All Roads Lead to Reed Junction

April 2019 in southern Yuba County, a north view of the curving railroad track heading west given many names as to location, and incomplete documentation as to its function. Make no mistake, however, when the Western Pacific Railroad, WP, was considering the options in 1928 as to what to retain of the Sacramento Northern Railroad, SNRR, between Sacramento and Marysville in formation of the final Sacramento Northern Railway, SN, the “Reed spur” was to be retained in every option put forward. If you missed this previously, click here.

L314-05-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 1 of 42)

The original 1.4 mile spur, red arrows, was located in Reclamation District 784, left and center insert, the closest locality in 2024 known as Pearson. Along the eastern border of the Feather River, it is distinct from Alicia, Olivehurst, Arboga or Plumas Lake. The mainline branch point was originally called Reed, then Reed Junction, the branch called the Reed Branch, the Reed-Pearson Branch, or the Pearson Branch. Heading north, there is a grade crossing at Ella Ave., a south view back to the starting point, top, and the route to the north, bottom, in 2019, and plenty of water out of harms way.

L314-10-Courtesy Reclamation District 784 and Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 2 of 42)

From Reed Junction, continuing north along the Feather River Blvd., the route passed Alicia, the station area in 2024 occupied by Homewood Truss. Two views of the mainline, north view north of the station area, top left, south view north of the station area, top right, and two views of the siding, north view north of the station area, bottom left, south view north of the station area, bottom right. All images from 2019.

L314-15-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 3 of 42)

Continuing north, top, the straight track ends before crossing of the Feather River Blvd., all that remains is an overgrown berm or levee for the original SN mainline. The track of the branch, white arrow, curved away from the road as seen in this south view. Both images from 2019. There is no written history of the branch accounting for the details surrounding its existence, and no images published prior to 1960. What follows is an attempt to fill in some of these gaping holes of knowledge and identification with plenty of additional work to be done.

L314-20-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 4 of 42)

The Northern Electric, NE, Railway Co. Employee Timetable no. 30 from Aug. 23, 1914 and the ones before it make no mention of Reed or Pearson. The map on the back of no. 30 does show a stop, Howard, between Arboga and Alicia, the timetable revealing it to be at mile 53.79 with a spur track capable of holding three freight cars. After 1914, Howard continued to be shown as a stop on maps, but not on timetables. It apparently lost its freight status, but not as a flag stop to receive or discharge passengers through the end of the passenger era in 1940.

L314-25-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13552, (Image 5 of 42)

The next timetable, no. 31 from Jan. 13, 1915 shown here, indicates Reed to be about two-thirds of a mile north of Arboga with a spur capable of holding three freight cars. Reed does not appear on the map at the end of the document.

L314-30-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13553, (Image 6 of 42)

Now organized as the SNRR, Employee Timetable no. 35 from Oct. 7, 1917 shows Reed being located 0.14 miles further south and now having a spur with a capacity of 20 freight cars. Reed does not appear on the map at the end of the document.

L314-35-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13484, (Image 7 of 42)

Nothing changed until Sept. 20, 1925, where Employee Timetable no. 8 now lists Reed Junction further north than ever, with a freight car capacity now of 30 cars not qualified as a spur, and …

L314-40-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13454, (Image 8 of 42)

… Reed now appears on the map positioned between Arboga and Howard.

L314-45-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13454, (Image 9 of 42)

The next consecutive timetable, no. 9 from Mar. 3, 1929, now shows a capacity for 50 freight cars not qualified as a spur.

L314-50-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13460, (Image 10 of 42)

The map from timetable no. 9 now shows a mainline stop as Reed Jct., with Pearson and Reed shown as a separate stops on a branch or long spur. For the rest of this presentation, this track will be referred to as the original branch or original branch line, Reed Junction will be the name applied to where the original branch came off the SN mainline, and Reed will be used to designate the end of the original branch. Pearson will be used primarily to designate the easternmost stop on the original branch line.

