PLACERVILLE & SACRAMENTO VALLEY RAILROAD

CONCERT FUNDRAISER FOR PSVRR JUNE 17TH IN FOLSOM

2011-05-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

PARTNERS OF THREE STAGES

Pacific Institute of Music Presents

Concert for Our Community

Folsom's own 'Pacific Institute of Music' presents a classical concert featuring internationally renowned performers and familiar pieces performed in an exciting and innovative form, including works by Chopin, Grieg, Britten and Tchaikovsky.

The evening will also include a 'foyer fashion show by Spoiled Rotten Boutique of Cameron Park and an art exhibition.

Events

Performance Description	Venue Name	Date	Availability
Pacific Institute of Music: Concert for Our Community	Stage 1	Fri Jun 17 2011 - 8:00 PM	BUY tickets

Tickets are $25

Proceeds will benefit:

Foster Family Service www.fosterfamilyservice.org

Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad www.psvrr.org

2011-05-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

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All aboard for railroad run fun

Group to host excursion runs on historic railroad lines

By Margaret Snider, Telegraph Correspondent

Kim Palaferri / The Telegraph

Eric Olds, the motorman, drives the scenic rail vehicle on a newly repaired historic train track in Folsom that was washed out several years ago near Latrobe. Olds is vice president of the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad. The group has been using volunteers to help rebuild the historic track. The track is repaired a short distance but one day their goal is to restore it all the way to Latrobe and Shingle Springs. For more photos, go here http://folsomtelegraph.com/detail/178174.html

As El Dorado County officials look at removing historic railroad lines, another group is seeking to use them for day trip excursion runs.
The Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad (P&SVRR) celebrated National Train Day with a media tour on May 7, a prelude to beginning excursion runs open to the public.
In the past, enthusiasts and public leaders rallied to preserve this historical and practical asset, and a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) purchased the line in 1996 to preserve it in a multi-modal transportation corridor to include rail, hiking, biking, and equestrian modalities.
The P&SVRR is a not-for-profit corporation developed and run entirely by community volunteers.
“The organization’s been in existence since 2008,” said President Philip Rose. “It came out of the FEDS — the Folsom, El Dorado, and Sacramento Valley Historical Railroad Association — which restored this vehicle.”
The vehicle referred to is the 20-person capacity “Skagit,” built in 1936 by Skagit Steel and Iron Works, Washington, for the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company. It runs on a 6 cylinder BMC gas engine, and took the trip at a leisurely 10 to 15 mph.
A washout of the track had occurred around 1999 at Latrobe. John Haverty of Haverty Construction took charge on his own to see that the needed repairs were made.
“When I joined the crew,” said Haverty, “everybody talked about the washout. ‘Yeah, we can only go as far as the washout’.”
Haverty’s crew of volunteers, one person coming all the way from San Diego, put their shoulders to the wheel and repaired the track by hand, just as they would have 100 years ago.
“There was a gang of 12 guys with rail tongs,” said Haverty. “You pick up the rails, all in one shot, somebody called cadence, we turned the rails around, and walked them down, set them in place. Everything was hand spiked and hand tightened on the nuts, it was all hand labor.”
Now public excursions are scheduled going into the summer. The Skagit is ready to roll, and the P&SVRR has heavier equipment also, a 45 ton locomotive and converted flatcar.
“It is our goal that this heavier equipment plus a caboose will run from (near) the Hampton Inn, where we boarded on Saturday, and travel “Railroad East” towards Latrobe and Shingle Springs as track maintenance allows,” said P&SVRR Director of Development Jim Harville. “In the meantime, the Skagit Motorcar and other light equipment will be operating on any and all track not ready for the big stuff. As you can see, removal of the track between the county line and Shingle Springs would destroy any chance of developing this railroad into a regional or national tourist destination.”
P&SVRR Auxiliary members Connie Haverty, Diana Lee, and Sondra Fuson provided lunch on the media tour, which was served al fresco at the repaired washout point.
For more information on the P&SVRR, including excursion dates and the number to call for more information, go to psvrr.org, or call Gary Davis at (916) 834-3094.
All ticket proceeds to go the effort to save the historic rails and keep the trains running.
* * *
For more photographs, visit http://folsomtelegraph.com/detail/178174.html

Don’t cast aside the rail users

2011-05-19T20:27:00.001-07:00

Letters Opinion

Monday, May 16th, 2011 | Posted by Letters to the Editor

EDITOR: I am writing this in hopes that someone can help us “Save the Rails.” The “Friends of the El Dorado Trail,” along with four of the five El Dorado County supervisors, wants to “section” the Sacramento/Placerville Rail Corridor into thee sections.

One for bicycles, one for the El Dorado County Museum and one for trains.

However, they are losing site of four factors:

This is a very historical railroad corridor, having been the very first railroad west of the Missouri River (it was started 10 years prior to the Union Pacific, in 1852). It was designed to be the first transcontinental railroad in the world (via Carson City, Nev.). If the poorly financed owners had not gotten their chief engineer/surveyor (Thomas Judah) torqued, it may have happened.

There is from 60 to 120 feet of railroad right of way that is a part of the corridor.

If they tear out the rails (to save money), for the bicycle trail, then all of us whoare presently using the rails will be cast aside.

That includes all of us handicapped persons who are now using the rails; we will be unable to enjoy the same view the bicyclists/hikers/equestrian riders can. It is virtually impossible for the average handicapped person to walk, or wheel a wheelchair for the 17 miles that they want to take away from us.

We need your assistance in seeing to it that this unfair action does not remove a very special place for us handicapped to also enjoy.

