Common Carrier Railroads of California

Common Carrier Railroads.

Arcata & Mad River Railroad.
45.25in Gauge. Incorporated July 16, 1881, the 12.9 mile long Arcata and Mad River Railroad provided access to the timber lands along the Mad River between Arcata and Korbel. Prior to the A&MR railroad the Union Plank Walk & Rail Track Company, incorporated December 15, 1854, had provided service along the 2.5 mile long wharf in Arcata. The two companies operated narrow gauge service for a total of 88 years being both the oddest gauge and earliest railroad in California. The A&MR continued on for an additional 50 years as a standard gauge railroad. Arcata to Korbel, Humboldt County. 1854-1942

Bodie & Benton Railway & Land Company.
36in Gauge. Mining activity entered a boom in the Bodie area in the 1880s, the Bodie and Benton Railway was constructed in 1887 to meet the demand for timber by logging the forests South East of Mono Lake. The B&B's main line stretched from Bodie navigating steep grades and two switchbacks down to Mono Mills and the company sawmill. Bodie to Mono Mills, Mono County. 1887 - 1918

California & Nevada Railroad.
36in Gauge. Projected to build 250 miles from Emeryville to the Nevada state line. During 21 years of operation it remained under the control of several contractors and never ceased being under construction. Between 1885 and 1900 only 22.4 miles was completed and trains operated irregularly. After seven years of litigation the C&N ceased to exist in November 1902. Emery(ville) to Bryant(Orinda), Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. 1881 - 1902

Carson & Colorado Railroad.
36in Gauge. Constructed by the Virginia and Truckee railroad to tap the southern mining booms. The line was projected to connect to the Colorado river, a feat it never accomplished, ending construction in Hawley, CA (later called Keeler). The line remained barely profitable until it was finally sold to the Southern Pacific in 1900, becoming the Nevada & California RR in 1905. Mound House, NV to Hawley (Keeler), CA. 1882 - 1905

Colusa & Lake Railroad.
36in Gauge. Constructed in 1885 as the Colusa Railroad to connect with the Central Pacific at Colusa Junction (now Cortena). The 9.7 mile line reincorporated a year later as the Colusa & Lake and expanded 12.3 miles to Sites and the neighboring sandstone quarries. By 1913 the quarry output had declined and competition from the Southern Pacific and Northern Electric railroads forced the road to abandon in May, 1915. Colusa to Sites, Colusa County. 1885 - 1918

Death Valley Railroad.
36in Gauge. Connected the Pacific Coast Borax Company mines around “New” Ryan with their concentrator at Death Valley Junction on the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. At Ryan, a 2’ gauge operation dubbed the “Baby Gauge” brought borax from the mines for transshipment. In 1927 the mines became unprofitable and a branch (dual gauge) laid north to service a clay pit in Ash Meadows. Death Valley Junction to "New" Ryan, Inyo County. 1914 - 1931

Hetch Hetchy & Yosemite Valleys Railway.
36in Gauge. Incorporated by the West Side Flume & Lumber Co. to service the timber lands owned by the company and provide transportation to Yosemite National Park. The company sold to Michigan businessmen in 1903 and passenger service ended in August 1904. Operated as a private logging railroad as the West Side Lumber Co, the common carrier charter expired in 1943. Tuolumne to Thompson's Meadow, Tuolumne County. 1899 – 1904

Iron Mountain Railway.
36in Gauge. Built by the Mountain Mines Syndicate LTD of England to move copper ore from the mine down to their smelter near Keswick. Later consolidated into the Mountain Copper Mining Company, it would become the largest copper producer in the state of California. By the 1920s the mine output began to decline and the line was abandoned in 1927. Keswick to Mines, Shasta County. 1895 - 1927

John Harford's Railroad.
30in Gauge. Horse drawn tramway constructed by John Harford beginning in 1871 to service the wharf at Point San Luis. Construction proceeded slowly from wharf inland to the People's Wharf Co. warehouse in San Luis Valley (Later Avila). Operation of freight and passengers over the line began in 1873. In mid-1874 John Harford sold the operation to the San Luis Obispo & Santa Maria Valley Railroad. Point San Luis to San Luis Valley (Avila), San Luis Obispo County. 1871 - 1874

Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company.
36in Gauge.

