The Sankey Solution, Part 4 – The Last Gasp at Rio Linda

Back on the bike on the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail in 2019, a highlight is the recreated Sacramento Northern, SN, Rio Linda depot, here seen in a southwest view. For more details about this recreation, see the posted article by Groff Graff, click here. The last update left off at the Sacramento City border at the north end of Robla.

L319-05-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 1 of 50)

This update will start on the bike trail at the border to enter the census-designated place of Rio Linda in Sacramento County. The section covered here to Sankey became a branch line when the SN mainline from Globe to Rio Linda was abandoned in 1970. The SN would use the Western Pacific, WP, mainline tracks to access Sankey. The Sankey to Rio Linda Branch was eventually abandoned on May 8, 1985. Superimposed on this 2024 aerial view are the locations of passenger station sites to be covered.

L319-10-Courtesy Google Maps, Annotated by Stuart Swiedler, (Image 2 of 50)

The timetable from 1912, left, indicates that Rio Linda was originally called Dry Creek, the new name appearing in 1913. The origins of Ardmore and Ardmore Heights were not uncovered, and the location of the corresponding passenger stop shown here is based on the use of maps and mileages between stations listed here. The 1939 employee timetable, right, indicates that just prior to elimination of SN passenger service, Rio Linda was the only significant locale for freight business between Roble and Sankey, and Ardmore was only a flag stop.

L319-15-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13474, (Image 3 of 50)

Back on the bike and heading north out of Sacramento City, the southern end of Rio Linda in 2019 along the trail was wide open country.

L319-20-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 4 of 50)

Dry Creek enters Rio Linda from the southwest by splitting into two branches, the first bridge, left panel, passing over the eastern arm as the bike trail continues north as seen in 2019. The second bridge, center, is located just north of Elkhorn Blvd., and appears to traverse a flood plain or bypass just south of meeting the western branch of the creek. Finally, the third bridge, right, crosses over the western branch before the trail enters the center of the town.

L319-25-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 5 of 50)

Trestles had been in place for the SN mainline where the bike trail overpasses shown in the last panels now reside as seen in the north-oriented aerial image from 1971, left with detail. The trestles and track were gone by 1981, right with detail, while the branch line was still in operation. Images of these trestles at ground level have not been identified.

L319-27-Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, cas-3069_3-172, l, cas-81081_2-180 and 182, r, (Image 6 of 50)

Once over the west branch of the creek, the trail heading north follows the SN’s third curve from the south since crossing the American River. This delightful, heavily shaded section enters the open space operated by the Rio Linda Elverta Recreation and Park District where the reconstructed depot is located.

L319-30-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 7 of 50)

This southeast view from the top of the Poultry Producers warehouse toward the depot was published in the book “Rio Linda and Elverta” by Joyce Buckland. The book and the Elverta-Historical Society, the source of this image, provide a date of 1937. The building scheme and loop off M St. toward the depot were in place by that date, but it is surprising that the cars shown all appear to be more of a 1920s vintage.

L319-35-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235136sn, (Image 8 of 50)

A 1937 aerial is shown on the left, the one on the right from 2024 for comparison. Although the two images share a common building, orange arrow, the 1937 version shows the loop off M St. accommodating the extension of the yard south of M St., yellow box, toward the depot, turquoise arrow, and the Poultry Producers warehouse, red box. The 2024 aerial shows what had been the Rio Linda Poultry Products’ grain-feed associated silos, green box, that date back to aerials as early as 1949, occupied by Aerial Lift Services in 2024.

L319-40-Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, G4363 S2A4 1937 U6, l, and Google Earth, r, (Image 9 of 50)

Dudley Thickens took this north view of the right-of-way north of M St., left with detail on the right, from the rear of SN train no. 7 on May 21, 1940. The labeling of the Rio Linda Poultry Producers Association warehouse seen in a ca. 1910 image is absent, and the writing on the smaller structure to the south is illegible.

L319-45-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 60146sn, (Image 10 of 50)

These north-oriented aerial views from 1971 and 1981, left to right, respectively, show that the track was cut back from the mainline era image on the left with the cross bucks, red arrows, to north of M St. during the branch line era.