L314-55-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13460, (Image 11 of 42)

The timetable no. 10 from Dec. 28, 1930 was unchanged with a 50 freight car capacity, but the last page has a listing of spurs and commercial tracks and lists 38 freight cars for Pearson, and 26 for Reed, for a total of 64, not 50. The latter breakdown for 64 cars continued through timetable no. 30 dated Apr. 23, 1939.

L314-60-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13462, (Image 12 of 42)

Ahead one year to Employee Timetable no. 13 dated Nov. 8, 1931, Reed Junction is now denoted with spurs of 8 and 66 freight car capacities. No listing of distribution of those capacities was provided in this document.

L314-65-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13466, (Image 13 of 42)

This document from Aug. 19, 1938 shows the track alignment at the end of the original branch at Reed for Earl Fruit Co., that company actually purchased by DiGiorgio in 1911. Identifying an image of Reed Junction during the Electric Era turned out to do be a two-step process, since no images were identified from that period. However, as Arboga to the south or Howard to the north were within a mile and were identifiable, the task was to magnify the background of images from these places to visualize Reed Junction. A view from Arboga follows.

L314-70-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39425, (Image 14 of 42)

The left panel shows the image Dudley Thickens took from the rear of a train viewed to the north on Apr. 21, 1940, missing by a few feet the name on the south-facing side of the warehouse seen to verify the station name. More on this at a later time. Scanning the image to its maximum resolution, right, shows the overhead wire at the junction, green arrow, and the branch, red arrows. The same holds true if you repeat the exercise with a south view from Howard, to be shown at a later time for a different purpose.

L314-75-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 60142sn, (Image 15 of 42)

Given what was shown in the previous images, Howard T. Wolfe took two images at Reed Junction from a moving passenger train that he noted were developed on Nov. 21, 1941. It is possible that they were taken during the Farewell Excursion of May 25, 1941, but the date was not recorded.

L314-80-Howard T. Wolfe Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 226335sn, (Image 16 of 42)

This is a maximally magnified image of the previous one at Reed Junction. The purpose of this image is to provide north views of the actual take-off point of the spur, and point out the small Howard stop shelter in the distance to the left or west of the track. The position of that shelter corresponds just north of the Ella Ave. grade crossing in 2024.

L314-85-Howard T. Wolfe Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 226335sn Detail, (Image 17 of 42)

Wolfe’s second image viewed to the southwest shows that the beginning of the original branch was double-tracked. A pile of, possibly, railroad ties sits beside it. This capacity of this section may account, in part, for the shifting numbers presented in the timetables shown as to the capacity of freight cars for the entire branch. This image clearly shows no third rail on the branch, exactly what was shown in a previous update for the Swanston Branch.

L314-90-Howard T. Wolfe Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 226336sn, (Image 18 of 42)

Nothing changed in the timetables relative to the original branch line through no. 22, dated Nov. 2, 1941. Timetable no. 23 did not appear until Apr. 20 1947, left, and here the main stop is now called Pearson, and freight capacity has decreased to 8 plus 44. This was maintained through timetable no. 25, right, dated Sept. 27, 1953. Then the flood of Dec. 1955 took out the “Alicia” Trestle and everything came to a stop between Marysville and points south, although the SN could still reach Reed Junction and Alicia from the south.

L314-95-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13481, l, 99421, r, (Image 19 of 42)

Next, two aerials from Mar. 7, 1958. The left aerial points to the east, the right one to the north. The turquoise circle is along the former SN right-of-way, the red circle by the Southern Pacific, SP, right-of-way, for aligning the images. The blue arrows mark Feather River Blvd., the black arrow points to the southernmost takeoff of the flood-damaged “Alicia” trestle from the levee, the green arrow the WP trestle over the Yuba River flood plain, and the yellow arrow Highway 70. The lumber yard at Alicia is seen at the center, bottom edge, right. Details follow.

