>>1542222They were two different lines originally, one from Oakland to Sacramento, and one from Sacramento to Chico. They merged in 1928. That's why the line from Oakland to Sacramento used overhead wires, while the line from Sacramento to Chico used third rail.
Also the Key System used pantographs, while the Oakland-Sacramento line used trolleypoles (although freight locomotives used pantographs there as well). So through trains from Oakland (or later San Francisco) to Chico were equipped with poles, pantographs and 3rd rail shoes.
For a brief time there were electric trains running all the way from San Francisco's Transbay Terminal to Chico. Pic related is a 1939 schedule. The trip to Sacramento took a little under three hours on the fastest trains, and the trip to Chico six hours.
