Belt Railroad Engine House and Sandhouse

The Belt Railroad Engine House and Sandhouse stands as a reinforced concrete reminder of a time when San Francisco was the undisputed industrial center of the Pacific. Built in 1913 and 1914, this utilitarian facility served the State Belt Railroad, a vital, state-owned line that connected the city's piers to the wider world. During the height of its operation, this railroad was the engine of the waterfront, hauling freight between massive ships and the major national rail lines. Because the waterfront was technically state property and not part of the original city survey, the state maintained control of this infrastructure, ensuring that cargo could flow seamlessly from the docks to the rest of the country.