For over 50 years, from 1879-1930, Benicia, California boasted having the largest train ferry boat in the world–the Solano train ferry. At an astonishing 425 feet, the Solano was longer than a football field. Using steam-powered paddle wheels, it carried entire trains across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia to Port Costa in just 9 minutes.

This train ferry addressed the problem of challenging terrain approaching San Francisco, improving the westernmost section of the transcontinental railroad.

Mountains and swamps between Sacramento and Oakland forced trains to travel out of the way, climb the steep Altamont Pass and travel through Niles Canyon.

A route through Benicia would have been shorter, but at that time, a bridge long enough to span the mile-wide strait could not be built. The trusty Solano solved these issues.

It ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and made around 40 trips every day, ferrying passengers and freight on an efficient, flat route to the west.

Trains from the east arrived at Benicia’s depot, and were loaded onto the ferry boat where the fishing pier is today. Up to 48 freight cars or 24 passenger cars could fit at one time.

The Solano train ferry was featured in two editions of Scientific American magazine as an engineering marvel. 

The Solano was made obsolete when the steel Benicia-Martinez train bridge was completed.

It made its last run on October 15, 1930 carrying around 2,000 passengers one final time. The ruins of this historic boat now lie in Antioch as a breakwater.