L319-50-Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, cas-3069_3-172, l, cas-81081_2-180, r, (Image 11 of 50)

Back on the bike in 2019, the trail north of M St. deviates from the SN right-of-way and heads along its western flank past the industrial structures. At O St., the path takes on a winding pattern all the way to the border with Elverta at U St., the only unique structure being an overpass that corresponds to a former culvert channeled under the SN tracks when the railway was active.

L319-55-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 12 of 50)

At the Elverta border, the trail swings to the east before becoming a straight path toward the northwest, accompanied now by Rio Linda Blvd. on its west flank.

L319-60-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 13 of 50)

The north-oriented aerial from 1937, left, shows a small structure just north of Delano St., boxed in orange on the left, and enlarged on the right, marked in the detail on the right by a red arrow. The structure marked by the yellow arrow will come into play shortly.

L319-65-Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, G4363 S2A4 1937 U6, (Image 14 of 50)

Not much to be seen at the Elverta station shelter in 1924, except for the siding on the west side of the mainline. Northwest view.

L319-70-American Photo Co., Robert Stein Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 42522sn, (Image 15 of 50)

Howard Wolfe’s undated ca. 1940 northwest image from a passenger train captures the shelter, corresponding to the red arrow in the 1937 aerial, and the aforementioned siding, seen just past the switch stand seen along the left edge of the train. The beauty of this image is the inclusion of the Elverta Market, still there with a slightly less imposing sign in 2024. This is the structure marked by the yellow arrow in the 1937 aerial.

L319-75-Howard T. Wolfe Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 233733sn, (Image 16 of 50)

The asphalt-covered portion of the trail ends at the Elverta Park and Ride lot just south of the Elverta Rd. and Rio Linda Blvd. intersection.

L319-80-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 17 of 50)

The path continues 2500 feet unpaved to the Elway Ave.-Rio Linda Blvd. intersection shown in a southeast view from 2019 in the the central panel. The trail sits on a small berm until the intersection, left panel, southeast view, and the right-of-way continues north along Rio Linda Blvd. on its western flank., right panel. The Sacramento County of Transportation announced on June 27, 2024 that it will extend the trail where the asphalt ends at Elverta Rd. to the Placer County border for a total of 1.5 miles. Click here. For SN railfans, this means to Ardmore. Read on …

L319-85-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 18 of 50)

Although continuing on the bike was possible, the rest of the review was completed by car and foot in 2019 and 2021. Surveying the SN right-of-way along Rio Linda Blvd. heading north, two SN-related artifacts are prominent. The first are the supports for a trestle for an unnamed waterway, left., and further north, a concrete pad along the east side of the path.

L319-90-Stuart Swiedler Photo, l, Courtesy Google Maps, r, (Image 19 of 50)

The top left image is an east view showing the section to be explored north of the Elway Ave. intersection consisting of a berm for most of the way. The image at the top center is a northwest view from the abandoned right-of-way identifying where the water way crossing was seen from Rio Linda Blvd., red arrow. At the bottom left is a view of the southerly-most support, and at the bottom center is the northerly-most support. Beyond the latter, the berm disappears. The aerial image from 1981 shows that a trestle was in place.

L319-95-Stuart Swielder Photos, c and l, cas-81081_2-170, r, (Image 20 of 50)

On to the aforementioned concrete pad, the three aerials here show something was located here as far back as the electric era.

L319-100-Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, abc-1937-48-77, l, cas-81081_2-171, c, and Google Maps, r, (Image 21 of 50)

Howard Wolfe took this southeast image ca. 1940 of a substation with a siding and possibly a small shelter bundled with other images between Short and Marysville. After an analysis of multiple variables regarding other stops with substations in this vicinity, the image shown here is the substation at Ardmore. As to the location of an Ardmore station north of here mentioned earlier based on the 1912 employee timetable, but read on …

L319-105-Howard T. Wolfe Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 233724sn, (Image 22 of 50)

Art Alter noted that this image was taken near Ardmore. It might as have been the moon, but in the distance in his southeast view from Sept. 2, 1940 with SN 132 and SN 123 is the substation just revealed. No clue as to the other material between the train and the substation. When the Sacramento County of Transportation extends the bike trail from Elverta Ave., it will be possible to bike a little north of where the train sits in this image.

