Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company

California / Common Carrier / Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company

History

At the end of the 19th century, Duane L. Bliss, the richest lumberman around Lake Tahoe began to see the forests around the lake decline. In 1873 the Carson & Tahoe, Lumber & Fluming Company was incorporated, with D.L. Bliss as the director. The company supplied lumber to Virginia City and the famed Comstock Lode. The boom period was over by the 1880s and mining declined. Though he owned much of the available timberland, around Lake Tahoe, he decided that the last of his holdings would be used to serve the people in a different way. He turned his attention to tourism and promoting Lake Tahoe as a destination.

On November 19, 1895 D. L. Bliss organized the Lake Tahoe Transportation Company, which consolidated the steamboat operations of the Carson & Tahoe, Lumber & Fluming Company. The new company was created to operate steamboats, railroads and stage lines”. The company began operation with three boats, the “Meteor”, “Tallac” and “Emerald”. A new steamboat, the S. S. Tahoe was ordered from Union Iron Works in San Francisco. and launched on June 24, 1896.

The Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company incorporated on December 17, 1898 to build a fifteen mile long railroad from Truckee to Tahoe City. The line was surveyed by Duane Bliss’ son William, a graduated of MIT. A total distance of 14.73 miles with a maximum grade 2.5 near the lake

On April 3, 1899 the Lake Tahoe Transportation Company was acquired by the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company for $100,000 in railway stock. This arrangement came about for legal reasons as the steamboat line was incorporated in Nevada, while the railroad was incorporated in California.

Construction on the railroad began in April using the equipment, rails, structures of the C&TL&F operations at Glenbrook and Bijou. All of which was loaded on barges and shipped to Tahoe City. The engine house at Glenbrook along with several other buildings were moved, intact, by barge across the lake.

At Tahoe City the railroad built a wharf, projecting 316 feet out into the lake. This allowed the railroad to operate trains out onto the wharf to meet the steamboats directly.

The railroad was completed when the final spike was driven by Daniel Goodrich on May 1, 1900. Regular operation of the railroad began there after from May 15 to October 15 of each year.

Duane Bliss’ son Walter designed the Tahoe Tavern, the final piece of the plan. (to develop Tahoe as a tourist destination). The building was completed in 1901 and was built using lumber from the Sierra Nevada Wood& Lumber Company in Hobart Mills.

Ticket prices were $1.25 Reno to Truckee, $1.50 Truckee to Tahoe City. For $3 the visitor could get a round trip ticket over both railroads and a 76 mile steamboat tour around the lake.

Near Truckee the company negotiated an arrangement with the Truckee Lumber Co. to construct the railroad across their land. In return, the LTR&T would haul logs from their land down to their mill in Truckee. Ward Creek? Squaw Creek (Later Squaw Valley). 1907 logging on Ward and Squaw Creek ended.

In 1925 the Southern Pacific Railroad leased the company for $1 a year. In 1927 the Bliss family handed over the railroad to the Southern Pacific. The Tahoe Tavern was sold to a private party, but the Bliss family kept the Steamboat line and mail contract. The line remained narrow gauge and additional equipment from the Keeler branch was shipped to Truckee.

Southern Pacific finally converted the line to standard gauge in 1926 and it continued to operate for several years before being scrapped during WWII. Portions of the old line are now used as part of Highway 89 in the canyon. From XXXX to Tahoe City the former route is a bike and hiking trail that runs between the highway and the Truckee river.

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Bibliography

Swayne Lumber Co.

Rails Around Lake Tahoe

Railroads of Nevada Vol 1

Reference Material Online

Photographs.

Collected Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company Photographs.

Images collected from private collections, libraries and historical societies.

Published References.

List of References for the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company. Compiled by Randy Hees.

Collections

California / Common Carrier / Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company