One of the top must see attractions one can travel to by train is the Golden Gate Bridge. It has so much recognition that it has been deemed as one of the top most photographed bridges internationally. It has also been designated as one of the modern Wonders of the World. This sleek, majestic structure connects the city of San Francisco to Marin County. This county is home to over 250,000 people. The construction of this bridge was definitely out of necessity when the proposal for its creation was first presented in 1916. Prior to that, the only way from San Francisco to Marin county was by ferry. The ferry services were originally created for the transportation of water to San Francisco in 1840s. In the 1860s, the ferry began transporting people at a cost of $1.00 per person taking around 27 minutes for a one-way trip. Despite the fact that the city’s growth rate was below average when compared to other U.S. cities many dreamed of a way to connect the two locations. It was James Wilkins who first proposed the idea of building the bridge. As a response to the call for engineers, Joseph Strauss rose to the challenge. He had previously constructed around 400 draw bridges in his career as an engineer. However, these bridges were significantly shorter, therefore making this project especially challenging. Strauss estimated that it would take $17 million to build it. It is amazing to behold this structure which took large amounts of funding to create. Consider visiting it yourself on a train tour in California through America by Rail. There were some who were against the construction of the bridge. There were concerns that the bridge would disturb ship traffic and those making their living off of ferry services opposed the commencement of the project. Nevertheless, the project was finally underway in 1925. Two forces backing the construction of the bridge were the Secretary of War and the automobile industry. The name of the bridge was determined by the city engineer, M.M. O’Shaughnessy and Joseph Strauss. It was named after the waterway forming the entrance to the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, which was named The Golden Gate Straight. Many marvel at the great structure today. If you’d like to experience this modern marvel, consider booking a train tour to California. Visit http://www.americabyrail.com/ for details!

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