Spur of the Moment – The Depot and Revisiting Reeves Avenue

This update will begin at the Sacramento Northern, SN, Yuba City passenger-freight depot, “the Depot”, at the northwest intersection of Bridge St. with Plumas St. It appears Charley Savage took only one photo of the Depot, this northwest view with Birney 70 on Sept. 2, 1940, and it is as good as it gets in terms of artistic quality and documentation.  A good starting point for a very well photographed area in Yuba City.

L304-05-Charles Savage Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 9791sn, (Image 1 of 32)

The only important element of the Depot not shown in Savage’s photo is obscured by the Birney car. The small freight door now visible in this Silleman brothers’ northwest view from either 1938 or 1940 based on the license plate on the taxi was probably used to off load mail or smaller items carried by passenger trains.

L304-10-Silleman Bros. Photo, Holmes Bros. Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 99402sn, (Image 2 of 32)

The Depot was a stop for every Chico-Sacramento passenger train, as well as the Colusa Local.  Louis Bradas, Jr.’s west view of SN 1009 and trailer also includes the first building on the north side of Reeves Ave., that for the Herald Newspaper. The date is Oct. 27, 1940, the last day of Sunday interurban passenger service for the SN north of West Pittsburg. In four days, passenger service to Yuba City would be abandoned.

L304-15-Louis Bradas, Jr., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68860sn, (Image 3 of 32)

SN 109 serving as the Colusa Local until the very last day of service is seen in a northwest view alongside the open freight platform at the western or back end of the Depot ca. 1940. SN 109, according to Harry Demoro’s “Sacramento Northern”, was originally built by the St. Louis Car Company for, but never purchased by, the Philadelphia & Western as a trailer. The Northern Electric would buy this car and two others like it and add motors.

L304-20-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 177967sn, (Image 4 of 32)

Streetcar service with Marysville would continue until Feb. 15, 1942. This northwest view of the Depot was taken that day to mark the occasion, juxtaposing Birney 70 and its replacement for the next day of service, Twin Cities Transit coach no. 1.

L304-25-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 125310sn, (Image 5 of 32)

Sometime between 1942 and when this west view from Apr. 18, 1947 was taken, the Depot received a coat of cream-colored paint. SN 145 and freight were photographed by Caterpillar Tractor Co. to tout its Caterpillar Diesel D17000 Engine Power in this 44-ton GE locomotive. Note in the left lower corner the track appears to be discontinuous, but there is no evidence for that. This scan was from a photograph and not a negative, so the basis for this alteration cannot be documented.

L304-30-Teen Becksted Photo, Caterpillar Tractor Co. Coll. 55596, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 24659sn, (Image 6 of 32)

SN 145 was also a participant in this northeast view taken by E. K. Muller on Feb. 8, 1949. Aside from the Depot details and the water tower, this angle included the buildings to the west or left of the Herald building. Read on.

L304-35-E. K. Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 184147sn, (Image 7 of 32)

Muller also leads this presentation into the 1950s with this northeast view from June 7, 1950, the crew on SN 420 and freight are about to check in at the Depot.

L304-40-E. K. Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 87377sn, (Image 8 of 32)

Ahead to the excursion with Birney 62 on May 18, 1957 in this west view of the Depot.

L304-45-Walt Vielbaum Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 133560sn, (Image 9 of 32)

A full examination of the Depot would not be complete without a view of the north-facing side. Don Meehan’s south view from Mar. 26, 1960 fills the bill.

L304-50-Don Meehan Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 208216sn, (Image 10 of 32)

Railfans took some time off from SN 1005 when the excursion of Apr. 14, 1962 reached the Depot. This east view includes SN 653 and SN 654 sitting idly.

L304-55-Richard Kampa Photo Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 219901sn, (Image 11 of 32)

Focusing on the left edge of the image, the Depot survived the electric era as documented in this west view of SN 654 and cabooses 1637 and 1636 on Bridge St. between Plumas and Shasta Sts. on the last day of electric operation, Apr. 10, 1965.

