Rubath (Thomas and William) "Solano" Ferry Model Papers, 1899-2021

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Summary

Title:
Thomas and William Rubarth "Solano" Ferry Model papers
Dates:
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.¶
Extent:
1.67 Linear Feet 1 record carton + 1 OV box
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Thomas and William Rubarth Collection, MS 954, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

¶ 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.¶

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.¶

Acquisition information:
Gift of Thomas and William Rubarth, 2023
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.

Arrangement:

MS 954 is arranged into four series:

Series 1. Clippings

Series 2. DVD

Series 3. Information Panels

Series 4. Photographs

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Library Archives staff
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-01-22 19:29:18 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact Library Staff

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Thomas and William Rubarth Collection, MS 954, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Location of this collection:
111 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Contact:
(916) 323-8073
Library.CSRM@parks.ca.gov
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