BOB SNYDER

Placerville

Supes OK ‘depot-like’ structure for RR park

2011-05-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

Media Gallery News

Thursday, May 5th, 2011 | Posted by Chris Daley

SUPPORTERS of the El Dorado Depot gather to recreate an historical photo from around 1920. Many of the supporters pictured here volunteered to clear brush and clean up the area surrounding the depot. Photo by Jason Bross

Long-time local rancher Ed Hagen lives near the proposed Railroad Park in El Dorado. In fact his ranch and property are found on both sides of the railroad tracks that used to connect Camino and Placerville to Sacramento. Back on March 8, it came to the attention of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors that Hagen had taken it upon himself to begin constructing a model of an old-time, railroad freight shed near the original El Dorado train depot.

In fact, Hagen told the board at the time that he had custom-ordered much of the lumber to be used for the construction and that it needed to be used sooner rather than later.

County Department of Transportation Director Jim Ware told the board at the same time that he had directed Hagen, in effect, to cease and desist due to concerns that the structure may have been “in the middle of where an authorized one needs to be, and then we have a problem.”

Supervisors grumbled about government getting in the way of citizens trying to do good deeds but backed Ware’s decision for the time being.

Tuesday, the board rewarded old-fashioned individualism when it authorized locating the now-completed building from the railpark parking lot onto “or near the original depot site on the SPTC-JPA right-of-way near the town of El Dorado.”

The structure, approximately 36 feet long by 18 feet wide and about 15 feet high at its peak, looks just like an authentic railyard building. It is painted a pale yellow and sports tan trim and gingerbread struts holding up the oversized eaves. It currently rests under a large oak tree on top of log skids and jury rigged stacks of scrap wood at each corner. A concrete foundation upon which it could fit has been constructed about 100 yards east of the El Dorado Community Hall.

On Tuesday’s board agenda, Supervisors Ray Nutting and Jack Sweeney had recommended that the supervisors “consider” a five-point proposal that could lead to formally installing the building at the railpark site.

First was “discuss approval of Ed Hagen’s proposal to move his reproduction to, or near, the original depot site.” Next: Consider a “fee waiver,” that is consider not charging Hagen or others for use of the county’s property. Third: “Discuss with staff the process necessary to move forward.” Fourth: Forward board direction to the Joint Powers Authority for consideration” (El Dorado County shares jurisdiction over the railroad right of way with the Sacramento Placerville Transportation Corridor Joint Powers Authority) and Fifth: “Direct staff to implement the board’s intent and return with the appropriate agenda items as necessary.”

A sixth point was added to the motion that received unanimous approval — that county counsel study and review all the preceding directives before any final decision is made.

Sweeney, who represents El Dorado as part of District 3, opened the discussion in praise of independent citizen action and against a “government that has got so hung up on red tape compared to when we used to be able to get things done. People will get to enjoy their trip to El Dorado, even though it’s not quite accurate as a replica.

“The business of government is to take risks, and we are taking risks,” Sweeney challenged.

Several members of the audience spoke in favor of the proposal. Kathleen Newell reminded the board that the “building is temporary and that people should be able to start enjoying it.”

Sue Taylor, a building designer from Camino, offered her services as well as those of other volunteers to “make the building compliant” with building codes or other regulations.

Other perspectives, however, were also in evidence.

Bob Smart, a member of the county’s Parks and Recreation Commission, who has been a significant force for development of the El Dorado Trail as well as a strong advocate for the region’s culture and history, registered strong disapproval.

“I would urge you to vote no on this,” Smart cautioned. “There’s been no meetings of people who have concerns. We’ve got to start doing things differently, not just (going along with) whoever gets to the Board of Supervisors first. Why are they letting this one guy do something when there are a lot of people out there who are not being considered?”

Smart’s concerns, however, were overshadowed by board Chairman Ray Nutting’s nostalgic and emotional description of the project.

“I’m utterly amazed at the ‘can do’ attitude out in El Dorado,” Nutting said, remarking on the work of numerous volunteers. “Imagine the stories that will be told for generations about that effort. (We can) make it part of our future and let those stories be told.”

Keith Berry, president of the El Dorado Western Railroad Foundation, a subdivision of the El Dorado County Historical Museum, and a prime mover of the effort to re-establish railroading in El Dorado County, called the completion of Hagen’s building a “wonderful expression of the community trying to make something on behalf of the community. It’s a fine presentation of a historical railroad design.”

Berry was quick to point out also that the work was not a “railroad project,” but rather the work of Ed Hagen who “assembled a qualified team of volunteers from the skilled trades.”

“I really believe he did a great job even though the building is still considered just temporary,” Berry continued. “And as times continue to be so challenging for the public sector and there is a new world order of economics, the county will probably have to rely more on the volunteer sector. How the county administers that process (remains to be seen).”

Berry said his investigations suggest that the historical depot was farther east than the foundation for the new building and that consequently, there is “no space conflict with the historical building.”

On the downside, however, he described a recent meeting of the Joint Powers Authority as a “three-ring circus” regarding the actual legal ownership of the railroad tracks. And tipping his hat to county supervisors for “working their magic;I look forward to seeing the legal decision as to who owns the track,” Berry said.

DOT’s Ware told the Mountain Democrat Wednesday afternoon that while there’s no conflict between the new foundation and the original depot’s location, “I can’t encourage people to go out and build on or remove anything from county property — that would be the same wrong.”

He acknowledged that while Hagen may not have observed all the customary steps typical to making use of public property, “It was well-known that he was going to do it and there was a conceptual” description of the building and the foundation.

Ware further explained that his direction from the board as of Tuesday is “to facilitate making that happen, and I fully intend to work toward having the building put on that foundation.”

Friends of the El Dorado Trail spokesman Mike Kenison spoke positively not only about the building but about the volunteer effort it took to get the project done. He said the location of the structure should have no effect on future siting of the trail.

