Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward Electric Railway

{{use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}

{{use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}

[[File:Streetcar on Castro Street, Hayward - 1906 postcard.png|thumb|A streetcar running on Castro Street in Hayward, [[postcard]] [[postmark]]ed 1906]]

[[File:Streetcar on Castro Street, Hayward - 1906 postcard.png|thumb|A streetcar running on Castro Street in Hayward, [[postcard]] [[postmark]]ed 1906]]

The '''Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward Electric Railway''' (OSL&H) was an electric [[street railroad]] in the [[East Bay]] of [[California]]. It connected [[Hayward, California|Hayward]] to [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] along the [[International Boulevard (Oakland, California)|14th Street and Mission Boulevard]]. Tracks were laid with a [[narrow gauge]] using 35-pound rails, with operations beginning in May 1892.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ready for Business |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-times-ready-for-business/160936747/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |newspaper=The Oakland Times |via=Newspapers.com |date=April 30, 1892 |location=Oakland, California |page=1}} {{free access}}</ref><ref name=Owings>{{cite web |last1=Owings |first1=Marcess |title=History of the Electric Railway |publisher=Hayward Area Historical Society |url=https://www.haywardareahistory.org/history-of-the-electric-railway |access-date=15 December 2024}}</ref> Transfers were made available to the [[Highland Park and Fruit Vale Railroad]] Company's cars, and to the cars of the [[Central Avenue Railway]] streetcar line.<ref name=Peerless /> Oakland's terminus was extended to First and Washington the following March.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Welcome Change |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-oakland-san-leandro-an/136878032/ |access-date=16 December 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=March 29, 1893 |location=Oakland, California |page=2}} {{free access}}</ref> A new company was established to build the 23rd Avenue branch, which would be absorbed into the OSL&H in 1894.<ref>{{cite news |title=Monday's Legal Grist |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-times-mondays-legal-grist/160990045/ |access-date=16 December 2024 |newspaper=The Oakland Times |via=Newspapers.com |date=May 15, 1894 |location=Oakland, California |page=5}} {{free access}}</ref> By 1907, the line had been converted to [[standard gauge]] except for one mile of tracks leading into downtown Hayward,<ref>{{cite news |title=Hayward Grants New Franchise |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-enquirer-hayward-grants-new-fran/160954560/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Enquirer |via=Newspapers.com |date=December 5, 1907 |location=Oakland, California |page=6}} {{free access}}</ref> which was similarly converted the following year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hayward Traction Broad Gauged |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/alameda-daily-star-hayward-traction-broa/160954416/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |newspaper=Alameda Daily Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=August 15, 1908 |location=Alameda, California |page=4}} {{free access}}</ref>

The '''Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards Electric Railway''' (OSL&H) was an electric [[street railroad]] in the [[East Bay]] of [[California]]. It connected [[Hayward, California|Haywards]] to [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] along the [[International Boulevard (Oakland, California)|14th Street and Mission Boulevard]]. Tracks were laid with a [[narrow gauge]] using 35-pound rails, with operations beginning in May 1892.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ready for Business |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-times-ready-for-business/160936747/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |newspaper=The Oakland Times |via=Newspapers.com |date=April 30, 1892 |location=Oakland, California |page=1}} {{free access}}</ref><ref name=Owings>{{cite web |last1=Owings |first1=Marcess |title=History of the Electric Railway |publisher=Hayward Area Historical Society |url=https://www.haywardareahistory.org/history-of-the-electric-railway |access-date=15 December 2024}}</ref> Transfers were made available to the [[Highland Park and Fruit Vale Railroad]] Company's cars, and to the cars of the [[Central Avenue Railway]] streetcar line.<ref name=Peerless /> Oakland's terminus was extended to First and Washington the following March.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Welcome Change |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-oakland-san-leandro-an/136878032/ |access-date=16 December 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=March 29, 1893 |location=Oakland, California |page=2}} {{free access}}</ref> A new company was established to build the 23rd Avenue branch, which would be absorbed into the OSL&H in 1894.<ref>{{cite news |title=Monday's Legal Grist |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-times-mondays-legal-grist/160990045/ |access-date=16 December 2024 |newspaper=The Oakland Times |via=Newspapers.com |date=May 15, 1894 |location=Oakland, California |page=5}} {{free access}}</ref> By 1907, the line had been converted to [[standard gauge]] except for one mile of tracks leading into downtown Haywards,<ref>{{cite news |title=Hayward Grants New Franchise |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-enquirer-hayward-grants-new-fran/160954560/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Enquirer |via=Newspapers.com |date=December 5, 1907 |location=Oakland, California |page=6}} {{free access}}</ref> which was similarly converted the following year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hayward Traction Broad Gauged |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/alameda-daily-star-hayward-traction-broa/160954416/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |newspaper=Alameda Daily Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=August 15, 1908 |location=Alameda, California |page=4}} {{free access}}</ref>

