American River to Globe, One Bridge, One Trestle

This update begins the review of the loss of Sacramento Northern Railway, SN, mainline track north of Sacramento excluding Marysville-Yuba City and Chico, essentially everything ‘in between’. Take your bike to C St. between 19th and 20th Sts. in Sacramento to the SN Bikeway, north view in 2017. The trail extends to the north reaches of Sacramento County, a paved portion for 10.2 miles to the former SN stop at Elverta Rd., and an unpaved 0.5 segment to Elwyn Ave., just north of Rio Linda Blvd.

L312-05-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 1 of 44)

Right off the bat, it is immediately apparent that the paved path is not following the right-of-way of the SN. The path is right alongside the Union Pacific right-of-way, track that will be identified in this update as Western Pacific, WP, its original owner. This north view is just south of the overhead rail interchange built in the early 1960s to provide access for the SN to the WP via Southern Pacific, SP, track after the M St. Bridge was closed to rail traffic in 1962. From here  the WP bridge over the American River can be seen as the path turns left.

L312-10-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 2 of 44)

This aerial south view from 1949 from the previous update shows the WP, left or east, and SN, right or west, right-of-ways through Haggin Yard. Note the paths of both tracks are straight, and the two lines are well separated.

L312-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1498-3, (Image 3 of 44)

The two vertical aerial views from 1937 versus 2023 show that the bike path starts east of the original SN right-of-way. The turquoise arrow on the left is the SN right-of-way, the portion in yellow coincides with the portion used by the bike path, seen on the right in yellow. Ref: US Dept. of Agriculture Photo ABC-110-90, 10/6/1937, G4363.S2A4 1937 U6

L312-20-Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, l, Courtesy Google Maps, r, (Image 4 of 44)

Finally approaching the former SN bridge over the American River, left, and after crossing the river, the northeast-directed route continues on the bona fide SN right-of-way for a short distance, center, until it makes an abrupt right turn, right, to nowhere in particular.

L312-25-Stuart Swiedler Photo, r, Courtesy Google Maps, c and, (Image 5 of 44)

This north-oriented bike map shows the circuitous route of the SN Bikeway. The right turn seen in the previous image is marked by the orange arrow. The actual path of the SN is no longer present north of this point for a reason that will be obvious shortly. The former rail path is not obvious until the spot where Railroad Dr. curves to the northeast, yellow arrow. The next set of images to be shown are located where the bike path crosses Del Paso Blvd., turquoise arrow.

L312-30-Courtesy Google Maps, (Image 6 of 44)

On reaching Del Paso Blvd. on the bike path, a look to the northeast, left, shows the levee and the WP overpass, red arrow, behind it. Continuing on the bike path quickly joins the levee, the image on the right looking back to the south to that entry ramp. It is on the ramp where the bike path crosses the former SN right-of-way, broken yellow line, as the bike route meets the levee. The left end of the broken yellow line corresponds to where Railroad Dr. takes a right turn to the east. The WP right-of-way is again marked by the red arrows.

L312-35-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 7 of 44)

The yellow arrow in the 1937 aerial, left, marks the SN right-of-way, to this point a straight line from the bridge. Same is true for the WP right-of-way, red arrow. Northeast of these points, the SN path will start to turn right or east to cross the WP, green arrow. The aerial from 2023 shows where the SN right-of-way can be detected, noting the path begins to turn to the right or east on Railroad Dr. as indicated by the broken yellow line. Ref: US Dept. of Agriculture Photo ABC-110-90, 10/6/1937, G4363.S2A4 1937 U6

L312-40-Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, l, Courtesy Google Maps, r, (Image 8 of 44)

Now atop the levee, the bike path makes a wide right as the path heads north, left. On the right, the crossing of the WP right-of-way can be seen ahead, marked by the flashing crossbucks.