“We are volunteers as he is, and he’s done some incredible things. We certainly want to see volunteers making things happen. The building is pretty cute, and it’s a great place to offer train rides,” Kenison said and added that Hagen had reached out and offered the trails folks use of the building as well.

Ware further explained that his direction from the board at this point is open-ended, that is, there is no date-certain when he should return to update supervisors on the progress of the issue.

E-mail Chris Daley at cdaley@mtdemocrat.net or call 530-344-5063.

Short URL: http://www.mtdemocrat.com/?p=68732

My turn: Tear down the El Dorado County Courthouse

2011-05-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

Special to the Democrat

If the county of El Dorado would tear down the historical Main Street, Placerville, Courthouse it could sell the building material and build a new trail. Does this sound crazy to you? Well Ñ this is essentially what a few well intended but misdirected individuals have proposed to the Board of Supervisors in suggesting that the county tear out the 122-year-old Placerville Branch of the Sacramento Valley Railroad to speed up the building of a trail.

Not a trail for equestrians, or a mountain bike trail, but only a paved trail. And what is more disturbing is that the supervisors have entertained this presentation, whereby this group would take control of public assets owned by all county taxpayers, then turn them over to a commercial salvage enterprise. The salvage company would haul off these assets for their profit; some estimates suggest that the value of the rail could exceed $1 million.

Now you might be thinking that I donÕt see the need for a multi-use trail system in El Dorado County. I am a regular user of the Forni Road to Missouri Flat trail. I have observed the number of people who use this trail on a daily basis, and I believe that I have a reasonable understanding of who these people are and what they are doing. The overwhelming majority of trail users are walkers and joggers, who travel between one and four miles per day. I see an occasional bicycle, and once in a great while a horse will pass by.

While on the trail, I have talked with many of the trail users and I often ask them the same question: Does the trail have to be flat, in a straight line, or could it run with the lie of the land and meander along the railroad track? The answer is nearly always the same: It just doesnÕt matter as long as we have a place to walk and ride.

In 1991 the county of El Dorado, city of Folsom, county of Sacramento, and Regional Transit formed a Joint Powers Authority for the purpose of purchasing the Placerville Branch of the Sacramento Valley Railroad from the Southern Pacific Company. This allowed the preservation of the railroad right of way as a transportation corridor. However, prior to the purchase the Southern Pacific Company had removed the mainline rail between Missouri Flat Road and the city of Placerville.

In 2003 the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors approved the Sacramento-Placerville Transportation Corridor Master Plan. This plan was written over a two year period with input from a steering committee of local residents and advocacy groups interested in multiple uses of the trail, including excursion rail based programs, hiking, equestrian use and bicycling.

The master plan is specific about preserving the historical aspects of the corridor, and with great detail defines how trails will co-exist with rail operations on the corridor that is between 60 and 200 feet wide and 28 miles long.

During the planning process five public meetings were held at varying locations throughout the county to give the public input into the process. This master plan remains in effect as approved; the countyÕs Transportation Master Plan and Bicycle Circulation Plan also reflect the same statements regarding use of the corridor.

In 2009 the Board of Supervisors approved the concept plan for the construction and development of the El Dorado County Historic Railroad Park in the town of El Dorado. The Railroad Park would then be operated by the El Dorado County Museum for the purpose of displaying and operating a collection of railroad artifacts, by utilizing the former Placerville Branch line to provide a living history program. Riders would then relive the experience of rail transportation as it was from 1888 until passenger service ended in the 1950s.

The El Dorado County Historical Museum is operated by the county with one employee and a large contingent of dedicated volunteers who conduct tours, perform archive work and perform restoration of the historic rail artifacts at the museumÕs shop on Placerville Drive. All restoration work has been funded through private donations.

In June of this year I contacted Supervisor Jack Sweeney on behalf of the County Historical Museum where I have been a volunteer for the past 21 years. I asked Supervisor Sweeney to consider a resolution allowing the Museum to begin operating its rail based equipment between Mother Lode Drive (Mother Lode Y) and Missouri Flat Road. This would facilitate the re-certification of the track at no cost to the county taxpayers. In addition, the resolution designated the Museum administrator as the countyÕs representative to oversee the Railroad Park and Living History Railroad operation, thereby streamlining the process of access and development through efficient county administration. The resolution was requested on behalf of all those who frequently come to our MuseumÕs Engine House and ask, ÒWhen will it run, and when can I ride?Ó

During the Board of Supervisors meeting where the resolution was presented, Supervisor Sweeney was accused by members of the bicycle group of trying to slip something in below the radar, to sneak in a plan to which the public had not commented. The theme was to request more studies, take more time, and send the resolution before the Trails Advisory Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission. They stated they have their own options, and they must be considered negotiators in these county matters. All of this regardless of the fact that the county Department of Transportation has grant funding pending to design and build a new paved and natural trail parallel to the tracks!

Well, I donÕt have a college degree but I do know a few things. I know that in order to operate a train, we must have two rails, and the rails must be continuous from beginning to end. I also know that if the tracks are removed it will be cost prohibitive to ever put them back, so when the trails (bicycle) people tell me that we have to negotiate for the use of the railroad I have wonder what they mean: Do we modify our equipment to use just one rail? Do we remove just some of the tracks? Do we remove it from the ends or from the middle? Do we get enough to move the train forward and backward? According to our bike folks, we just need 40 feet of old track and a rusty locomotive in El Dorado for kids to play on. Oh, by the way Ñ the supervisors have stated that they do not want to remove the track. They just want to make sure that all the recreational venues are provided for on behalf of our entire community.