Starting in 1896, the railway inaugurated the country's first [[Trailer-on-flatcar|piggybacking]] freight service. The company stationed horse-drawn wagons in [[San Francisco]] which gathered up parcels during the day, rode those to a depot, loaded those into heavier and larger wagons, and then sent on [[Ferries of San Francisco Bay|ferry running to Oakland]]. In Oakland, the wagons were driven two blocks and loaded into a waiting express train of [[flat car]]s specially designed for the transportation of loaded wagons. Upon arrival at the destination towns, the wagons were lowered from the cars and unloaded normally. A special electric locomotive was built at the company's shops in Elmhurst to pull the train of loaded cars. The car was designed to be capable of pulling a 30-ton load over a 5% grade, though was given the outward appearance similar to the passenger cars on the line, in this way inviting less criticism by reason of the train passing through the principal business streets.<ref>{{Source-attribution| {{cite magazine |last1=Stone |first1=A. L. |title=Electric Railway Express |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Street_Railway_Review/uSZHAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA55 |access-date=16 December 2024 |magazine=[[Street Railway Review]] |volume=6 |number=1 |via=Google Books |date=January 15, 1896 |pages=55–56}} }}</ref><ref name=Owings /> This service was very short lived, ending in March of that year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Half Fares |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Street_Railway_Review/uSZHAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA173&printsec=frontcover |access-date=16 December 2024 |magazine=[[Street Railway Review]] |volume=6 |number=3 |via=Google Books |date=March 15, 1896 |page=173 }}</ref>

Starting in 1896, the railway inaugurated the country's first [[Trailer-on-flatcar|piggybacking]] freight service. The company stationed horse-drawn wagons in [[San Francisco]] which gathered up parcels during the day, rode those to a depot, loaded those into heavier and larger wagons, and then sent on [[Ferries of San Francisco Bay|ferry running to Oakland]]. In Oakland, the wagons were driven two blocks and loaded into a waiting express train of [[flat car]]s specially designed for the transportation of loaded wagons. Upon arrival at the destination towns, the wagons were lowered from the cars and unloaded normally. A special electric locomotive was built at the company's shops in Elmhurst to pull the train of loaded cars. The car was designed to be capable of pulling a 30-ton load over a 5% grade, though was given the outward appearance similar to the passenger cars on the line, in this way inviting less criticism by reason of the train passing through the principal business streets.<ref>{{Source-attribution| {{cite magazine |last1=Stone |first1=A. L. |title=Electric Railway Express |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Street_Railway_Review/uSZHAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA55 |access-date=16 December 2024 |magazine=[[Street Railway Review]] |volume=6 |number=1 |via=Google Books |date=January 15, 1896 |pages=55–56}} }}</ref><ref name=Owings /> This service was very short lived, ending in March of that year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Half Fares |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Street_Railway_Review/uSZHAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA173&printsec=frontcover |access-date=16 December 2024 |magazine=[[Street Railway Review]] |volume=6 |number=3 |via=Google Books |date=March 15, 1896 |page=173 }}</ref>

==Route==

==Route==

The Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward Electric line began at First and Washington Streets in Oakland. At Washington and Thirteenth streets it ran eastward beyond the city limit, and along the county road through Pittsville, [[Melrose, Oakland, California|Melrose]], [[Fitchburg, California|Fitchburg]], [[Elmhurst, Oakland, California|Elmhurst]], [[San Leandro, California|San Leandro]], to Hayward. At San Lorenzo Junction a branch road terminated at San Lorenzo Grove. Another branch passed up Twenty-third avenue.<ref name=Peerless>{{Source-attribution|{{cite news |title=Peerless! |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-peerless/160937033/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=February 17, 1894 |location=Oakland, California |page=5}} {{free access}} }}</ref>

The Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards Electric line began at First and Washington Streets in Oakland. At Washington and Thirteenth streets it ran eastward beyond the city limit, and along the county road through Pittsville, [[Melrose, Oakland, California|Melrose]], [[Fitchburg, California|Fitchburg]], [[Elmhurst, Oakland, California|Elmhurst]], [[San Leandro, California|San Leandro]], to Hayward. At San Lorenzo Junction a branch road terminated at San Lorenzo Grove. Another branch passed up Twenty-third avenue.<ref name=Peerless>{{Source-attribution|{{cite news |title=Peerless! |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-peerless/160937033/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=February 17, 1894 |location=Oakland, California |page=5}} {{free access}} }}</ref>

==See also==

==See also==