During its pause of a minute, the train has been uncoupled in the middle and a switching engine has been attached to its rear; the regular engine proceeds with the forward half of the train on to the boat, the switching engine pushes the rear half on another track of the boat, the steamer is cast off with the entire train and both engines as cargo..." The time card for the station of Benicia on the north and Port Costa on the south of the Straits allowed twenty-five minutes for the entire operation, including embarkation, ferriage, landing and station stops. This feat was accomplished with two watches of sixteen men each.
During a brief pause of one minute, the train was temporarily separated in the middle and a transfer engine joined its rear; the main engine continued with the forward section of the train to the boat, while the transfer engine guided the rear section onto another track on the boat. The steamer then set sail with the entire train and both engines as cargo.