So let me recap. We have a contiguous, operable railroad system that runs from Missouri Flat Road to the city of Folsom. Excepting two minor locations west of Shingle Springs, the track is in exceptionally good condition. The transportation corridor averages 100 feet wide, more than sufficient to build a Class 1 paved trail, a distinct equestrian trail, and a mountain bike single track, while retaining the historical railroad as is stated in all of the countyÕs transportation documents. As mentioned, a grant has been applied for by El Dorado County to develop the trails adjacent to the tracks from Missouri Flat Road to El Dorado and for the development of the Railroad Park. This would provide the township of El Dorado with this communityÕs first park, and trails will continue west as sequential grants are awarded.

Please join me in calling/writing your supervisor and ask what he or she can do to further protect and support the historical Placerville Branch line. Please do not obstruct this project by placing further unnecessary delays to study what has already been studied at taxpayer expense. DonÕt be persuaded to tear down and sell off our historical legacy and community artifacts ala yard sale bartering. All recreational corridor venues deserve our countyÕs best planning and we should stick to the established, approved plan.

Edward Cunha has been a volunteer with the El Dorado County Museum for 21 years.

Short URL: http://www.mtdemocrat.com/?p=15884

JPA agrees to a 5 year lease for the P&SVRR

2011-05-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

On May 2nd, the JPA voted to pass the five year lease for the P&SVRR to run excursion trains. The member agencies(Folsom, Sac County, El Dorado County) have to ratify the lease. El Dorado County is currently looking at removing most the rail in their county. The corridor is very wide (100 Ft. in most places) so there is plenty of room for everyone, trails and excursion railroad. El Dorado County will vote on whether to move forward with removal of this 150 year old historical railroad on May 17! We need your help in making sure the railroad is preserved for future generations. It is connected to the 1st railroad ever to be built west of the Mississippi back in the 1850's!

Everyone, everywhere has a voice and can make a difference in this.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1) EMAIL & CALL each Supervisor:

Stating the importance of the Rail line in El Dorado County to you.

District 1 – John Knight – bosone@edcgov.us | (530) 621-5650

District 2 – Ray Nutting – bostwo@edcgov.us | (530) 621-5651

District 3 – Jack Sweeney – bosthree@edcgov.us | (530) 621-5652

District 4 – Ron Briggs – bosfour@edcgov.us | (530) 621-6513

District 5 – Norma Santiago – bosfive@edcgov.us | (530) 621-6577

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN PRESERVING THE LINE!

Rails Reconnected Over Previous Washout Area Near Latrobe California

2011-05-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

Pictures By Don Lee

Thanks to everyone that helped out with this and the crew that installed the culverts. There will be equipment rolling over it for the first time this Saturday. What an incredible ride it is from Folsom to Shingle Springs! If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend checking it out. There are numerous outings coming up and the heavy equipment is being prepared to pull trains up the hill. Stay Tuned!

WASHOUT NEAR LATROBE BEING REPAIRED LAST WEEK ON THE P&SVRR

2011-05-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

Pictures by Don Lee

2011-05-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

All-

As promised I have updated information regarding this Saturday's track laying day at the what was formerly- that's right, formerly- the washout. Some of us are now calling it "Latrobe Creek Crossing" or "Latrobe Creek Culvert." I'd send pictures but I really want to entice you to come out and see it for yourself and perhaps drive a spike or two or twenty...

Here is the plan:

Anyone interested in brining their speeder to run to the job site can set on at Iron Point at 7:30 AM. We will depart Iron Pt. at 8 AM by rail to go to Latrobe Creek Crossing. On our way there, we will pick up the A6 currently sidelined at Veerkamp's so we will have it at the job site to push the speeder flatcar for rail distribution or other similar activities.

Anyone interested in assisting with loading the Chevy HyRailer can meet at the wye at 7:30 AM to load tools. The HyRailer will depart the Wye at approximately 8 AM and drive to the job site via road.

Anyone driving to the job site is requested to arrive by 8:30 AM at the large gravel shoulder pull-out on Latrobe Rd. just passed (south of) the Deer Creek bridge where the tracks join up with Latrobe Rd. (formerly Cothrin Station on the railroad)- this spot is where a private grade crossing crosses the tracks to access the radio/cell towers on a nearby hill. Speeder transportation will be provided to the temporary end of track where we will be laying rail (about .2 miles south of the pull-out)- or you can walk south along the track (RR East). If you choose to walk, be especially careful to watch for Rattlesnakes as it is that time of the year again and one was killed at the job site this week.

Lunch for those who notified me in advance that they are coming will be provided by the FEDS Auxiliary. Unless I hear from you before 3 PM tomorrow (Friday), you'll be on your own for lunch.

Please dress for work, boots are required, steel-toed preferred. If you have a hard hat and/or work vest, please bring them along (I'll have some loaners). I'll also have applications and waivers for signing if you need to pay dues or want to bring someone who would like to join. Please bring water (some will also be provided). Sunscreen and a hat are also recommended.

If you can only come out for an hour or two please do come, we need as many folks as possible with some energy to help us drive spikes. This is a very unique opportunity to try your hand at authentically practicing mid-19th century technology and techniques used by our forefathers to lay the iron ribbons that built this country and bound it together in unity. Won't you come out and be a part of this historic activity?

Any questions, please do not email me as I won't have opportunity to see it. Simply call me at 916.218.5984.

I hope to see you on Saturday (unless, of course, your helping out at the 20th Annual Handcar Derby in Folsom)!

Happy Rails,

Eric Olds
FEDS Director
P&SVRR Director/VP
916.218.5984

2011-04-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

Letters Opinion Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 Posted by Letters to the Editor Mountain Democrat
Save our historical Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad

EDITOR: The Sacramento Valley Railroad ran the first train into Folsom on Feb. 22, 1856. The route through White Rock to Latrobe opened in 1864 and in 1865 Shingle Springs became the end of the line. The railroad brought prosperity to the region and after much financial, political and legal drama, finally reached Placerville in 1888.