L312-45-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 9 of 44)

Next to address why the bike path follows the SN right-of-way for only a short distance north of the river. The aerial from 1957 with two areas enlarged boxed in orange and blue show that the remains of the SN right-of-way is primarily a continuous set of white structures. The yellow arrow in the center marks the furthest point northeast where the bike path coincided with the SN right-of-way coming off the river bridge. That spot has special significance, to be shown shortly. Ref: US Dept. of Agriculture Photo ABC-687-193, 9/9/1957, G4363.S2A4 1958 U6

L312-50-Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, (Image 10 of 44)

Now to review the entire section from the SN American River Bridge to Globe. The bridge was built by the Northern Electric, NE, in 1907 after at least one false start based on photographic evidence, and a section of the bridge collapsed in 1913 according to Demoro’s “Sacramento Northern”, p. 57. Note the truss bridge has five spans. North view from Sacramento, ca. 1910.

L312-55-Northern Electric Photo, Swett-Hanson Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 225581sn, (Image 11 of 44)

The south view of the bridge from the North Sacramento side from Apr. 28, 1940 with SN 1007 and SN 1025 shows the spans have been reduced in number to three. The one on the north side has been replaced with a wooden trestle, the south side has been mostly filled in, although a small low guard rail is present. The reason for these changes has not been uncovered or linked to the 1913 bridge collapse.

L312-60-Wilbur C. Whittaker Photo, Vielbaum Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 132804sn, (Image 12 of 44)

For completeness, the same south view from Apr. 19, 1940 with train no. 2, SN 1011, SN 1021, and SN 1019, shows the most northern support, now bearing the weight of the trestle.

L312-65-Ted Wurm Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 33067sn, (Image 13 of 44)

Next, two low oblique, east views coinciding with the opening of the The North Sacramento Freeway on Oct. 6, 1947, part of the upgrade of California State Route 160 and Del Paso Blvd. The SN bridge is in the foreground, the WP bridge in the background. For the SN, note the initial berm from the bridge, still in use for the bike path, and then the long trestle continuing over Del Paso Blvd. After crossing the levee, there appears to be a second berm, upper left corner. The white concrete structures seen in L312-50 are seen here supporting the trestle.

L312-70-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1275-13, (Image 14 of 44)

A closer second east view from Oct. 1947 shows the transition point of each railroads’ trestle and each Del Paso Blvd. crossing.

L312-75-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1275-17, (Image 15 of 44)

The SN trestle over the American River flood plain was an original structure of the NE. It was built ca. 1907 one decade before completion of the Sacramento Weir, and half a century before Folsom Reservoir. Even after the weir was constructed, the area did flood.

L312-80-Northern Electric Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 225583sn, (Image 16 of 44)

A picture is worth a thousand words. Dec. 19, 1937, northeast view at the Del Paso Blvd. overpass, the directionality of the view based on the tree pattern matching aerial views.

L312-85-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 197627sn, (Image 17 of 44)

Two additional low oblique aerials from Apr. 21, 1949, complementary to the last set from 1947, the left image facing more to the southwest, the one on the right view more to the west. Details follow …

L312-90-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1498-3, l, 1498, r, (Image 18 of 44)

The southwest low oblique aerial from Apr. 21, 1949 provides the opposite view of the 1947 views.

L312-95-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1498-3, (Image 19 of 44)

The more west directed low oblique aerial from Apr. 21, 1949 shows the levee seen earlier running across the lower part of the image, left to right. The WP track is occupied by a long steam-led freight heading to Haggin Yard in Sacramento. This image documents that once the WP trestle met the levee, the trestle ends and the tracks to the north returned to being supported by an elevated berm. Recall L312-70 documents the same situation for the SN.

L312-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1498, (Image 20 of 44)

Having completed the first set of aerial views, next to examine a few ground shots. Charley Savage had to be standing on the levee as SN 1008 and three trailers approached in this southwest view from Apr. 28, 1940.

L312-105-Charles Savage Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 9944sn, (Image 21 of 44)

This undated northeast view south of Del Paso Blvd. shows the overpass of that road, and a white base where the track crossed the levee. The vehicle seen in the distance suggests the image was taken prior to the freeway construction in 1947.  More importantly, note that this image shows a trestle north of the levee making the turn to Globe. Recall the aerial in L312-70 shows this area as a berm, and in that image, the berm appears to have less vegetation. The apparent discrepancy will be resolved shortly. For now, back to 1940.

