John H. Heering

John H. Heering is listed as the photographer who captured the original railroad effort in Alameda Cañon in 1866. 

He was active in San Jose in 1859-1873. See Heering's building here.

This Heering photo shows up in many references, including the NPS form for the Niles Canyon Railway. Apparently an original is at Ardenwood. "Date October 2, 1866 Photographer, J.H Heering, San Jose CA, from the collection of Clyde Arbuckle, by permission from Patterson House at Ardenwood Historic Farm, City of Fremont, CA." How do they know that this is the photo taken of the Commissioner's train? Is this in a report? 

Reported in the Daily Alta California is "Cars run daily over the first section of twenty miles of the Pacific Railroad, starting from San Jose and stopping at the Alameda canon." Were they picnic excursions?

Found in History San Jose catalog number 1993-106-8

This one isn't at NYPL? 

If you look at this with your stereo viewer, you can see that the train is paused just before a bridge.  You can see that there are some ladies in skirts. Maybe some workers? Is that the same bridge that is in the next view? 

This is about the same view as "1527. Looking down Alameda Canon, above the third Bridge" (The third bridge became the second bridge became the Farwell bridge)

So this is Farwell looking down the canyon. Verified on Google Earth.

Also History San José has a single image that matches this catalog 1993-106-7.

Also this one

From the NPS document, "The dual Howe truss as initially constructed at Farwell. The bridge was covered after 1869. Photographer, J.H Heering, From stereo card, collection of the New York Public Library (NYPL ID:G89F349_011F) Date October 2, 1866"

This is identified as the Farwell bridge in the NPS report. 

Looking down the canyon.

This looks like the same photo as this from History San José catalog number 1993-106-9.

What's a Howe truss bridge? What's a dual Howe truss?