Although passenger service ended in the 1930s, it is claimed that the Placerville Branch was one of the most profitable on the Southern Pacific system.

The railroad continued in operation until approximately 1978 hauling freight such as lumber, lime, produce, etc. The line was bought by a joint powers authority in 1996 under the Rail Banking regulations, and though recently “out of use,” has never been abandoned. Rail Banking means the right-of-way must be protected for future rail services.

The modern Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad Inc., a registered not-for-profit corporation, was created in 2008 in response to a request for proposal from the JPA for an Excursion Railroad Operator. With the support of our parent organization, the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association, the new P&SVRR is now ready to begin service on select dates for the 2011 season.

Dozens of railroad volunteers have spent tens of thousands of hours in Sacramento and El Dorado counties clearing brush, cutting tree limbs and fallen trees. Hundreds of rail ties have been removed and replaced. For about 15 years volunteers have been acquiring equipment and reworking it to first-class status and are ready to roll.

All this has been brought about by little or no money. It is amazing what a group of volunteers can do. For the past two weekends, the trains have run excursion trips from Shingle Springs up to El Dorado from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each trip carried a full capacity of excited passengers. This coming weekend will host a hand-car derby at the Iron Point/Bidwell site in Folsom. Runs are also scheduled to run in Folsom starting in May and continuing throughout the summer. There also will be a Rail Fest during the Memorial Day weekend.

A recent action by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors has cast a shadow over the future of this iconic railroad. We could lose this important part of the history of El Dorado County forever, denying the future generations the right to enjoy what we railroaders have worked so long and hard to protect. A concerted lobbying effort by local trails enthusiasts has finally convinced the supervisors to explore the long and difficult process of removing the rails. This was done by cutting short a 10-year review period built into the county’s own documents, even though there was ample evidence the P&SVRR was on the verge of launching operations.

Two meetings ago it was agreed that the Trails and Rails would work together in protecting this right-of-way. However, at the next meeting all that we had agreed upon had no validity.

RAY RETALLACK and DICK REIN

Members, Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad

2011-04-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

Letters Opinion

Saturday, April 16th, 2011 | Posted by Letters to the Editor

Supervisors’ action on trail is breaking hearts

EDITOR: Hey, wouldn’t it be great to take a train ride from El Dorado to Folsom this time of year when the fields are green and the wildflowers are prolific? That’s the dream of a group of enthusiastic volunteers who have been working for many years to see that very thing become a reality.

However, your El Dorado County Board of Supervisors is considering taking an action in the near future that will put an end to that dream forever.

At the March 28 board meeting a motion was made by Supervisor John Knight, seconded by Supervisor Ron Briggs, as follows: 1) Adopt the map establishing priority uses as follows: a) Segment 1-17.5 mile length from the county line through Latrobe to Mother Lode crossing as a multi-use trail including bike path and equestrian trail; b) Segment 2-6 mile length from Mother Lode crossing (mile marker 17.5) through Shingle Springs and El Dorado to Missouri Flat Road to be set aside as a joint multi-use trail for all trail users, historical railroad and an excursion train; c) Segment 3-Bike routes to the east of Missouri Flat Road existing Class 1 bike path, bike lanes, and bike route; 2) Direct staff to explore the feasibility and legality of removing the tracks in Segment 1 and consider if there are other alternatives to removing the tracks; and 3) Direct staff to return with further information on May 17.

Key words here are removing the tracks in Segment 1, which would not only be destroying a valuable historical resource in El Dorado County but, of course, would also make the dream of a large group of volunteers who have worked many hours and many years on the rail bed disappear.

So let your supervisor know how you feel about this issue and e-mail or write them soon. You can address letters to the Board of Supervisors, 360 Fair Lane, Placerville 95667 or go to the El Dorado County Website for e-mail addresses.
JOYCE THOMPSON
Kelsey

Keep the tracks

2011-04-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

Editorials
Friday, April 15th, 2011 | Posted by Mountain Democrat

Don’t say I never warned you when your train gets lost.

— Bob Dylan

from the song “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.”

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors is about to make the blunder of the century by agreeing to rip up the railroad tracks from Shingle Springs to the county line.

We’ll grant that nine miles from Shingle Springs to Diamond Springs may be enough track for the little bit of rolling stock the El Dorado County Museum volunteers have assembled.

We’ll also grant Supervisor Ray Nutting’s contention that the railroad ties west of Shingle Springs may not be in the best of shape and spikes could be loose.

But neither of those two arguments are sufficient to abandon a unique and irreplaceable asset. Ties can be replaced and spikes redriven. A real railroad right of way and its rails can never be replaced. To claim otherwise is believe in the Tooth Fairy and Daddy Warbucks.

Trails can be built alongside the rails. That, too, is a given. It is also a fact that building a paved trail is expensive with or without the rails and requires extensive design and regrading. Just getting from Missouri Flat to Camino has cost thee county $8.5 milion. That came from special grants, but it didn’t happen in one year, despite having an entire rail-free right of way after Michigan-Cal Lumber Co. salvaged the rails from its private line and surrendered the right of way to the county and city. The city’s portion is not part of the $8.5 million and part of the city’s trail digresses from the original right of way. The whole trail that is now paved took over a decade to complete. Despite using an existing railroad right of way, regrading and new culverts had to be done. Creeks had flowed across the right of way and trees had grown up in the middle of it.

