Spur of the Moment – Getting to Yuba City

A south view from Yuba City Cemetery across Bridge St. on Mar. 31, 2001 shows a large expansive green space between the street and B St. in the distance.

L301-05-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 1 of 33)

The same photograph taken by Fred Matthews on May 17, 1957 paints an entirely different picture, with Sacramento Northern, SN, Birney 62 under wire passing the Southern Pacific, SP, Yuba City depot. The major focus of this set of presentations will be to explore the SN’s presence during the electric era in Yuba City, with an emphasis on documenting the spurs serving industries and produce warehouses. Some additional information about the SP will also be provided.

L301-10-Fred Matthews Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museim Archives, 166766sn, (Image 2 of 33)

BAERA member Phillip Gale drew this map of the Marysville-Yuba City sphere showing a composite of both 19th and 20th century iterations of the SN, SP and Western Pacific, WP, operations in the area. The extensive rail networks reined in the Northern California Central Valley’s industrial-agricultural production, flowing south to Sacramento or to points outside of California.

L301-15-Phillip Gale Drawing, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 3 of 33)

The importance of the area relative to the rest of the conglomerate of the early 20th century SN and precursors, left, can be appreciated on the right in 1977, where the now isolated section tied together by WP and SP connections surpassed any other single SN freight operation in terms of carloads of goods in 1980 according to Jeff Aces’ research in his book, “The Iron Feather”, page 486. The SN appeared to manage its own and WP-SP switching in the bi-city area.

L301-20-Wayne Hom Drawing, Courtesy John Harder, and Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, (Image 4 of 33)

A favorable PG&E contract until 1965, and the State’s requirement for an extra worker, a fireman, to run a diesel versus an electric motor until 1964, allowed the Marysville-Yuba City axis to retain overhead wire until Apr. 1965. Even while under wire, the area utilized both electric and diesel traction, the latter required for switching outside the city limits and the Chico Local. Here, an east view from 1964 of SN 146 in the Yuba City yard, with electric motor SN 653 or SN 654 by the depot in the background.

L301-25-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 5 of 33)

This 1960 map divided in two shows a smaller border for Yuba City, population 11,507, relative to 2023, population 68,711. The red arrow marks the irregular western border where the SN crossed at Gray Ave. Growth to the west, then Tierra Buena, can be traced to annexations between 2003-2008 to deliver better quality water according to Doug Libby of the city’s Development Services Dept. A detail follows.

L301-30-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 6 of 33)

This detail of the map from 1960 shows the area that will be primarily covered over the next several updates. The number of SN spurs shown to individual customers is underrepresented on this map, but it still provides street names and the general track layout for both SN and SP. Ref: G4364 Y8 1960 S8 Case D

L301-35-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 7 of 33)

Now to review how freight made it to Yuba City, first for the SN followed by the SP. Starting first in Marysville, the WP mainline, seen here in a southeast view estimated to be from the late 1940s, was shared by all SN freight, either passing through or in the process of switching. SN 410 enters the mainline tracks from a siding, with the shared bridge over the Yuba River seen in the distance.

L301-40-Moreau Collection Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 125411sn, (Image 8 of 33)

This portion of the mainline received freight from customers rimming the Yuba River levee. SN 654 is seen with a string of boxcars in this southeast view from 1963. Yuba Sand and Gravel was a large and longtime customer at the end of this spur.

L301-45-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 9 of 33)

SN 654 is seen on the left in this undated north view on the WP mainline with a boxcar it most likely picked up from the SP at the interchange near Binney Junction. Note the poor condition of the track to the north used for storage at this point. Tom Gray took this photo on the 10th St. Bridge, positioned as indicated by the red arrow in the aerial on the right from Dec. 31, 1956. Ref: left, Tom Gray Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 219911sn; right, cas-1957, Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection

L301-47-Multiple Attributions, (Image 10 of 33)

The complex array of tracks off the WP mainline seen in this west view from Jan. 14, 1953 by the 10th Street Bridge allowed the SN switching operators to service businesses along the Feather River levee as well as the SP toward Binney Junction to the north.