L312-110-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 108334sn, (Image 22 of 44)

Will Whittaker chose to take this image from the levee looking northeast toward Globe on Apr. 28, 1940 showing the trestle past the curve. Note the levee on the left or west of the track, and the electric transmission tower. The curve seen in the distance is the first curve north of D St. in Sacramento. Excluding Marysville and Yuba City up to Colusa Jct., the SN would have 20 more turns before reaching Chico, including one reverse curve at Durham that is being counted as one. This information is important as images with curves are encountered in future.

L312-115-Wilbur C. Whittaker Photo, Vielbaum Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 132846sn, (Image 23 of 44)

When SN 129 and 226 had mechanical trouble at Globe just short of the WP crossing on Oct. 6, 1940, many of the passengers left the train for photo opportunities. Appreciate that passenger service would cease on Oct. 31. This particular shot out of many was chosen because it shows the north end of the trestle and all the surrounding electrical towers.

L312-120-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68462sn, (Image 24 of 44)

One more electric train did follow this route after Oct. 1940, the Cal-Nevada Excursion Train conducting the last extensive electric tour of the SN North End on May 25, 1941, with SN 1009, SN 1010, SN 1024, SN 1005, SN 1025, SN 1012, and SN  Bidwell, seen here in a south view. For those not knowing the area, the image is a teaser as it shows the end of the third rail and undisclosed rail coming in from the lower left corner.

L312-125-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 136918sn, (Image 25 of 44)

The end of the third rail, and the second set of rails in the last image, signified the SN-WP crossing at Globe. This dramatic north view displays SN two-car passenger train SN 226 and SN 129 waiting for a WP freight to pass in 1940. More on Globe soon, but first the resolution of the SN trestle mystery north of Del Paso Blvd.

L312-130-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 136938sn, (Image 26 of 44)

This northeast aerial view from Oct. 1947 to document the new Sacramento Freeway also provides the proof that the SN trestle north of the levee was converted to a berm. The documentation outlining whether the SN buried the former trestle or removed it was not found, but it appears that it was probably buried based on evidence to be shown soon. Based on what has been shown so far, the berm was created between this date and sometime after Oct. 1940. The next image is an annotated version.

L312-135-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1275-18, (Image 27 of 44)

Presented here is the annotated version of the previous northeast aerial view from Oct. 1947.

L312-136-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1275-18, (Image 28 of 44)

Two more very useful southwest directed aerials from Apr. 15, 1949 are displayed here from which details will be used for the remainder of this presentation.

L312-137-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1491-1, l, 1491-3, r, (Image 29 of 44)

Taking from the aerial shown on the right in the previous image, a panoramic view in two parts is shown of the SN trestle starting from the southern end, top image, left edge, to beyond Globe, bottom image, right edge. The red arrows show the position of the levee, and allow orienting the two images to one another. As expected, it can be seen that the trestle has been replaced or filled in by a berm.

L312-138-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1491-3, (Image 30 of 44)

Entries for Globe Iron Works range from San Francisco in the 1870s, then to Stockton, until it moved to what became Globe in 1911. One image is labelled noting it was the manufacturer of Jenny airplanes, becoming Liberty Iron Works in 1917. This business is not to be confused with Globe Rice Mills in Woodland, or the Globe Mills Co. in San Francisco that acquired the mill in Sacramento that bore its name from 1919. This view, based on the two trestles, appears to be in the area the SN and WP called Globe. Two links, first and second.

L312-140-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 225584sn, (Image 31 of 44)

The crossing at Globe is shown from the SN right-of-way in a north view from May 1, 1944, two weeks before the third rail would be inactivated between here and Arboga for 32.4 miles. Just ahead is the switch for the Swanston Branch, a line that used overhead wire. There was never a tower here to monitor the crossing, but activity was controlled by interlocking block signals. The small piece of third rail on the west or left side would remain into the 1950s. Note the type of poles along the east side of the mainline, important later for identification of track.

