As ferry service changed, so did the rail lines, the smaller lines being absorbed into the Northwestern Pacific Railway Company. When Peter Donahue died in 1885, just a year and a half after bringing the railroad to Tiburon, his son James Merven became president of the railroad, though his reign lasted only 5 years until his death in 1890. The SF & NP Railroad was then sold, and eventually became part of the Northwestern Pacific. With Donahue’s SF&NP now alongside rival North Shore Railroad (successor to Doherty’s North Pacific Coast), and lines north to Humboldt County, the Northwestern Pacific operated over 400 miles of track between the Bay Area and the Redwood Empire.

The consolidation brought the end of passenger trains and ferry service between Tiburon and San Francisco, by 1909. The Northwestern Pacific passenger terminal shifted to Sausalito, and Tiburon became the main freight and mechanical terminal. A new ferry was needed to connect to Sausalito, and the Donahue was revived to serve Tiburon until the Requa was brought in from Vancouver . Burned, rebuilt and renamed, the Marin, it linked the towns until buses replaced it in 1933. In 1941, Sausalito ferry service ceased as the Golden Gate Bridge made it unprofitable, and passenger train traffic was also waning. San Rafael became the passenger terminal for Northwestern Pacific in 1942, running only 2 San Rafael-Eureka passenger trains. Known as the "Eureka Express," the train left passengers at San Rafael and steamed to Tiburon only for servicing and cleaning. The run was soon abandoned, and since 1958, there has been no passenger service south of Willits.

The Tiburon railyard became less important as repairs were shifted to parent Southern Pacific yards. The last of the machine shops were closed in 1963. The last train pulled out of Tiburon yards in 1967, with 8 freight cars unloaded from a Santa Fe barge. This was 83 years after Peter Donahue’s inaugural excursion aboard the Donahue, which celebrated the opening of his new rail and ferry line from San Francisco. Sculptor Douglas Tilden has created a monument to the many crafts of Colonel Donahue (located at the corner of Bush and Market Streets in San Francisco). It marks the dawn of an era you can visit at the Tiburon Railroad and Ferry Museum.

Donahue originally constructed the Tiburon Railroad-Ferry Museum building in 1884 as the terminal depot. It was then surrounded by train sheds, a round house, machine shops, offices, and the ferry slip with a wharf running down both sides. In all, the huge, deep water complex encompassed more than 60 acres, with 50 buildings. The museum alone now graces the Paradise Drive waterfront, downstairs depicting the old passenger terminal station for both trains and ferries, while the upstairs recreates the home of the railroad agent William Bent and his family. This is one of two surviving dual-use terminals nation-wide. The museum houses a working model of the old Tiburon rail yard, and reveals how the local working class lived upstairs. Its also fun to wander some of the old neighborhoods, like nearby Old Tiburon, to get a feel for the old days. Tiburon literally sprung up when the train arrived. Some of the oldest homes date back to this era. Other neighborhoods with original homes include Belvedere Street, Italian Row, and Community Road.

After exploring the depot, follow the waterfront east. Beyond the Museum is elephant rock and its public pier, and the Caprice Restaurant (popular with the locals, and the only restaurant with a bridge view in Tiburon.) Next begins Old Tiburon, the entrance marked by Lyford’s Tower, built in 1889 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many homes in Old Tiburon, also known Lyford’s Hygea, have been re-done beyond historic recognition, but some do reflect their heritage. The beautiful homes attest that Tiburon has come a long way since the railroad days. Both Sides of the Tracks is the title of a book you might want to look over at the new library downtown. It relays Tiburon’s oral histories. Another is A Pictorial History of Tiburon.

The Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society has done a good job of bringing Tiburon’s rich history to life with the Railroad Ferry Museum, the historical walking tour, interpretive signs at China Cabin and Lyford’s Tower, and friendly docents, many of them old-timers, at Old St. Hilary’s and the depot museum. The shops and restaurants you’ll encounter are mostly locally run, long-time establishments, many housed in historic buildings. Indeed, the town has retained many of its old time residents over the years-If you’re lucky, you’ll meet several while you’re here. The four outings described here are my favorites, not only because of their obvious attributes, like a beautiful setting, but because they provide an opportunity to meet some interesting people and the places they hold dear.

1. The Angel Island Ferry and Angel Island. Not only can you get to Tiburon by ferry and thrive here for days with no car, you can, and should, take a ride on the Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry (415) 435-2131- a Tiburon institution and family run business for forty years. If you want to get on the bay at night, check out their sunset cruise-the San Francisco Chronicle considers this one of the best kept secrets of the Bay. Different from the commuter ferry experience, the Angel Island ferry is about being on the Bay with a colorful host, possibly a member of the founding McDonogh family. The 3rd (Milt) or 4th (Maggie) generation may be driving your boat. Milt is quite possibly the oldest captain on San Francisco Bay. A bit of a legend, he is now on his 13th reissue of his Coast Guard license, which are good for 5 years (that’s over 65 years.) His stories go back to the railroad days. The first of the McDonogh’s, Samuel, came to Tiburon when the railroad arrived, opening McDonogh’s Chowder and Boarding House, catering to railroad workers and visitors. His son Sam II began the launch, transporting military supplies and personnel to Angel Island. He ran the marine shuttle between towers of the Golden Gate Bridge while it was under construction. His son Milt later began Angel Island