L301-50-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 2876-6, (Image 11 of 33)

Freight from the north, or from the south as seen here in this north view with SN 410 in July 1949, would access the bridge to Yuba City via a switch track just south of the water tower across from the WP station.

L301-55-Martin Hansen Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 161761sn, (Image 12 of 33)

This north view from across the WP station from July 1, 1940 captures SN 430 and freight coming off the bridge connector to the WP mainline. This shot also documents on the left or west edge the rare sighting of a hopper car on the small WP spur that paralleled 5th St. on its north flank toward the Feather River.

L301-60-Ira Swett Magna Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 217859sn, (Image 13 of 33)

The freight connector was added after the WP consolidated the routes of the Sacramento Northern Railroad, SNRR, the successor of the Northern Electric, NE, to use its Yuba River Bridge and to keep all freights off Marysville’s streets by adding this shortcut to the Feather River Bridge. It was known as the “High Line Connector” to 5th St.

L301-65-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 14 of 33)

According to Demoro’s “Sacramento Northern”, the all-steel SN 410 was built by the Northern Electric in 1910 as NE 1010. At 53 feet, 2 inches in length and weighing close to 82 tons, it was one of the largest electric freight motor of its time. It was cut down to 38 feet plus by the SN in 1930, as seen here along the connector in this undated east view. It would later be moved to Oroville, and scrapped in 1954.

L301-70-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 125300sn, (Image 15 of 33)

SN 142 and freight are about to join up with the SN’s passenger and streetcar 5th St. tracks on the approach to the Feather River Bridge. This undated east view was part of a set of images taken by the Caterpillar Tractor Co. ca. 1950 to tout its Caterpillar Diesel D17000 Engine Power on 44-ton GE locomotives. Note the abandoned passenger tracks only continued on the private right-of-way to below the WP overpass seen in the distance.

L301-75-C. C. Chapman Photo, Caterpillar Tractor Co. Coll. 81549 Harrison Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 29463sn, (Image 16 of 33)

The long wooden trestle leading to the more substantial concrete and steel bridge over the Feather River provided a freight showcase to BAERA railfans such as Arthur Lloyd who had descended on the bi-city area to partake in the last day of Birney streetcar service on Feb. 15, 1942. This northeast view documented the crossing of this long line of WP hoppers lined up behind SN 410 and its meeting with Birney 68.

L301-80-Arthur Lloyd Photo Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 129787sn, (Image 17 of 33)

Louis Bradas, Jr., was also there on Feb. 15, 1942 taking several images of what first appears to be the same train approaching the entry into Sutter County and Yuba City. Note, however, that the number of hoppers is much reduced, and none of the participants of this day’s events provided the exact movements of this freight and its cargo. Note the bridge handled both auto and train traffic.

L301-85-Louis Bradas, Jr., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68858sn, (Image 18 of 33)

A similar northeast view at the same location shows a separate train span, here providing passage for SN 654 and two cabooses on the last day of electric service in the bi-cities and for the SN system period on Apr. 10, 1965. Some history follows.

L301-90-Jack Perry Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 98954sn, (Image 19 of 33)

As Ira Sweet summarized in “Sacramento Northern”, the NE, Sutter and Yuba Counties constructed this combination auto-train bridge in 1907 to replace an inadequate Streetcar span. A flood damaged a temporary structure, and the new span in question as the latter was being built. The trestle portion handled seasonal flooding, and survived until Dec. 25, 1955.

L301-95- Northern Electric Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 121355sn, (Image 20 of 33)

The northwest view on the left of the Feather River with Yuba City and the Sutter Buttes in the background was taken on Dec. 24, 1955, after the levee had failed at four minutes past midnight that day. The detail on the right shows the entire SN trestle portion leading to the concrete bridge was swept away, as was a good portion of the auto roadway. The detail on the right also shows some architectural features of Yuba City albeit with flood waters abound.

