Ferryboat Eureka

Eureka was originally launched as the Ukiah, a rail car and passenger ferry that ran between San Francisco and Tiburon for the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railroad, later the Northwestern Pacific. Between 1920 and 1922, Ukiah was totally rebuilt as the automobile ferry Eureka. She ran to Marin until 1941 and to Oakland until 1957, becoming one of the last auto ferries on the bay. Eureka's huge single cylinder walking beam engine is the last such engine afloat in this country. Although technically outdated by the 1890s, these slow-turning paddle engines remained popular for their simplicity and reliability. Built in 1890 at Tiburon, California, by the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad with George Dickie as contractor, Eureka measured 299 feet, 6 inches in overall length, had a beam over guards of 78 feet, 6 inches, a draft of 10 feet, a gross tonnage of 2420, and a single cylinder walking beam engine.

San Francisco, California · United States