Before the Board of Supervisors so cavalierly surrenders 16 miles of track from Shingle Springs to the county line it had better consult with its other partners in the joint powers authority that governs the railroad right of way. Folsom has kept its line intact despite intensive commercial development. The rails cross major streets — Oak Avenue, Clarksville Road, Broadstone Parkway and Iron Point Road continuing along Placerville Road, eventually crossing into El Dorado County south of White Rock Road.

Folsom has a lot more resources, including a strong railroad volunteer support base, a rebuilt railroad turntable and now a revamped railroad museum. A serious excursion train effort is more likely to originate in Folsom and travel to and through El Dorado County. El Dorado County still has the signal equipment at its road crossings.

Except for the Napa Wine Train and seasonal train service between the Railroad Museum in Sacramento and Freeport, the Placerville branch line is the only existing track near a major urban center. It is a branch line that features a beautiful countryside that is an up-and-coming wine region.

Don’t rip up the future. The right of way is sufficient to keep the rails and build a trail too.

Air Shots of Shingle Springs

2011-04-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Shingle Springs train ride from Airshotz, Jason on Vimeo.

The El Dorado Western

2011-04-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

At the other end of the Placerville Branch, the El Dorado Western group is making great strides. You can check out their progress here: www.eldoradowestern.blogspot.com/ . They have been bringing the track back to life and working diligently to get trains up and running soon.

P&SVRR On Channel 13

2011-04-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

Featuring Philip Rose, current President of the P&SVRR. I know a lot of you have not been on the tracks in this area but believe me it is fantastic! We need to protect this rail and find solutions for all groups, not just the few bikers that might use this occasionally. Let's see trains running from Folsom to El Dorado again. If you would like to assist in our efforts please contact Philip Rose @ President@PSVRR.org.

Sweeney resigns from rails JPA

2011-04-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Supervisor Jack Sweeney is resigning from the joint powers authority that oversees the railroad right of way acquired from Southern Pacific.

The resignation is on the agenda for the April 5 El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting.

About 50 miles of rail right of way is overseen by the JPA that includes, besides El Dorado County, Folsom and Rancho Cordova. It is called the Sacramento-Placerville Joint Powers Authority. It was formed in 1991 to buy 53 miles of the Placerville branch right of way from SP. It completed the purchase in 1996.

Sweeney told the Mountain Democrat Monday that his resignation “stems from the vote they took last Monday. I lost. I’ve been trying since 1988 for multi-use of the right of way.”

The action taken March 28 on a 4-1 vote was to “seriously consider” tearing out the railroad tracks from Shingle Springs to the county line and make it an 16.5-mile-long trail for hiking, biking and horses. For the 8.5 miles from Shingle Springs to Missouri Flat the rails would be kept for possible excursion trains and multi-use trail.

The 4-1 vote was the deciding factor for Sweeney.

“I don’t think it’s fair for someone on the losing end of a 4-1 vote to represent a group somewhere else, so I think I better stop,” Sweeney told the Democrat.

In his formal resignation Sweeney wrote, “I do not believe I understand or believe in the action of our board. Further, I do not believe that I could therefore represent the wishes of our board as expressed through said motion. The board should use this opportunity to appoint a replacement and an alternate representative.”

Last week Mike Kennison of Friends of the El Dorado Trail told the Democrat that building the trail on the existing roadbed would be easier and less expensive than creating a new trail “off the railbed.”

Sweeney, however, noted that the existing trail already built on the rail bed from Missouri Flat to Camino costs $8.5 milion to build.

Referring to a proposal from Iron Horse Preservation Society, touted by some trail supporters, Sweeney noted that all the private company would do is remove the rails and ties and grade the ballast rock. Such a grading is pictured on the company’s Website www.ironhorsepreservation.org/TrackRemoval.html.

Ballast is approximately 3/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch crushed gravel that is used as a bed for the wooden railroad ties and to spread the weight of the rails and the train.

While it serves its purpose for railroads, by itself it is loose and difficult to walk on.

“You ought to see what it does to horses,” said Sweeney, who grew up on a ranch.

Sweeney also warned that removing the rails carries the risk of losing the right of way.

“My bigger concern is long-term. This rail is a different kind of easement,” Sweeney said, noting that most Rails to Trails projects convert what was originally a government land grant to the railroad.

The Sacramento Valley Railroad was built before government land grants that funded the Central Pacific and Union Pacific in the 1860s. The Sacramento Valley Railroad built its first 18 miles from Sacramento to Alder Creek in 1855, reaching Folsom a year later and Latrobe in 1864, four years before the Central Pacific was completed.

Construction of a branch line to Placerville began after El Dorado County voters approved a $200,000 bond at 10 percent interest in September 1863. The city of Placerville pledged $300,000. This money went to purchase stock in the newly incorporated Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad. Construction began right after the bond vote. Two years later the railroad reached Shingle Springs.

The railroad didn’t reach Placerville until 1888. The first passenger train arrived April 9, which is 123 years ago this coming Saturday.

“Most preambles to the right of way say this is for railroad purposes,” Sweeney said. “There’s a warning on our title” to that effect.

Earlier Monday Sweeney said he had planned to make a presentation May 8 about an excursion train proposal.

Folsom has not been notified of El Dorado County’s intent to rip out the tracks from Shingle Springs to the county line, though Sweeney said last week’s vote is the “first stage in notifying the JPA.”

With his resignation someone else will have to make that notification.

