High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Sacramento Valley Railroad was California's first railroad. It was organized on August 4, 1852. The railroad's gauge was 7" wider than the standard 4' 8 " gauge and was laid with 60-pound-per-yard (30 kg/m) Welsh iron "pear" rail.The original plans called for the railroad to run from Sacramento to Marysville by way of Folsom. These plans never fully-materialized as the railroad was only built from Sacramento to Folsom. The Sacramento Valley Railroad ran from the Sacramento River levee at Front and "L" Street in present-day Old Sacramento and terminated at Folsom. On February 22, 1856 the first train operated over the entire 22.9 mile line.