Ferryboats
The first ferryboat used by the SF&O, the leased Contra Costa, had previously been in service from San Francisco to the foot of Broadway. The lease ended in 1864 and the SF&O purchased the ferryboat Louise to replace it. With the extended railroad line, traffic increased considerably and the Louise was soon inadequate for regular service. The larger river packet Washoe, having been damaged in an explosion, was purchased, extensively rebuilt as a ferryboat, and placed in service. In 1868, the Central Pacific Railroad controlled the SF&O and anticipated much increased traffic when the transcontinental railroad was completed to Oakland. They ordered a new even larger ferryboat, the El Capitan, from a new shipyard at Oakland Point, and placed it in service.
Read more about this topic: San Francisco And Oakland Railroad