Southern Pacific Transportation Company and predecessor railroads had been operating ferries between San Francisco and Oakland, California since 1862.

Thoroughfare steamed into the ferry slip at full speed when her engine-order telegraph malfunctioned on 14 August 1913.

[3] Melrose collided with the Southern Pacific ferry Bay City in a patch of dense fog on 26 January 1913.

Two Melrose deckhands were killed while attempting to rescue a man overboard on 9 July 1917 when the lifeboat they had launched to recover the passenger was drawn into the maneuvering ferry's paddle wheel.

Melrose started flooding and was grounded on a mud bar to prevent sinking until repairs could be made.