The history, construction and operation of the division are presented in this broad compilation by Southern Pacific authority John Signor.

As with all his SP historical works, the coverage is thorough and detailed, with many specifics drawn from operating personnel. The Western Division of the SP, historically extending from Sacramento to Oakland and San Jose, and with lines to Fresno, Napa Valley, and over Altamont Pass, was a crucial point of California operations. Headquartered at the Oakland Pier and dispatching hundreds of passenger and freight train daily in its heyday, this division was in many ways the vortex of SP in the west.