Before Thought for an Afterbay, Part 1 – The Options

This update begins a review of the events prior to the loss of the Sacramento Northern Railway, SN, right-of-way between Maryville and Chico. In the city of Live Oak the SN mainline once crossed that of the Southern Pacific, SP. Starting at the intersection of Ramsdell Dr. and Nevada St. in 2019, a walk north on the latter for 600 ft. or so along the now Union Pacific, UP, tracks comes to a diagonal section of repaired asphalt, a candidate for the SN route, left. But, continuing another 250 ft. leads to a second candidate, right.

L320-05-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 1 of 37)

On the west side of the UP tracks, heading north on N St.-Hampton Rd. reveals only a single repaired section of asphalt, left panel, that leads to a section of railroad track ballast if turning east toward the track, central panel. Turning around and walking south on Hampton Rd. reveals that the repaired asphalt has a different shape than the two on the east side of the tracks. Note how the northern portion relative to the red line has an extra curved section marked here by the yellow arrow. Next the background to account for the present findings.

L320-10-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 2 of 37)

When the Western Pacific, WP, acquired the future North End of the SN in the mid-1920s, at that time the Sacramento Northern Railroad, the previous updates emphasized how the WP and SN routes overlapped at several points south of Marysville, left. Above Marysville, the Feather River separated the two lines, such that the only connection between the two was via the SN Oroville Branch, red arrow. After the flood of Dec. 1937 swept away part of the Feather River crossing, the decision to not repair it, right, left no connections between the two.

L320-15-Poole Bros. Chicago, Moreau Collection, l, Sappers Coll. 106924sn, r, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 3 of 37)

After WWII, there was an economic and population boom in California that heightened the awareness of potential water shortages and flooding. After the Federally-funded Central Valley Project completed Shasta Dam in 1945 to harness the Sacramento River, the focus shifted to the Feather River. The newspaper article shown here most likely identifies the first State-sponsored study to consider a dam in the Oroville area versus other proposed sites to contain the Feather River.

L320-20-Courtesy California State Library, (Image 4 of 37)

The Division of Water Projects’ State Engineer A. D. Edmonston was primarily responsible for the Feather River Project presented in 1951. The budget for the Oroville Dam was published in the press in 1952, the only question being where the money would come from. As this debate lingered, the Christmas Flood of 1955 inundated the Central Valley, four examples shown here are images from the Yuba City-Marysville area from Dec. 24, 1955.

L320-25-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4724-9, 5, 7, and 19, l to r, (Image 5 of 37)

More images from the flood taken Dec. 24, 1955. On the left, a southwest view toward Maryville and Yuba City with the intact SP mainline leaving Binney Junction. On the right, a north view taken northeast of Binney Junction showing the intact WP mainline, center, and the submerged SP Oroville Branch in the right upper quadrant. The flood catalyzed the State to begin the Oroville project as soon as possible with $25M in emergency funding. More about the 1955 flood can be found in the section on Alicia, click here.

L320-30-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4724-16, l, 4274-17, r, (Image 6 of 37)

The dam project began in May 1957 with the relocation of the WP mainline out of the Feather River Canyon to a route around Table Mountain., red box. WP trains did not begin service on the new line until Oct. 22, 1962. Meanwhile two sections of the SN mainline were also to be interrupted, one just below Tres Vias, green box, and Lorraine, blue box. For more details on the $45M WP relocation, see Jeff Asay’s comprehensive account in his book, “The Iron Feather”, or for a condensed description and map from WP Mileposts, click here.

L320-35-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 7 of 37)

Actual dam-reservoir construction proceeding north to south did not begin until 1961, after the enactment of the Burns-Porter Act of 1959, and bonds approved by California voters in 1960 to fund the creation and projects of the State Water Project. The complex was dedicated in 1968. The turquoise arrow marks the actual dam in this 2024 aerial, the tallest in the US. The remainder of this presentation will address the impact on the SN, but this first requires a description of the portion enclosed within the red border. For more State water history, click here.

L320-40-Courtesy Google Maps, (Image 8 of 37)

The Oroville Dam construction as initially presented in 1951 was more than just a dam and a reservoir. The material on this page taken from the California Department of Water Resources’ webpage provides the names and functions of the various parts of the complex. For the discussion on the SN mainline, the focus turns to the what was originally called the Oroville Afterbay, but soon thereafter became known as the Thermalito Afterbay, boxed in orange.

L320-45-Courtesy California Department of Water Resources, (Image 9 of 37)

A north view of the Afterbay from Larkin Rd. from 2019 is shown here.

L320-50-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 10 of 37)

Turning around 180 degrees and facing south reveals the groove occupied previously by the single SN mainline track. No ground images of this spot were found, and assignment of the groove as the right-of-way was determined by reviewing pre-1964 aerial views.