IRON HORSE TO PULL RAILS AND TIES OUT ON THE PSVRR

2011-04-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

Joe Hattrup
Chief Operation Officer

www.ironhorsepreservation.org
501 (c) (3) not-for-profit Corporation

This company, who claims to be a rail preservation company, has offered to pull the rail for El Dorado County. How can you call yourself a preservation non profit for railroads when your main line of business is to rip out track? The JPA studied the current condition of the line and claimed that it is in surprisingly good condition. There is plenty of room in the corridor to create trails adjacent to the track. Also, the sale of the rail would net around $750,000 total, which would never be enough to pave and create a class one path. The P&SVRR has established an excursion railroad that will run from Folsom/Highway 50 to Shingle Springs. The funds have been coming in for the current projects and they have a large volunteer base plus quite a bit of equipment to run. The group has been installing ties and repairing the line for their start in the fall.

Feud heats up over historic railroad tracks

2011-04-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

County staff directed to look at removal of tracks for trails

By Eric Laughlin Telegraph correspondent

An effort by railroad enthusiasts to preserve a 146- year-old section of rail line from Folsom to Shingle Springs reached a bit of a road block last week.
In a 4-1 vote by the El Dorado County Supervisors, county staff was directed to explore the feasibility and legality of removing the tracks to pave the way for a biking and equestrian trail. The board’s vote also established biking and hiking as the “priority” use on the 17.5 mile stretch of railway between the county line and Mother Lode Road.
A so-called “Shingle Compromise” would give railroad proponents the remainder of track from Shingle Springs to Missouri Flat Road in Placerville, a span of some 8.5 miles.
Trail proponents are hopeful that the Folsom-Shingle Springs trail would eventually be constructed as a Class 1 trail like what currently exists in the Placerville area. They argue that a basic trail can be constructed along that corridor at no cost to the county, since labor to build the pathway would be paid for by salvaging the steel.
“It worked out to be a great compromise for the train guys,” said Mike Kenison, who sits on the board of the Friends of El Dorado Trail. “They’re losing the 17 miles from Folsom, but they’re also getting a spot they can call their own, which is what they’ve wanted for 15 years.”
But Philip Rose begs to differ. He serves as president of the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad and has spearheaded an effort to restore the tracks to begin running an excursion train from Folsom to Placerville as early as next summer. He said such a project will bring tourism dollars to the county, while the trail will cost it $200,000 annually to maintain.
“You can put in the best trail in the world, but it will never make money,” Rose said. “Having a train will not only attract visitors but showcase some of the best views in this area, views most people wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.”
Rose also criticized the trail folk’s costly goal of building a Class 1 trail, saying it would take about 50 years.
But Kenison and other trail supporters said they’ve waited long enough for the land to be converted to trails under the federal rails-to-trails program. He said Rose and other railroad enthusiasts simply don’t have the money to build an excursion train.
“It’s a very expensive venture and the county has already said they’re not going to put any money into it,” Kenison said.
But Rose countered that only recently has the project gathered steam from the Joint Powers Authority and from non-profit organizations that include the Folsom/Sacramento Historical Railroad Association.
Many in the community have suggested both sides reach a complete compromise and build a trail adjacent to tracks, since there’s plenty of width to do so.
But Kenison said such a proposal would be incredibly expensive, costing as much as $30 million for the 17.5 mile stretch.
The board will next take up the issue on May 17, when county staff is set to return with its analysis.

folsom-shingle springs trail, rails to trails, shingle compromise, el dorado county board of supervisors, Friends of El Dorado Trail,Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad

EDC BOS Reverses Historic Rails Policy

2011-04-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

ONCE THE RAIL IS PULLED, IT WILL BE GONE FOREVER! TAKE A STAND TO PROTECT THIS FROM HAPPENING AND SUPPORT EXCURSION RAILROAD-JOE@PSVRR.COM

Board of Supervisors Approve Conditional Removal of Oldest Railway West of Mississippi to Make way for New Trails.
El Dorado County Supervisors reversed a historical policy on "Priority for Rails" after five months of deliberations and lobbying by both Trail and Rail advocates. Historically, El Dorado County has given priority to Rails over Trails since the 1880’s, and even as an excursion Train is becoming established, a majority of the Board has decided it is time for change in that policy. On Monday, the Board voted 4 to 1 to change policy with Supervisor Jack Sweeney holding out to preserve the historic rails. Although it is possible to save the rails for a train and build trails adjacent to the rails within the existing easements, it would take much longer to build the trails as money is short for non-essential government services. In order to facilitate a faster build out of the trail system, it is proposed that money will come from the dismantling and sale of the rails and ties as salvage.
Supervisors Knight and Nutting recommending the Board consider the El Dorado Trail Subcommittee recommendations and adopt the following:
1) Approve those segments of the trail that have been designated as:

Segment 1 (Western county line to the West end of Motherlode Drive) - A priority use for hiking, biking and equestrian;
Segment 2 (West end of Motherlode Drive to the Missouri Flat road) - A segment designated for joint use which will include railroad usage along with trail uses; and
Segment 3 (Missouri Flat Road to Placerville) – An existing trail made of Class 1 Bike Path, bike lanes and bike route.