Truckee to Tahoe City, Nevada and Placer Counties.

Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad.
36in Gauge. California's first narrow gauge common carrier railroad. Constructed by local farmers upset by the Southern Pacific's tariff rates and seeking to establish their own railroad and port in Monterey bay. Within 4 years Nature and the Southern Pacific ultimately drive the line to bankruptcy. In 1879 the line is purchased and scrapped by the Southern Pacific with the equipment and rails sold to the newly formed Nevada Central Railway. Salinas to Monterey, Santa Cruz County. 1874 - 1879

Mount Diablo & San Jose Railroad.
36in Gauge. A mythical railroad that operated from from Antioch to Livermore in the south utilizing the route of the Empire Coal Mine railroad. The line primarily hauled coal from the Mount Diablo mines and the occasional picnic train. A branch was planned to connect with the California and Nevada railroad, but the line was heavily damaged in the 1906 earthquake and construction ceased thereafter. Antioch to Livermore, Contra Costa County. 1900 – 1907

Nevada - California - Oregon Railway.
36in Gauge. Reno, NV to Alturas, CA. 1883 - 1928

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad.
36in Gauge. Constructed to connect the booming mining region around Grass Valley and Nevada City with the Central Pacific in Colfax, the line has the distinction of being the longest operating narrow gauge common carrier in California. Colfax to Nevada City, Placer and Nevada Counties. 1875 - 1942

North Pacific Coast Railroad.
36in Gauge. Constructed between 1874 and 1876 the NPC was constructed to reach valuable Redwood holdings of its financiers. Stretching from their ferry terminal in Sausalito to the vast logging country around Duncan's Mills the NPC was an important lifeline to the region and to San Francisco. Sausalito to Duncan Mills, Sonoma and Marin Counties. 1874 - 1908

Pacific Coast Railway.
36in Gauge. San Luis Obispo to Santa Maria & Los Alamos, San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara Counties. 1882 - 1941

Pajaro Valley Consolidated Railroad.
36in Gauge. Owned and operated by the Claus Spreckels family, the main purpose of the Pajaro Valley Consolidated Railroad was to move sugar beets from farmers' fields to Spreckels beet sugar mills in Watsonville and Spreckels, California. The December 1897 incorporation of the PVCRR was a consolidation of the Pajaro Valley Railroad (incorporated January 1890) and the Pajaro Extension Railway (incorporated April 1897). Watsonville to Buena Vista, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. 1890 - 1929

Redondo Railway Company.
36in Gauge. Redondo to Los Angeles, Los Angeles County. 1889 - 1896

San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada Railroad.
36in Gauge. Incorporated in 1882 to connect the growing population of Calaveras County and its farmers with the deep water ports of San Francisco. The line was completed in 1885 from Brack's Landing in the Sacramento River Delta with Valley Springs in the foothills, sold to the Southern Pacific in 1888 parts of the line surved late into the 20th century as the Southern Pacific's "Kentucky House Branch". Brack's Landing to Valley Springs, San Joaquin County. 1882 - 1904

San Luis Obispo & Santa Maria Valley Railroad.
36in Gauge. San Luis Obispo to Santa Maria & Los Alamos, San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara Counties. 1875 - 1882

Santa Cruz Railroad.
36in Gauge. Conceived by Frederick A. Hihn to bring railroad service to Santa Cruz. The line prospered only briefly, by 1880 the South Pacific Coast began competing service to Santa Cruz. By 1882 Hihn sold his interest in the company to the Southern Pacific Railroad and the line was standard gauged in 1883 becoming their Santa Cruz Branch. In 2012 the branch was sold to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transit Commission. Pajaro Junction to Santa Cruz, Salinas and Santa Cruz Counties. 1873 – 1883 (NG)

Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad.
36in Gauge. Built to move lumber to Santa Cruz, this 8 mile line began operation in October 1875. Alfred E. Davis purchased a controlling interest in the SC&F in 1879 and leased it to the South Pacific Coast Railroad. The SC&F retained its corporate identity until 1887 when it was merged with the SPC and other subsidiaries to become the South Pacific Coast Railway. Most of the railroad exists today as part of the standard gauge Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railroad. Felton to Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County. 1875 - 1887

Sonoma Valley Railroad.
36in Gauge. Constructed from the route of the Sonoma Valley Prismoidal, the Sonoma Valley Railroad was the answer to Sonoma's desire for a railroad. With extensions to Glen Ellen and later Ignacio, for several years the line was a subsidary of Peter Donahue's San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad. In 1889, the Sonoma Valley Railroad merged with the SF&NP and was standard gauged in 1890. San Pablo Bay to Glen Ellen, Sonoma County. 1878 - 1890

South Pacific Coast Railroad.
36in Gauge. Incorporated March 20, 1876 from an original concept of providing transportation to sell real estate in Newark, California, it became one of the most successful narrow gauge railroads in California. In May 1887 it and its leased lines were consolidated into the South Pacific Coast Railway and sold to Southern Pacific interests. San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties. 1876 - 1887

South Pacific Coast Railway.
36in Gauge. Consolidated May 21, 1887 from the South Pacific Coast Railroad and its leased lines it operated as a narrow gauge until 1908 with the completion of widening to standard gauge. The corporation continued until 1937 when its 50 year bonds became due. San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties. 1887 - 1937

Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge.
36in Gauge. In 1912 the Nevada & California RR was reorganized into the Central Pacific Ry and operated as the Keeler Branch of the Southern Pacific system. Over the years the line would shorten as sections were abandoned until the Keeler to Laws portion remained. Affectionately known as the "Slim Princess". Mina, NV to Keeler, CA. 1912 - 1960

State Harbor Belt Railroad.
Dual Gauge. While not fully a narrow gauge, the State Harbor Commission constructed and operated an expansive dual gauge system along the harbor in San Francisco. The railroad served the Atcheson Topeka & Santa Fe, Central/Southern Pacifc, North Pacific Coast Railroad and South Pacific Coast Railway switching incoming freight cars from the ferries to industries and yards along the waterfront. San Francisco, San Francisco County. 1890 - 1915

Stockton & Ione Railroad.
36in Gauge. Proposed to build from Stockton to the liginite fields near Ione. The project was beset with trouble from the start and managed to grade 12 miles to Linden, constructing 5 miles of track to the eastern edge of Stockton. An economic downturn forced the line into bankruptcy and the company's assets were sold at Sheriff's auction in July, 1876. Stockton to Ione (Proposed), San Joaquin & Amador Counties. 1874 - 1876

Watsonville Transportation Company.
36in Gauge. Constructed by local interests to bypass Claus Spreckles and the Southern Pacific freight monopolies in their region. Initially profitable, the line struggled in the face of competition until the wharf at Port Rogers was destroyed by unforseen circumstances and needed replacement, forcing the line to suspend operations. Watsonville to Port Rogers, Salinas County. 1903 - 1906

Watsonville Railway & Navigation Company.
36in Gauge. After laying dormant and tied up in court proceedings for several years, the Watsonville Transportation Co. was revived in 1911 and operated until 1913 when the wharf at Port Watsonville was destroyed by a storm. Watsonville to Port Watsonville, Salinas County. 1911 - 1914

Yosemite Short Line Railroad.
30in Gauge. Incorporated in 1905 the Yosemite Short Line was proposed to connect Jamestown on the standard gauge Sierra Railway with Yosemite National Park and the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Construction was disrupted by the April 18, 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. Portions of the route would later be used in construction of the standard gauge Hetch Hetchy Railroad. Jamestown to Yosemite (Proposed), Tuolumne County. 1905 - 1906