L319-107-Art Alter Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235135sn, (Image 23 of 50)

The north end of this section contains several overhead electric transmission towers. Rio Linda Blvd. makes a left curve, and the abandoned right-of-way crosses the unpaved Los Garcias Ln. A southeast view from 2021 is shown on the left, and a northwest view on the right at this location. Based on the milepost, the station designated as Ardmore Heights or Ardmore should be in the foreground of the northwest view, but there is no evidence from any other source that  it was located there. More research needed here.

L319-110-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 24 of 50)

No photographic documentation of a shelter structure for the proposed Ardmore station area based on mileage calculations, green box, was revealed in this or companion 1937 aerials. The station shelter at Riego station, orange box, is noted in the detailed enlargement. Note Riego station was in Placer County, appreciation for which is often lost as the station was at the far western border of that county.

L319-115-Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, abc-1937-48-77, l, cas-81081_2-171, c, and Google Maps, r, (Image 25 of 50)

An early image from the Northern Electric era of Riego station with a portable substation on a second track is shown on the left, and Howard Wolfe’s north view ca. 1940 on the right. The track alignment based on a 1928 diagram shown in the first update in this series matches what is shown in the ca. 1940 image. Possibly, the second track holding the portable substation was removed before this date. Ack: The left panel was obtained originally from the Rio Linda-Elverta Historical Society, Hans Krueger Collection.

L319-120-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235144sn, l, Howard T. Wolfe Photo 232715sn, r, (Image 26 of 50)

Back to 2019, views at Riego at Baseline Rd. viewed to the south, left, and to the north, right.

L319-125-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 27 of 50)

Heading north, the abandoned right of way is a flat and featureless path following the electric transmission lines, viewed here at the crossing of Pleasant Grove Rd. in 2019 viewed to the south, left, and the north, right.

L319-130-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 28 of 50)

Between Pleasant Grove Rd. and the SN-WP merge at Sankey, the right-of-way featured two crossings of tributaries of Steelhead Creek. The southern-most one is marked in red on the north-oriented aerial to the left from 1952, with details on the right showing the existence of a trestle. In 2024, that gap remains open and cannot be crossed at that point. A second tributary shown on the left by the green arrow was culverted under the right-of-way, at least as early as 1952.

L319-135-Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, pai-abc_2k-137, l and r top, cas-3069_3-60, r bottom, (Image 29 of 50)

These pages from the WP Circular no. 167-E ca. 1957 reveal the freight opportunities at that date south of Sankey. Even back to 1928, as revealed in the first update in this series, Rio Linda was viewed as a favorable site for freight traffic. Poultry and lumber had greater year-round opportunities relative to seasonal agricultural products at the Elverta and Riego team tracks.

L319-140-Courtesy Bruce Eldridge, (Image 30 of 50)

Based on these timetables from mainline freight service in 1961, left, and branch line service in 1972, right, the branch line appeared to provide freight service at both Elverta and Rio Linda early on.

L319-145-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 13488, l, 13492, r, (Image 31 of 50)

Based on these track diagrams from Jan. 1, 1974, freight sidings are indicated at Rio Linda, red arrow, and Elverta, green arrow. In the September 1976 issue of Pacific News, WP employee and railfan Ken Meeker wrote on page 5 that the only business on the branch line at that time was to service the grain elevators at Rio Linda. And, indeed, he went out check out the situation himself.

L319-150-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 53212, (Image 32 of 50)

Meeker took the time on Aug. 3, 1976 to catch branch trains led by WP 702 between Sankey and Rio Linda. He took this south view that features a stand of trees, a cluster of buildings amongst trees, a small shed, and in the distance, electric transmission towers, right to left, respectively, as WP 702 headed north. You may proceed connecting this view with the next two panels in flipbook fashion to experience the train moving past …

L319-155-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 33 of 50)

… and next …

L319-160 Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 34 of 50)

… catching the train heading northwest with a second shed appearing along the left margin, and a grade crossing soon to be crossed.