L304-60-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 219903sn, (Image 12 of 32)

Comparison of these aerials from 1941, left, and 1969, right, show that the Depot, red arrow, left, was replaced by 1969, and the track from Plumas St., yellow arrow, right, was directed to the north of the vacated space onto a slightly reconfigured Reeves Ave. The west end of the uncovered concrete freight platform was all that remained, green arrow. Jeff Asay in “The Iron Feather” notes on page 493 that these changes occurred in 1967-1968 to lessen the curve of the track, consistent with what is seen in the aerial views.

L304-65-c-7490_455, l, cas-2579_1-12 , r, Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, (Image 13 of 32)

One small item captured by the Holmes bothers was this Arts & Crafts-style bench with Greene and Greene-style cross beam pegging, left panel. The location of this bench was not at the Depot, but to the small building across from it as seen in the right panel in this 1960s west view of SN 654 and freight.

L304-70-Holmes Bros. Photo, Jim Holmes Coll., l, Louis Stein Photo, r, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 103036sn, l, 177966sn, r, (Image 14 of 32)

This map from 1960 features the SN yard to the west of the Depot. The south side along Bridge and Jones Sts. served several industries that will be covered in a future update. For the remainder of this presentation, the residential side of the yard along Reeves Ave. will be the focus. Ref: G4364 Y8 1960 S8 Case D

L304-75-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 15 of 32)

These Sanborn maps show that little changed between 1927 and 1945 along Reeves Ave. from Plumas St. west to Chestnut St. The 1909 Sanborn map, not shown here, only covers what was then Sutter St. only as far west as Almond St. The red arrows have been added to the 1927 map to indicate dwellings present in 1909, the blue and turquoise arrows marking the water tower and pumping station, respectively, present as well by 1909.

L304-80-Sanborn Map Co., Courtesy Sutter County Museum, (Image 16 of 32)

These Sanborn maps also reveal minimal changes between 1927 and 1945 along Reeves Ave. from Chestnut St. west to Cooper Ave.

L304-85-Sanborn Map Co., Courtesy Sutter County Museum, (Image 17 of 32)

A review of the Reeves Ave. or north side of the SN yard begins with the panel on the right from the May 25, 1941 Cal-Nevada “Farewell Excursion” composed of SN 1009, SN 1010, SN 1024, SN 1005, SN 1025, SN 102, and SN Bidwell. Bridge Elementary School is also seen to the right along Bridge St. That scene is extended in the left panel from an excursion ca. 1940 led by SN 1005, SN 1022, another trailer and SN Bidwell. To line up the panels, the red arrows marks the same section on the same tree.

L304-90-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 182639, l, 182188sn, r, (Image 18 of 32)

SN 442 sits beside the freight-loading platform in this north view from June 28, 1947. The freight motor obscures the Herald building, but a piece of the California Seed and Fertilizer Co. structure is seen. That company sign was visible at least through images dated into 1959.

L304-95-Vernon Axt Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 177678sn, (Image 19 of 32)

Birney 70 takes a breather next to SN 440 on the last day of streetcar service, Feb. 15, 1942, east view.  An earlier iteration of the sign for the California Seed and Fertilizer Co. can be seen between them. The building to the left of Birney 70 was marked “undertaker’ in the Sanborn map just reviewed in L304-80.

L304-100-Louis Bradas, Jr. Photo, Western Railway Museum Archives, 69143sn, (Image 20 of 32)

This undated west view from the yard features SN 653 with stripes, the stripes indicating it is ca. 1946 or later. The house at no. 557 Reeves Ave. at the northeast corner with Walnut St. to the right of the motor appears unchanged in 2023.

L304-105-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 182187sn, (Image 21 of 32)

This northwest view of SN 144 and freight from Aug. 18, 1950 also shows the two houses off the empty lot at the northwest corner of Walnut St. with Reeves Ave., single story no. 573 and two story no. 577, right to left, respectively, still there in 2023. The empty corner lot in this image is filled with a commercial business in 2023.