L314-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5887-1, l, 5887-2, r, (Image 20 of 42)

First, a detail from the east view aerial from Mar. 7, 1958. As a result of the flood damage from Dec. 1955, the WP elected not to repair the damaged “Alicia” trestle, and was most likely dissuaded from rebuilding anything near the flood plain. It was decided  to access Alicia from Marysville via a new Reed-Pearson branch line from WP mainline milepost 175.63 near Cleveland. The SN abandoned Oliver to Alicia on July 30, 1956 when the new branch was in operation. This detail confirms that all the track north of Alicia was removed.

L314-105-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5887-1, Detail, (Image 21 of 42)

A detail from the east view aerial from Mar. 7, 1958 shows that where the new branch line from a half mile south of WP Cleveland met the former SN track bed just south of the former SN Feather River Blvd. grade crossing just north of the SN Alicia freight operation. The new branch from that takeoff point to the end of the original branch totaled about 5.25 miles. A similar aerial from this time period of Reed Junction could not be found.

L314-110-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5887-2, Detail, (Image 22 of 42)

This east view aerial from June 11, 1969 shows how the approach from the WP mainline to the former SN track bed was constrained by the airport and other industrial buildings, but at least placed at a less likely place to flood. A detail follows.

L314-115-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15621-32, (Image 23 of 42)

This detail from the east view aerial from June 11, 1969  shows the path of the new branch line, red arrows, the green arrow where it left the WP mainline. With all those curves, the new branch resembled a race car speedway track more than one used for a railroad.

L314-120-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15621-32, Detail, (Image 24 of 42)

Comparing the initial image in this presentation from 2019 with Howard Wolfe’s ground images of the original branch, the new branch line did not use the original NE entry from the south at Reed Junction. This is illustrated here with the old line coming off the mainline using a USGS map from 1952, above, versus the new branch entry from 1962, below. The number of buildings increased during this interval, noting two lumber concerns on either side of Feather River Blvd. Read on for more …

L314-125-Courtesy Robert P. Townley, top, and cas-yub_1-56, Courtesy of UCSB Library Geospatial Collection, bottom, (Image 25 of 42)

The WP Circular no. 167-E ca. 1957 provides additional information as to the customers being served at Pearson and Reed. Here, the fruit concern is correct by noting it as DiGiorgio. This document gives no indication if the double-track by the mainline was still in use, but the number of total cars here, 24, falls way short of the 48 indicated in the 1953 timetable.

L314-130-Courtesy Bruce Eldridge, (Image 26 of 42)

Timetable no. 26 appeared the same as no. 25, and did not indicate any changes due to the flood. Timetable no. 27 from January 8, 1961 now switches to identifying the new branch line. What it does not show, however, is how SN trains got to WP milepost 175.63. More on that next time. In addition, the use of Pearson in this timetable is meant to replace Reed Junction as it was used previously based on the mileage to Alicia.

L314-135-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13488, (Image 27 of 42)

One more track diagram at Reed from Jan. 28, 1963, here correctly noting DiGiorgio.

L314-140-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79434, (Image 28 of 42)

Next to review the new branch line inserted in 1956 to address several parts of its history. The images shown here are from 2019 where the branch line begins off the mainline, now Union Pacific, viewed across Arboga Rd. to the northeast on the left, and from the same spot viewed to the southwest, right. Images comparable to these when the branch was first created could not be found.

L314-145-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 29 of 42)

The first stop was at Alicia, shown earlier in the presentation as the 2024 site of Homewood Truss. The name of the company that resided here in this northwest view with SN 143 on the siding and caboose on the mainline ca. 1963 was not unearthed. The WP Circular no. 167-E ca. 1957 does not list Alicia on its list of freight customers, although several published photos by Dick Dorn taken between 1973-1983 indicate it was Challenge Lumber and Molding.

L314-150-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 168431sn, (Image 30 of 42)

No luck finding any images at the curve toward Pearson in the early days of the new branch line, the east view toward the curve at the left from 2019. The same was true for west views   showing Pearson in the distance, the right image from 2019 showing Yuba River Molding and Millwork.

L314-155-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 31 of 42)

Based on the aerial in image L134-125 from 1962, this is a southwest view of the lumber facility west of Feather River Blvd. from 1964 showing SN 143 switching out the facility.