L312-145-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 136937sn, (Image 32 of 44)

Richard and Jim Homes took this very important image at the crossing in Aug. 1950. It shows that the small piece of third rail and the overhead wire for the Swanston Branch were still intact. Harry Demoro in “Sacramento Northern” dates the de-electrification of Haggin to Globe plus the Swanston Branch to Sept. 1953. Conversion to diesels for SN switching activities in Sacramento followed suit on Nov. 28, 1953, one day after the SN petitioned for reorganization.

L312-150-Richard and Jim Holmes Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 138465sn, (Image 33 of 44)

The latest image found of a train heading over the SN American River Bridge is shown here, Budd RDC 375 as part of the Cal-Neva excursion to Colusa, Oct. 31, 1953.  Jeff Assay provides the pertinent information in “The Iron Feather” stating that the WP sold the bridge to the City of North Sacramento for a pipeline crossing that year. SN trains began using the WP bridge on Mar. 25, 1954. The SN route from Haggin Yard to Globe would be dismantled as shown shortly.

L312-155-Dudley Westler Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 129072sn, (Image 34 of 44)

This undated map, flipped on its side to maximize space, provides the track changes made related to the SN track abandonment from Haggin Yard to Globe, and the new passage onto the WP bridge, as well as repositioning of the SN mainline and SN Swanston Branch relative to the WP mainline.

L312-160-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 77572, (Image 35 of 44)

These side-by-side aerials from 1937 versus 1957 of Haggin Yard oriented to the north show the new connection made in the yard to direct SN trains to the WP mainline. Ref: Left, US Dept. of Agriculture Photo ABC-110-90, 10/6/1937, G4363.S2A4 1937 U6. Right, US Dept. of Agriculture Photo ABC-687-193, 9/9/1957, G4363.S2A4 1958 U6

L312-165-Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, (Image 36 of 44)

The next set of images use the last remaining aerial to document the loss of the SN right—of-way between the river and Globe. The red arrow points to the SN, the blue to the WP, here shown in a west view on Mar. 15, 1949.

L312-170-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1491-1, (Image 37 of 44)

Ahead to May 12, 1955, and the SN trestle south of the freeway has vanished in this west view.

L312-175-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4370-5, (Image 38 of 44)

Again, May 12, 1955, and the SN berm north of the levee is devoid of track in this west view. The last observation is seen better in the next detailed view.

L312-180-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4370-5, (Image 39 of 44)

A closer look at the area in the last image from May 12, 1955, and the SN track north of the levee has vanished, but there is still evidence of the berm that replaced the trestle in the 1940s. This view of Globe is the only low oblique view of the new alignment of the SN-WP track  to be had, this topic to be discussed shortly.

L312-185-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4370-5, (Image 40 of 44)

One more view, this time to the east on Jan. 8, 1955, showing the supports that remained after removal of the SN trestle south of the levee in the bottom left corner.

L312-190-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4284-1, (Image 41 of 44)

The new alignment at Globe placed the SN mainline originating off the WP mainline, and as previously, the Swanston Branch off the SN mainline thereafter as shown from 1957, right, versus the complete separation of SN and WP in 1937, left. The new alignment would permit the removal of the SN mainline in the future without impacting the connection of the Swanston Branch to the WP mainline. Ref: Left, US Dept. of Agriculture Photo ABC-110-90, 10/6/1937, G4363.S2A4 1937 U6. Right, US Dept. of Agriculture Photo ABC-687-193, 9/9/1957, G4363.S2A4 1958 U6

L312-195-Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, (Image 42 of 44)

Back on the SN Bikeway in 2017, the UP crossing shown here at Globe on the left pales to what has been reviewed in this update during the SN-WP era. The separation of the Swanston Branch from the new origin of the SN mainline, right, also leaves a lot to be desired, but at least its presence beckons for more history to be told to the uninitiated as the bike continues to the north.

L312-200-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 43 of 44)

Now to begin the process of converting the map on the left to the one on the right. A yellow mark has been added to show the loss of the track between Haggin Yard and Globe. The next update in this series, “Season’s Greeting from Alicia” will reveal the unanticipated events leading to next loss of SN mainline track.

L312-205-Wayne Hom Drawing, Courtesy John Harder, l, and Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, r, (Image 44 of 44)