L301-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4724-13, (Image 21 of 33)

The SN rebuilt and opened their span on Sept. 06, 1956, constructed with concrete to last forever, which it has up to 2023. The auto portion was added sometime between 1957-1958, but before this Feb. 1959 west view of SN 654 and freight was taken.

L301-105-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 217857sn, (Image 22 of 33)

From the west, SN trains came south from Chico or east from Colusa, the two lines joining at a wye at Colusa Jct. The detail on the right, taken from the northwest aerial on the left from Jan. 14, 1953, shows the SN stops that will be discussed in more detail in a later presentation. In 2023, Yuba City extends at least one mile west of the Junction, although the outline of the previous wye track arrangement is an irregular dip into the city border by Tierra Buena. Doug Libby noted that annexation of this area was not supported when a protest forced a vote.

L301-110-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 2886-4, (Image 23 of 33)

The southeast view on the left completes the approach into Yuba City proper at the end of the electric era on Mar. 24, 1965, with what is today the Highway 20-Highway 99 intersection prominent just below center. The detail on the right runs from where the SN crossed the city limit at Gray Ave. heading into the large freight yard. The two spur tracks off the mainline served industry in an area designated in the NE era as Gomez.

L301-115-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C1422-1, (Image 24 of 33)

As for the SP, the track arrangement on Oct. 29, 1941 is seen in the left panel. The Knights Landing Branch entered from the south, red arrow, angled through the town, green arrows, and crossed the Feather River on a bridge, turquoise arrow, north of the SN crossing. The detail on the right marks where the tracks and sidings loaded with freight serviced California Packing Corp., CalPak, orange arrow, progressing on a northeast trajectory to the bridge.

L301-120-Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, c-7490_455, (Image 25 of 33)

The SP bridge over the Feather River was built in 1903, and connected with 9th St. in Marysville. Here it is shown in an east view from Yuba City taken on Jan. 22, 1927.

L301-125-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 178788sn, (Image 26 of 33)

Art Alter took this northeast view of the bridge during flooding from the Yuba City side on Mar. 31, 1940. The SP would file to abandon the bridge on Dec. 20th of the same year.

L301-130-Art Alter Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 106115sp, (Image 27 of 33)

An isolated ground level view of the eastern end of the SP Bridge ending as a trestle in Marysville couldn’t be found, but a view was composed, top, from the backgrounds of two images of the SN Feather River bridge, bottom, from June 1940, left, and Oct. 1940, right.

L301-133-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 220630sn, l, 220631, r, (Image 28 of 33)

The bridge structure was gone, but the piers remained, by early 1942 based on this north view taken of a SN Birney car crossing the SN bridge on Feb. 15, 1942.

L301-134-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 223034sn, (Image 29 of 33)

According to Henry Bender, the SP had proposed to do away with the bridge route as early as 1923, and send a branch off the mainline at Berg, about 3 miles north of Yuba City, that would not require a bridge or routing through Marysville. The Interstate Commerce Commission approved this route in 1944. This aerial view from Dec. 31, 1956 marks the new route with turquoise arrows, and the former berm and bridge support left behind with red arrows.

L301-135-Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, cas-1957_yuba-city-1, (Image 30 of 33)

A north-directed oblique view from Mar. 7, 1958 shows the new SP branch line route from Berg following the levee of the west bank of the Feather River, left panel, the mainline in the distance. The right panel shows freight customers added as a result.

L301-140-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5884-5, (Image 31 of 33)

This update concludes with this northwest view from Feb. 8, 1972 showing the new SP branch line between the 10th St. Bridge, right, and the crossing of Sutter St. at grade, left. For more on the details of the complex history of the SP line to Yuba City, refer to Henry Bender’s “Southern Pacific Lines Standard-Design Depots”, Signature Press, 2013. Thanks to Doug Libby for his comments. Next up, the railway berms into Yuba City.

L301-145-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 17568-1, (Image 32 of 33)

With that introduction, this is where the series of updates to follow will be headed, a northwest view from Feb. 8, 1972.

L301-150-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 17568-2, (Image 33 of 33)