L314-160-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 32 of 42)

Another southwest view of SN 143 and freight, now on the mainline. Further to the west was Reed, where DiGiorgio Fruit Co. had a cold storage facility. In 1978, Naumes Inc. acquired the facility and operated it until 2022. In 2024, Lassen Canyon Nursery and Feather River Cold Storage have operations there.

L314-165-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 33 of 42)

Another southwest view of SN 143 and freight, now on the mainline. Further to the west was Reed, where DiGiorgio Fruit Co. had a cold storage facility. In 1978, Naumes Inc. acquired the facility and operated it until 2022. In 2024, Lassen Canyon Nursery and Feather River Cold Storage have operations there.

L314-170-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 34 of 42)

An east view from Feather River Blvd. in 2019 toward Yuba River Moulding and Mill Work, Inc., left, and a west view toward Reed, right.

L314-175-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 35 of 42)

Based on the information obtained so far, some guesswork, and some unknowns, the following four panels record the companies that occupied Pearson and Reed since 1941. More research needed, but better to get a starting point established. Byron and Superior Lumber were the two companies here in 1957, but the names in 1941 or 1949 are not known nor is the position of each.

L314-180-c-7490_465, top, C_14030, Frame 11-110, bottom, Courtesy of UCSB Library Geospatial Collection, (Image 36 of 42)

The big change in the 1960s is the lumber concern to the east of Feather River Blvd. is gone and the land is vacant as described by Tom Williams, Jr.

L314-185-cas-yub_1-56, top, cas-2579_1-30, Courtesy of UCSB Library Geospatial Collection, (Image 37 of 42)

As told by Tom Williams, Jr., Yuba River started on vacant land in 1977. Based on their website, Naumes took over DiGiorgio in 1978. New England Orchards’ pear shed was mentioned instead at Reed at least from 1973-1975, ending operations that year with trains no longer traveling to the end of the line, in “72-82: Western Pacific’s Final Decade Ted Benson, Dick Dorn, Dale Sanders, and Dave Stanley.” How this entity relates to DiGiorgio could not be determined.

L314-190-cas-3311_30, top, gs-vfll-c_4-138, bottom, Courtesy of UCSB Library Geospatial Collection, (Image 38 of 42)

Naumes sold their facilities in 2022. The only major structure left from 1941 in 1996 was the main DiGiorgio operation, red square. Whether this was upgraded or replaced later as seen in 2024 will require more research.

L314-195-wac-96ca_12-267, Top, Courtesy of UCSB Library Geospatial Collection, and Google Maps, bottom, (Image 39 of 42)

The railroad crossing sign on Feather River Blvd. seen in this north view from 2019 is of interest considering the crossing had not seen rail traffic for over three decades. Jeff Asay notes in the “Iron Feather” that the UP abandoned milepost 133.29 at Alicia to Reed on Apr. 5, 2007. The UP’s last customer was at Alicia, KBI Norcal according to Tom Williams, Jr.

L314-200-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 40 of 42)

To summarize the consequences of the WP construction the new branch line, an aerial view from 1941 of south Yuba from Alicia to the southern end of the trestle is on the left, and an enlargement on the right of the area boxed in red on the left. The boxed area appears to be South Yuba based on distances in the timetables. There are no mentions of it being a team track or having any customers in the WP Circular no. 167-E ca. 1957, but there is a line of box cars in the image and multiple parallel tracks. The black arrow points to a warehouse of unknown association. More research needed here.

L314-205-7490_465, Courtesy of UCSB Library Geospatial Collection, (Image 41 of 42)

The SN lost the South Yuba site in exchange for a more dependable, cheaper to maintain, however longer and more tortuous route from Marysville to Alicia. However, as seen in this south view at Reed Junction in 2019, what it did lose, to be explored next time, is a continuous track south of this point to Sacramento, igniting the abandonment cycle to follow. Appreciation to Tom Williams, Jr., for his input on the history of the area, to John Harder for supplying images, and Patrick Meagher, General Manager, Reclamation District 784 for use of the reclamation map.

L314-210-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 42 of 42)