM artifact collection.
Scope and Contents
¶ The Thomas and William Rubarth Ferryboat Collection contains photographs, clippings, and other materials, written and digital,
related to the Southern Pacific-operated ferryboat, "Solano" and "Contra Costa", as well as Port Costa, where the ferryboats
operated out of during their time in use. There are also copies of magazines that cover the subject of model railroading and
ships. The collection is seperated into five series. The dates of the materials in this collection range from 1900 to 2021.¶
¶ The photographs in the collection are primarily of the "Solano" and "Contra Costa" ferryboats from various angles throughout
their operation histories. There are also large copies of an advertisement to view the "Solano", information panels about
the history and building of the "Solano", and maps detailing SP train and ferry routes that were in operation at the around
the same time as the "Solano." Finally, there are some miscellaneous photos on an unidentified man sitting next to a model
ship, a train crossing a bridge, and a collection of photos of a model of the "Solano" being built.¶
¶Clippings in the collection cover the operation history and technical facts/statistics of the "Solano" and "Contra Costa"
ferryboats, as well as the history of Port Costa where the SP ferryboats operated out of. In addition to these, there are
several magazines on train and ship model building, the history of Solano Island, and a collection of excerpts from the Benecia
Herald ranging from 1899 to 1947.¶
¶Finally, there is a DVD entitled, "Remembering the Solano" dated March, 2021, produced by Orion Neighborhood Television.¶
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. All requests for permission to publish or quote from
manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of
the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which
must also be obtained by the reader.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Southern Pacific Company
Railroads -- Models
Central Pacific Railway Company
Ferries
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 15
Marine Modelling International. Sept. 2008
box 1, folder 17
Of Walking Beams and Paddle Wheels
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 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 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.
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 in Her Later Years
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
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 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