L304-110-Jim Lee Photo, Milton Ziehm Coll., Caterpillar Tractor Co. Neg. 74369, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 29469sn, (Image 22 of 32)

Addison Laflin was in Yuba City on Mar. 10, 1957 to witness the unloading of Birney 62 from WP flatcar 2728. This event presumably was related to the excursion later that May. This northeast view captures the street signs for Walnut St., seen in the distance just in front of one of the palm trees, and Almond St., seen to the right of the station wagon. Two-story no. 577 Reeves St., commented on previously, is seen to the left of the Birney, while the structure with nos. 647-649 Almond St. is seen to the left of the street sign, and is still there in 2023.

L304-115-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 172906sn, (Image 23 of 32)

As darkness set in on Mar. 10, 1957, Birney 62 is shown almost set on the tracks in this northeast view. Two-story no. 577 Reeves St. is now to the right of the Birney, while no. 623 Reeves Ave. is to the left on the northwest intersection with Almond St.

L304-120-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 172904sn, (Image 24 of 32)

No images were found west of the previous one until Olive St., the street sign seen in this west view of British Columbia Electric 1225 on excursion alongside a SN caboose and two boxcars taken on June 15, 1958. This view shows the track alignment all the way to the Cooper Ave. grade crossing.

L304-125-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 173945sn, (Image 25 of 32)

The merging of tracks seen in the last west view sets the stage for the earliest Yuba City Birney image found. It was taken by Dudley Thickens, a SN employee at the time, of no. 69 midway between Orange and Olive Sts. in a northeast view, Apr. 4, 1937. The house partially seen just to the left of the Birney is no. 721 Reeves, still midway between Orange and Olive Sts. in 2023. The extreme left is no. 727, absent in 2023, and to the far right is no. 667, two houses east of Olive St. in 2023.

L304-127-Dudley Thckens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 60447sn, (Image 26 of 32)

This northeast view also shows the house at No. 667 Reeves Ave., but the date is now Nov. 7, 1955. SN 651 heads west in the yard for another switching assignment. Thanks and acknowledgment to Dick Dorn for providing this image and sharing many others taken of the SN in Yuba City in the electric era.

L304-128-Courtesy Dick Dorn, Dick Dorn Collection, (Image 27 of 32)

SN 101 and two trailers cross the Cooper Ave. grade crossing in this ca. 1940 east view. After passing this crossing, the tracks would merge to form a single mainline track heading west. All except the corner house, which does not exist in 2023, are obscured by the trees.

L304-130-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 125404sn, (Image 28 of 32)

Westbound streetcars terminated at the same Cooper Ave. grade crossing in the SN era, this wintertime east view of Birney 68 taken on the last day of streetcar operation, Feb. 15, 1942. Additional houses between Orange St. and Cooper Ave. can be seen. These houses are not present in 2023. Also, note the other railway-associated structures bordering Reeves Ave.

L304-135-Louis Bradas, Jr. Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 69135sn, (Image 29 of 32)

While Birney 68 sat just east of the Cooper Ave. grade crossing, Louis Bradas, Jr. also took this northwest view on Feb. 15, 1942 to show how the scenery changed west of this spot. The structure on Cooper Ave. obscured partially by the streetcar looks different then what sits on this spot in 2023, but the two structures to the right or north are unchanged at this date.

L304-140-Louis Bradas, Jr. Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 69132sn, (Image 30 of 32)

Two northwest-facing aerial views from Feb. 8, 1972 are presented in this and the next panel. These both show the absence of the Depot and the changes made of the approach of the Plumas St. track to the freight yard.

L304-145-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 17568-2, (Image 31 of 32)

A second northwest-facing aerial view from Feb. 8, 1972 shows the same scene at a slightly different angle. The track and structures west of the Cooper Ave. grade crossing and the Bridge St. portion of the freight yard will be covered in a future presentation. But first, back to the early 20th century to begin to understand the SN freight business along B St. and Plumas St.

L304-150-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 17568-3, (Image 32 of 32)