06/08/2026
Also, 150 years ago: on Sunday, June 4, 1876, a train named the Transcontinental Express arrived at the Central Pacific Railroad Station in San Francisco, California in the record-breaking time of 83 hours & 39 minutes after leaving the station at New York City – an historic & triumphant 3,000-mile journey from coast to coast that had reduced what had once been a six-month trek to a mere three & one-half days. And, Livermore was there to see it.
A Flash of Train Lightning
Whew, whiz, Look out at “Herald” of June 1st and she’s gone. One old gent who had turned out at 3 o’clock in the morning vituperated wildly because he was taken aback without his goggles on. About 8:26 a.m. Sunday morning the streak of Train Lightning touched Livermore, traveling at no less than 50 miles an hour. There was no lingering to worship, it was simply a flash of Railroad fire and all is over. It is in one respect a pity that the great promoters, and the occupants of those aerial cars winging thro “space” were hurried by at such velocity as to prevent their taking in the magnificence of this “pick-ter-es-kee” valley, but the fates were unyielding and we find by the affidavit of our omnipresent reporter of the Enterprise, who was of course on the Train with the Chronicle and Call men that the company confessed their deepest sorrow at the disappointment.
Livermore Enterprise, June 10, 1876
