Track Bus No. 19
Also known as: Rail-Car No. 19; Rail Ambulance
Why it's listed
Track Bus No. 19 is a gasoline-powered rail vehicle built in 1919 for the Hetch Hetchy Railroad, the 68-mile line that carried construction materials to O'Shaughnessy Dam in Yosemite National Park. Built on a three-quarter-ton White truck chassis, it seated twelve passengers, had three doors on each side and leather side curtains, and was fitted out as an ambulance. The undercarriage, made by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, included a pony truck, rear wheel brakes and a self-contained turntable. It was painted red and black with gold lettering. It could reach 50 miles per hour and was the fastest of the railroad's gas-powered vehicles. The railroad needed such vehicles for crew transfers, emergency equipment deliveries and medical runs. The bus was sold in 1949 to a railroad historian, who stored it in a Modesto museum until the National Park Service provided space at El Portal. It was listed for its local transportation significance as a rare, unique survivor of the line.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance in transportation. It is one of the few surviving gasoline-powered rigs from the Hetch Hetchy Railroad, and its design was unique to that line. It served as both a passenger car and the project's ambulance.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78000363, listed May 22, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | CA 140, El Portal |
|---|---|
| County | Mariposa County |
| Listed | May 22, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000363 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1919) |
| Architect / builder | A. Meister and Sons, and San Francisco Municipal Railway |
| Areas of significance | Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in good condition and unaltered; moved around 1960 and displayed at the transportation museum at El Portal. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.67505, -119.78038 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78000363.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16901935
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.