L320-55-Stuartt Swiedler Photo, (Image 11 of 37)

The aligned map and aerial, right and center, indicate the portions of Sacramento Northern mainline that would be lost subsequent to the construction of the Afterbay, detail right. The Tail Channel directing water in and out of the Afterbay would have interrupted the truncated Oroville Branch that served Thermalito until June 29, 1957, green circle in the right panel, no longer a factor. Attr: Left, Map of Butte County, CA. Published by Thomas Bros., 1946. Courtesy Chico Digital G4363 B8 1946 T6, ca_2044. Center and right, Courtesy Google Maps

L320-60-Multiple Attributions, (Image 12 of 37)

Given the WP got their mainline relocated by the State for the dam and reservoir, what was the SN offered for their mainline loss?  As for the 1950s, no exchanges between the State and the SN have been found to shed light on this or if the railway passing over the bay was an issue. However, communications between the SN and WP in the 1958-1959 timeframe indicate that a solution to the loss of right-of-way was gaining trackage rights from the SP. Here, a north view down the Midway just south of Durham of occupied SP tracks, Nov. 20, 1944.

L320-65-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1030-1, (Image 13 of 37)

The choice of the SP would take advantage of crossings or parallel sections of the SN and SP in Butte-Sutter Counties shown here. Attr: Map, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39461; Aerials, from Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library: Durham BUT 3-116, G4363 E8A4 1962 C2, 06/28/1962; Live Oak G4363 S9A4 1964 S8 SUT 1-74, 05/28/1964; from Courtesy of UCSB Library Geospatial Collection: Chico, cas-but_3-62, 06/28/1962; Stirling Jct., cas-but_3-119, 06/28/1962; Binney Jct., cas-1957-Marysville, 05/21/1957; Yuba City, cas-1957_yuba-city-1, 12/31/ 1956

L320-70-Multiple Attributions, (Image 14 of 37)

On January 13, 1959, a photographer went out to document the crossings or parallel routes between the SN and SP north of Maryville. A print of each image with a description were supplied in a SN-WP communication to be reviewed shortly. For the first print shown here, the description at Binney Junction: Taken from a point on the SP-WP transfer on south side of WP main track looking toward tower and showing fill area if proposed connection no. 1 between WP mainline and transfer were constructed. More on connection no. 1 will follow shortly.

L320-75-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64561sn, (Image 15 of 37)

Description at Binney Junction: From a point on levee on north side of WP main looking toward the tower and the SP north of the SP crossing. Showing fill area required if proposed connection no. 2 were constructed. More on connection no. 2 will follow shortly.

L320-80-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64560sn, (Image 16 of 37)

Description at Live Oak: From a point on the SN main line track on Gridley (northeast) side of SP crossing looking toward city (southwest.)  There will be several key individuals involved in the documents that will follow this set of images, and given the availability of space, they will be presented starting here. Rex T. Kearney was the President and General Manager of the SN from 1949-1965. He spent thirty years with the Tidewater Southern before that, rising to President and General Manager from 1946-1949.

L320-85-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64562sn, (Image 17 of 37)

Description at Durham: From a point on the SN main track on south side of crossing 8-177.5 (the Durham-Dayton Highway in 2024) opposite end of warehouse spur looking north toward Chico. There was no crossing or interchange with the SP. The short overgrown spur was operational to Tarke Warehouse Co. for bean storage as of 1957 handing six boxcars.

L320-90-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64563sn, (Image 18 of 37)

Description at Durham: From a point on the SN main track where proposed connection to SP would meet, looking south toward crossing 8-177.5 and SP warehouse. Next, Harry C. Munson was Vice President and General Manger of the WP from 1948-1964 after serving one year as a an assistant vice president. He spent the 25 years previous to the WP with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad rising to assistant general manager (at Chicago) of lines east of the Missouri River.

L320-95-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64564sn, (Image 19 of 37)

Description ay Stirling Junction: From a point on SN mainline south of SP crossing, looking north toward Chico. Showing the row off trees on the west side of the SN, and telephone line on the east side. SN right-of-way is 33 ft. wide at this point. Next, Frank R. Woolford, WP Chief Engineer, 1950-1965 after serving one year as maintenance of way and structures engineer. Previous to his time at the WP, he spent 25 years as an engineer for the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

L320-100-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64559sn, (Image 20 of 37)

Description ay Stirling Junction: From a point on SN mainline south of SP crossing, looking north toward Chico. Finally, there is Charles E. Forseth, Division Engineer, Western Division between 1954-1960. He began with the Western Pacific as a transitman in 1927, and served in several locations as assistant and full division engineer from 1947 until his retirement in 1964.

L320-105-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64565sn, (Image 21 of 37)

The photographer did not include a few places that will be mentioned later in this presentation. First in Yuba City, the SN crossed the SP Knights Landing Branch as it approached Bridge St., seen here from the excursion with SN 1005 on Apr. 14, 1962, northeast view. This crossing had three SP tracks crossing the SN during the SN electric era, for details, click here.

L320-110-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 22 of 37)

Can’t blame the photographer for not taking a ground shot of a proposed SN-East Gridley to SP-Gridley 1.8 mile connector. Here is an aerial view from 1952 of the route, the SN freight warehouses and yard boxed in yellow.

