Railroad history talk in Sonoma

The history of the North Pacific Coast Railway will be explored at a talk at the Sonoma Valley library at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13. The free discussion will be lead by Rick Coates, educator and executive director of Forests Unlimited.

The presentation will trace the origin of the North Pacific Coast Railway from the founding of the Central Pacific through the Progressive Era to its founding in 1871, say event organizers. The discussion will identify the major personalities involved with the railroad, the industries it spawned (forestry, agriculture and tourism), and its route through Marin and Sonoma counties. The event will include a discussion of the railway’s economic and safety challenges, its leading-edge engineering and its evolution into the North Shore electric railroad and finally the Northwestern Pacific.

The library is located at 755 W. Napa St.