Offered is a cut section of early iron "T" rail, mounted on a wood base, accompanied by an engraved plaque identifying it as a piece of original track from the Sacramento Valley Rail Road. The plaque reads, in part, that the rail was manufactured in Wales in 1854 for the original construction of the line, which was engineered by Theodore Judah and completed in 1856 running between Sacramento and Folsom, California — and that the Pony Express rode westbound over this rail beginning in 1860.

The rail section measures approximately 6" in length and stands roughly 4.5" tall on its mounted base, with a heavy black painted or coated finish over the iron. Shows an old rubber band securing it to the wood mount and remnants of an old collection or dealer tag.

The Sacramento Valley Railroad, chartered in 1852 and completed in 1856, was the first railroad built west of the Mississippi River. Its chief engineer, Theodore Judah, went on to become the driving force behind the Central Pacific Railroad and the transcontinental line. The SVRR's Sacramento–Folsom route was later used by the Pony Express as its westernmost overland leg beginning in 1860 before mail was ferried onward.

CONDITION: Good; heavy oxidation/pitting consistent with age and exposure, stable black coating, mounted securely to wood base. Plaque intact and legible.

PROVENANCE: As stated on accompanying identification plaque; no maker's marks or rolling stamps are visible on the rail itself to independently confirm date/origin, and the association should be understood as based on the plaque's representation rather than independently authenticated.   [ss][ph:L]

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