Freights to Hardscrabble

With the urgency of Cinderella, Western Pacific 707 leads the Chico Local through switching duties as the sun sets at Chico Municipal Airport in Aug. 1983. Wayne Monger, having written about the Local in the Sept. 1981 issue no. 75 of CTC Board, takes advantage of his residence on the Esplanade to document the scene, knowing the Local must be off the streets of downtown between 7AM and 7PM. Next to make the connection with events nearly half-century earlier.

L236-02- Wayne Monger Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger , (Image 1 of 34)

The Golden Spike ceremony for the Sandy Gulch to Hardscrabble SN extension set for Jan. 24th was announced in the Jan. 22, 1942 Sandy Gulch News. Although delayed due to bad weather into February, this acknowledged the construction of this trestle over Lindo Channel, or more familiarly known, Sandy Gulch, a route for pedestrians and bikers in 2020 from the Esplanade to the airport. North view, 2017.

L236-05-Stuart Swiedler Photo, jpg, (Image 2 of 34)

Although the trestle was completed in 1942, and supported an active railroad until 1985, it did not transport passengers, save for a few excursionists in the 1940s. It was built for the U.S. Army for freight trains only. The same trestle is seen in Bob Townley's northeast view from Nov. 9, 1947, with water in the channel from winter rains, and SN Birney 60 on excursion a month away from streetcar abandonment.

L236-10-Robert P. Townley Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 143367sn, (Image 3 of 34)

Chico Municipal Airport received its first flight in 1935, but it wasn’t until 1941 that an opportunity for growth occurred when the Army’s West Coast Training Command needed a place to train its pilots. As one condition, railway access was necessary, eventually leading to the extension of the SN. The history is summarized here, except that the city of Chico owned and leased the airport land, and had to acquire the right-of-way as part of the deal.

L236-15-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39722, (Image 4 of 34)

The SN had no interest in passenger service for the extension, and the SP did not make a serious counter bid for the line. Chico already had a deal with the War Dept. on Aug. 26, 1941 as noted by Kent Stephens, so by October, the SN was the only option. This may explain the letter on the far right from SN Chief Engineer W.T. Richards to SN President Harry Mitchell revealing Chico’s unqualified blessing for the venture.

L236-20-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39722, (Image 5 of 34)

The previous letter conflicts with Chico’s uneasiness with downtown freight traffic, described in the previous update relative to the relief of 5th St. store owners of the shift of freight traffic to 9th St. This letter from 1919 amplifies the wish of city businesses to push freight traffic out to evenings only, foreshadowing an eventuality adopted in the 1960s.

L236-25-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39682, (Image 6 of 34)

These two letters from January 1942 indicate that the Army Corps of Engineers, ACE, thought they were getting overhead trolley wire for the agreed upon 59k dollars, but Harry Mitchell states unequivocally for the price agreed to it would be exposed third rail, some extra barbed wire on a fence, and a system in place to inactivate the rail when the tracks were clear of traffic.

L236-30-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39722, (Image 7 of 34)

Indeed, the SN quickly engaged the Railroad Commission to bless the selection of the unprotected third rail, middle letter. The letter on the far left first reveals the need during construction to allow freights longer than three freight cars through downtown Chico, a request that would be granted for one year. It also suggests the city had not yet acquired the land for the right-of-way, although Kent Stephens dates the purchase to June 1941. The final letter, right, reveals more negotiating on the longer freights.

L236-35-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39722, (Image 8 of 34)

The SN completed the route from 11th Ave. to the southeast corner of the airport, the highlight being a SN 420-led train returning 29 cars to Mulberry on Mar. 26, 1942. The track within the airfield was completed by a private contractor, A.D. Shader, and by April 15th the permanent staff was ready to receive cadets. The finished product at the end-of-wire is confirmed in this north view of Birney 60 from the first excursion trip over Sandy Gulch, Aug. 16, 1942.