L320-115-aax-1952_6k-207, Courtesy of UCSB Library Geospatial Collection, (Image 23 of 37)

The next site of note was a longstanding SN-SP connection in Chico at the Diamond Match yard, the last remaining interchange between the SN and SP in Chico at that time using the SN’s W. 16th St. spur off Park Ave. UP 2026, a Missouri Pacific Railroad locomotive acquisition from the 1982 merger leads a freight away from the SP mainline toward 16th St. in the 1980s in this west view taken after 7 PM during the summer. A view of the SP mainline access is provided in the aerial view that follows.

L320-120-Tom Messer Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 24 of 37)

A detail from a northeast aerial view of the Diamond Match yard in 1946 shows the SN entry from W. 16th St. in blue, the path through the yard, red arrows, and the access to the SP mainline heading south, yellow arrow. For a detail look at the SN path from Park Ave. to the Diamond Match yard along W. 16th St., click here.

L320-125-Eastman Photo B-4391, Courtesy University of California Davis, Archives and Special Collections, (Image 25 of 37)

Finally, a proposed link between the SN from E. 10th Ave. and the Esplanade in Chico due west to the SP mainline. The left ground shot is a south view from the west side of the Esplanade. Trains coming from the north would have had to cross the Esplanade to access W. 10th Ave., shown by the red broken line. The north-oriented aerial on the right from 1962 shows the entire route from the SN on the Esplanade, right edge, to the SP mainline, left edg

L320-130-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 7196-5, (Image 26 of 37)

Finally to the correspondences between the WP and SN in 1958-1959. WP Chief Engineer Woolford contacted SN President Rex T. Kearney, left, first to let him know that WP Vice President Harry C. Munson, would like a study to scrap the mainline between Chico and Marysville, red underlined. Mr. Woolford then highlights a more conservative plan involving Live Oak and Durham, and that 3 plans are forthcoming. Kearney had more on his mind at the time, center, and the letter on the right suggests the SN will retain its route in Chico.

L320-135-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 27 of 37)

Next the plans Woolford had alluded to, sent by WP Division Engineer C.E. Forseth to Rex Kearney, left. Plan no. 1 goes along with Munson’s interest in a line that would eliminate all of the mainline between Marysville and Durham, retaining the industrial connections to Live Oak and Durham via short sidings, and the connection to East Gridley as discussed earlier. Additions to the current track alignments are shown in red on the right. More about plan no. 1 on the next set of panels.

L320-140-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 28 of 37)

On this continuation of plan no. 1, left, this option describes servicing the warehouse at Durham, direct evidence it was still an operating facility. Otherwise, all other industrial sites would be eliminated unless additional spurs were set up. A map of the proposed East Gridley to Gridley connection is shown on the right. The next two panels show the track arrangement at Yuba City for plan no. 1.

L320-145-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 29 of 37)

A possible track arrangement at Yuba City for plan no. 1 dated Jan. 19, 1959.

L320-150-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 30 of 37)

An alternative track arrangement at Yuba City for plan no. 1 dated Mar. 19, 1959.

L320-155-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 31 of 37)

The detail for plan no. 2 is a very simple one involving short connections at Durham and Live Oak, preserving all the rail customers between Colusa Jct. and Live Oak, and not requiring the loss of any additional trackage other than that needed for the Afterbay (the 3.88 mile section at Lorraine.) This was the favored plan, but if you go back to the first panel of this presentation, the connection shown on the right at Live Oak will actually be inverted to the north from that shown here. Note the lack of interest using existing SN mainline to East Gridley as a spur.

L320-160-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 32 of 37)

Plan 2b described in the upper left pushes the northern connection of the two railroads north of Durham to Chico. Once trains entered the SN mainline along Diamond Match, there would actually be three ways to get to the SN trackage in town. On the lower left, trains could go on the SP Stirling Branch and connect with the SN crossing at the Midway, or could connect with the SN track on the Esplanade via the proposed W. 10th Ave. spur, center, or use the existing W. 16th St. spur to access SN track on Park St., near to the Mulberry yards. See the next panel.

L320-165-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 33 of 37)

This map shows the three possible options for SN trains entering Chico via the SP mainline to return to SN tracks for plan 2b.

L320-170-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 34 of 37)

Plan no. 3, description on left, figure on right, would eliminate the SN right-of-way from Marysville to Durham or Stirling Junction by using one of two connections proposed between the WP and SP right-of ways at Binney Junction, appreciating that the SN had access to the WP trackage there. Images of the areas for the two possible new interchanges was shown in L320-75 and L320-80. For a diagrammatic representation, go to the next figure.

L320-175-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 35 of 37)

This figure shows the two possible ways to provide the SN access via the WP to the SP mainline at Binney Junction.

L320-180-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 36 of 37)

Rex Kearney had already noted his choice for the revision of the SN mainline north of Marysville in this Jan. 9, 1959 letter to Munson. The Afterbay construction would not begin until 1965, but based on Munson’s sentiment and the concurrent abandonment of mainline track between Alicia and East Nicolaus, the timing offered an opportunity to reduce costs by removing as much SN right-of-way as quickly as possible. Next time, the eventual timeline, Durham, Live Oak and the contract between the State and the SN regarding the loss of mainline.

L320-185-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 43094, (Image 37 of 37)