L319-165-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 35 of 50)

Finally, at the grade crossing, left panel, in this northwest view on Aug. 3, 1976. If the location is not yet obvious, this north-oriented aerial from 1971 shows the cluster of buildings amongst trees, blue arrow, the southerly-most shed, green arrow, the stand of trees, orange arrow, and the small shed, red arrow. The grade crossing met at a slight angle is also seen. Not seen are the electric transmission towers to the south indicating the crossing into Placer County. The location of Meeker’s photos corresponds to Riego.

L319-170-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, l, Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, cas-3069_3-63, (Image 36 of 50)

Sometime prior to capturing the train heading through Riego, Meeker took this east view of WP 702 crossing the small trestle found along Rio Linda Blvd. south of Ardmore in Elverta, left. On the right, a north view taken by Harry Demoro showing what remained at the site on Sept. 15, 1988. Hopefully it will be incorporated into the proposed bike lane extension.

L319-175-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, l, Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, r, (Image 37 of 50)

Further south, Meeker had caught the train heading back to Sankey at the Delano St. grade crossing in this south view from Aug. 3, 1976, left panel. Note the manual switch stand close to the right margin matching what was present in the 1940 image shown earlier. On the right, the utility poles from that era remain in 2023 at the Delano St. intersection, south view.

L319-180-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, l, Courtesy Google Maps, r, (Image 38 of 50)

Next a view of the southbound trip for WP 702, here also at Elverta. It is not clear if this is the same Elverta sign seen in the previous panel, or one for the northern-most section of the original station area given the scene along Rio Linda Blvd. and the absence of a siding.

L319-185-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 39 of 50)

The siding track is clearly seen in the north-oriented aerial from 1971 when the timetable indicated it was still present, left, but not so in 1981, right.

L319-190-Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, cas-3069_3-174, l, cas-81081_2-169, r, (Image 40 of 50)

Meeker took this image southeast of the same south-bound freight as it crossed Delano St., the landmark grain elevators and water tower of Rio Vista seen in the distance ahead.

L319-195-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 41 of 50)

Later, the same southbound freight is seen in this east view crossing Quebec Way where the track divides in two as the grain elevators are now within reach.

L319-200-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 42 of 50)

A complementary west view relative to the previous image, the train is set on the westerly-most track as the industrial area is reached.

L319-205-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 43 of 50)

A look at the industrial area in Rio Linda comparing the passenger era, left, to the time the line was cut back to a branch, center, to a period in the final years, right. Att: Aerial Collection, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, G4363 S2A4 1937 U6, left; Courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Library Geospatial Collection, cas-3069_3-174, center, cas-81081_2-169, right

L319-210-Multiple Attributions, (Image 44 of 50)

This east view confirms what Meeker had written about in the Pacific News, the only business left on the branch line for the SN in 1976.

L319-215-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 45 of 50)

WP 702 continues further south after leaving its load at the grain tower and the caboose even further north, back to where the tracks again merge to a single line short of M St.

L319-220-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 46 of 50)

A final shot of WP 702, right, viewed to the northwest on Aug. 3, 1976, seemingly done for the day chronicled by Ken Meeker. To the left is what Harry Demoro saw at the same place when he visited on Sept. 15, 1988.

L319-225-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, l, Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, r, (Image 47 of 50)

Demoro also documented the state of the bike trail on Sept. 15, 1988, a southeast view showing the completed path to M St. and what was left of the truncated, abandoned former depot building.

L319-230-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 48 of 50)

Further north of the industrial area, Demoro also documented in this northwest view of the right-of way stripped of any evidence of its railway past, soon to be a place to extend the bike trail to Elverta.

L319-235-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 49 of 50)

And with that, the updates in this section up to this point have attempted to document how the mainline between Sacramento and Marysville was lost piece by piece after the flood of 1955 took out the trestle north of Alicia.. The connection to the Reed-Pearson branch would remain until Apr. 5, 2007, abandoned after years of no service according to Jeff Assay in “The Iron Feather, page 504. Next, how the flood of 1955 indirectly did in the SN mainline between Marysville to Chico.

L319-240-Wayne Hom Drawing, Courtesy John Harder, l, and Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 50 of 50)