L236-40- Louis Bradas, Jr. Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 69147sn, (Image 9 of 34)

No bona fide image of an electric freight on the third rail section has been identified. This pictured candidate received notice since Fred Fellow also took an image of SN 420 with its WWII headlight shield on 9th St. in Chico. The shield, the three box car limit, and the fence configuration favor the location, but the third rail protective covering does not. By this date, the northern-most third rail protective covering ended at Durham Station, so this image is from south of there or some covering was added to the airport line.

L236-45-Fred Fellow Photo, Townley Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 143704sn, (Image 10 of 34)

For the Sandy Gulch trestle, there is this single undated south view taken from the Esplanade. The background details of this unique image will be reviewed later. Lacking a headlight shield and above a dry channel, this photo had to be taken after mid-1945, and not much later as will be revealed next.

L236-50-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162094sn, (Image 11 of 34)

Art Lloyd took this southeast view at the Esplanade and E. Memorial Way on June 27, 1945, the same train components and motorman seen in the previous image. Note the absence of headlight shields. For context, the airfield would close on Dec. 31, 1945, being handed back to the ACE. Information on the actual traffic on the line between 1942-1945 awaits further exploration.

L236-55-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 114629sn, (Image 12 of 34)

These documents emphasize that the ACE informed the SN to do no more maintenance past mid-1946. The War Assets Administration took over in Oct. 1946 to decide the fate of the buildings. Recall Chico owned all the land. The mystery that remains is the accounting of the number of supply trains that used the route during the airfield operation.

L236-60-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39722sn, (Image 13 of 34)

This north view from the day before cessation of streetcar operation, Dec. 14, 1947, shows Birney 62 readied for the last excursion run. The right-of-way beyond the overhead wire appears unkempt. This may have been the last electric rail car at the trestle, but more research is needed to confirm this.

L236-65-Walt Veilbaum Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 133567sn, (Image 14 of 34)

The government’s lease with Chico on the 1,000 plus acres was terminated on June 8, 1948, and all of the structures and improvements were transferred to the city by a deed dated January 28, 1949. While this transfer transpired, these two letters from SN V.P. and General Manager W.H. Evans indicate negotiations with Chico for an airport freight franchise were well underway.

L236-70-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39514sn, (Image 15 of 34)

By Apr. 1948, the Chico spur was again open for business. Note the lack of any mention of freight car limits or time of operation restrictions. For Chico, this meant accepting the continuation of more freight traffic through downtown and along the Esplanade.

L236-75-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39514sn, (Image 16 of 34)

By circa 1957, the SN had established significant freight traffic in the Chico area. This growth would be counter to the city’s plan to convert Main St. to a north-bound only road, and the widening of the Esplanade. Arrangements were finalized with the SN on Mar. 3, 1959 to extend the franchise for 50 more years with restrictions and dependencies. These will be reviewed in more detail in a later update.

L236-80-WP Circular No. 167-E, Courtesy Bruce Eldridge, (Image 17 of 34)

Freight traffic would begin to decrease in the decades to follow, but the line remained open until the final days of 1985 serving Chico Molding. The left image shows a north view from 2017 of the warehouses where trains once transferred goods at the terminus, corroborated by an image from April 1969, two decades after the conversion of the freight line to diesel traction.

L236-85-Jack Shekell Photo, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 132188sn, and S. Swiedler Photo, (Image 18 of 34)

In the absence of identifying images of electric freight trains over Sandy Gulch, images of Birney cars will be shown to appreciate the surrounding area. This northeast view from the first excursion, Aug. 16, 1942, provides confirmation of the well maintained right-of-way, the dry creek bed indicating it was summer, and a rail fan perched on the crossbuck.

L236-90-Vernon Sappers Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 107002sn, (Image 19 of 34)

A very different story for Birney 62 on Dec. 14, 1947, the day before the last day of streetcar operation in Chico, with a full channel of water and and unmaintained right-of-way to the north.

L236-95-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 149843sn, (Image 20 of 34)

This trestle, surrounding channel, and adjacent Esplanade provided rail fans with many variations of photographic settings as in this north view from Aug. 16, 1942.

L236-100-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 115154sn, (Image 21 of 34)

Addison Laflin’s sweeping panoramic north view from Dec. 14, 1947 with Birney 62 allows for the changes five years later. At least one structure has been added to the Esplanade north of the trestle.

L236-102-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Archives, 166753sn, (Image 22 of 34)

East views from the Esplanade provided an opportunity to document the water levels in the channel. Birney 62, Dec. 14, 1947.

L236-105-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 106994sn, (Image 23 of 34)

Southeast views from the Esplanade captured the channel, the industry, to be discussed later in this presentation, and a view right down the Esplanade. Birney 62, Dec. 14, 1947.

L236-110-Walt Vielbaum Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 133568sn, (Image 24 of 34)

South views from the railway berm such as this one with Birney 60 on Aug. 16, 1942 captured the Richardson Springs’ sign, and the west side of the Esplanade. Richardson Springs Ranch began with a hotel in 1903 to complement its natural springs. Well known for its part in housing Errol Flynn and the cast of Robin Hood in 1937, it had its ups and downs, a serious fire in 1921, but made it to 1968.

L236-115- Louis Bradas, Jr. Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 69148sn, (Image 25 of 34)

Presented earlier, this scene shows Continental Nut Co. behind SN 403, and the tanks for Richfield Oil Co. hidden partially behind SN 402 and trees. Continental Nut Co. became Chico Nut Co. in 1988, and is still active on the Esplanade. Richfield Oil was still around in 1958, but is no longer mentioned as an SN customer in 1971 by Kent Stephens.

L236-120-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 162094sn, (Image 26 of 34)

Tom Messer’s photo of SN 712 and freight was taken in the early 1980s during the summer when light was ample between 7 PM and 7 AM. According to Kent Stephens, the trestle was strengthened in 1971 to accommodate heavier freights, relying mostly before that date on the smaller SN 44-tonner steeple cabs.

L236-125-Tom Messer Photo, Courtesy Tom Messer, (Image 27 of 34)

The Northern Electric had established two sidings that were outside the city limits, the latter denoted in this 1913 map as the broken orange line. Pfeiffer Warehouse preceded Continental Nut. Polk’s Directory lists the company at the Esplande in 1925, but no listing in 1924, and the internet has links to legal shenanigans that involved the owner in 1946, the year recognized to be a corporate entity in California.

L236-130-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 16184sn, (Image 28 of 34)

This north view of Birney 62 on the spur on Dec. 14, 1947 provides for the building occupants. Continental Nut Co. would join Chico Molding as the only reason the freight line extended past 16th St. to the very end of operation in 1985.

L236-135-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 60404sn, (Image 29 of 34)

No images of electric freight motors on the siding were found, but this north view of Birney 60 on Nov. 9, 1947 is consistent with Continental Nut having space for two boxcars as shown, with an additional one to the north to access to Richfield.

L236-140-J.G. Graham Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives,47350sn, (Image 30 of 34)

Based on these aerials, Continental Nut built a large facility on the Esplanade south of E. 11th Ave. between 1952 and 1958. To access the new facility, a modification of the existing siding was required. This was accomplished leaving the existing switch from the mainline and track across 11th Ave. to the old siding intact.

L236-145-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis.jpg , (Image 31 of 34)

Allen Wood described the new siding as “a two switch affair that required a move off the main line, pulling a car to clear the second switch, and then a shove back to spot a car at the nut company dock south of 11th. The tail end of the track was so short that only the engine and one car could make the move.” Tom Messer’s south view of SN 712 and single boxcar from the early 1980s confirms the description.

L236-150-Tom Messer Photo, Courtesy Tom Messer, (Image 32 of 34)

Allen Wood stands by the former original siding as if waiting for the next train, recalling when SN 44-tonners ruled the rails in Chico in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

L236-155-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 33 of 34)

Luckily, setting the clock back to late 1947 produces Birney 62 at the same spot, ready to be boarded for a trip down the Esplanade in the next update of Getting Around Chico in the Electric Era. Appreciation to Tom Messer, Wayne Monger and Allen Wood for their images and insights.

L236-160-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 34 of 34)