2) Instruct staff to prepare a request for proposal for the construction of a multiuse trail from the western El Dorado County line east to where the railroad tracks intersect the western end of Motherlode Drive (Segment 1). The construction of the trail shall be at no cost to the County of El Dorado. The proposal shall include, but not be limited to, having the completed rail bed ready for the installation of a Class I Bike Path, proper insurance, complete cost breakdown and salvage value and approval by County of El Dorado County Counsel; and
3) Prior to the removal of any track, there shall be a plan in place to maintain the entire trail free of all vegetation and trash. This plan shall include hours needed to keep the entire trail in useable condition and a financial plan to cover any and all costs.
Supervisor Santiago acknowledged that she iss a strong Trail advocate but also expressed interest in preserving the rails. She was interested in the concept that the rails could be encased and the trail built upon the existing rail grade without removal of the tracks. She asked that an addition was added to the motion instructing that alternatives to the removal be examined.
Supervisor Sweeney noted that the cost of the 8 miles of new trail from Placerville to Missouri Flat road was over $8,000,000, or a million dollars a mile. By reducing the Rail portion of the corridor by 2/3rds and increasing the Trail portion by 2/3rds, it adds 16 miles to the 8 mile Class 1 Bike Path, bike lanes, and bike route existing within that corridor today. Although the Board did approve the removal and sale for savage value, it is with conditions. Those conditions are burdensome and whether the conditions can be met is yet to be seen.
Additionally, there are a number of outstanding legal questions that cannot be answered until an actual proposal is brought forward. Another outstanding question is whether the rails and ties belong to the Sacramento-Placerville Transportation Corridor Joint Powers Authority and their position on selling them to fund building of the trails.
The county staff will return with research on the legal issues, feasibility, and any alternatives to pulling the tracks for the Board to consider at the second meeting in May.

We Need Your Support!

2011-03-11T00:57:00.000-08:00

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Is a historical railroad and an excursion train ride through beautiful country priority for you? We need you!

1) EMAIL & CALL each Supervisor:

Stating the importance of the El Dorado Trail to you.

District 1 – John Knight – bosone@edcgov.us | (530) 621-5650

District 2 – Ray Nutting – bostwo@edcgov.us | (530) 621-5651

District 3 – Jack Sweeney – bosthree@edcgov.us | (530) 621-5652

District 4 – Ron Briggs – bosfour@edcgov.us | (530) 621-6513

District 5 – Norma Santiago – bosfive@edcgov.us | (530) 621-6577

Why is the PSVRR important to you?

1) Historic Trains promote a family atmosphere.

2) Trains connect communities, schools, neighborhoods, businesses, and towns.

3) Historical Trains boost the economy! Numerous railroads including the Durango and Silverton, V&T in Nevada, the Railroad Museum and train ride in Sacramento, etc. attract thousands of visitors annually!

4) The Placerville Branch is connected to the very first railroad to have ever been built east of the Rockies!

5) With beautiful vistas, this train ride takes you through some of the most majestic scenery in North America!

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Santa Cruz recently spent $20 million to purchase a similar rail line in order to preserve rail traffic and protect the ability to have an excursion railroad operating for years to come. We are asking for your support in bringing awareness to the local governments that the only way to go is to leave the tracks for future generations to enjoy and create a mix use for this corridor.

The Sacramento Valley Railroad: The first railroad of the West

2011-02-14T23:37:00.000-08:00

Doug Noble Mountain Democrat

A SOUTHERN PACIFIC passenger train stops at the Diamond Springs Depot.

Before the paddle wheels on the steamer “Oregon” had fully stopped, a young man with a vision stepped onto the dock at San Francisco. It was late in 1849, and the town was crowded with gold seekers who had heard of the instant riches lying in the streams and rivers of Northern California. Most had left their homes and families in the search for it, but Col. Charles Lincoln Wilson was different.

Wilson had been an orphan born on a farm in Maine and raised by neighbors. Early in life he enlisted in the Army, which at that time was waging war with Mexico. Through rapid promotion, Wilson reached the rank of colonel and then left the service to become a successful businessman in New York. His background was in transportation, and now he was looking for success, not gold, in this new land.

When the “Oregon” pulled away from the San Francisco dock, another military man, Lt. William Tecumseh Sherman was on board, leaving California for the East. He had heard of Asa Whitney’s scheme for a coast-to-coast railroad and had actually spent some time scouting passes for a possible route. His future father-in-law, Thomas Ewing, then Secretary of the Interior, had obtained for him a new assignment on the East Coast, and he felt he had seen California for the last time. He would soon return though, and his path would cross with that of Col. Wilson’s.

By the spring of 1850, before California was even a state, Col. Wilson owned a steam schooner that carried passengers and freight up the Sacramento River to the gateways to the Sierra foothills and the mines. He soon expanded his business to include a plank toll road and a toll bridge, which, although built at great personal expense, poured profits into his rapidly expanding businesses.

With his bride, Sarah Jane Rood, a wealthy woman in her own right, they cruised along the Sacramento, watching the endless trains of wagons carrying freight from the river to the two main foothill towns, Negro Bar and Mountain City (later to become Marysville). Through their enterprises they accumulated a half-million dollars, and in 1852 they decided that iron rails from Sacramento to these two towns would be a profitable investment.

At this time they took into their grand plan another transportation man, Commodore Cornelius K. Garrison. He had come west at the request of the Vanderbilts to help with their Nicaragua Steamship Line. He had made a small fortune in Panama and, after living a short while in San Francisco, had been elected its mayor. He would also be one of the first to help finance the early Pacific railway surveys and was an ideal choice as a partner.

First incoroporated railroad

Early in 1852, another group of men had gotten together and incorporated the Sacramento, Auburn and Nevada Railroad, which was to be built to serve Negro Bar and Nevada City. Their scheme collapsed when it was reported to them that the first section of track they wished to build would cost in excess of $2 million.

Col. Wilson reorganized this abandoned railroad company as the Sacramento Valley Railroad. His plan was to first connect Sacramento to Negro Bar and Mountain City (Marysville) with future extensions to Tehama, Sonora and San Francisco. On Aug. 16, 1852, the articles of incorporation were filed and Co. Wilson left for the East Coast to acquire more capital, rolling stock and engage an engineer to build the railroad.

Once in New York, he contacted the engineering firm of Robinson, Seymour & Co. Seymour’s brother, the governor of New York, sent Wilson to see a young survey engineer, Theodore Judah, who had just put a railroad through the Niagara Gorge and was very interested in the Pacific railway. On April 2, 1854, Wilson and Judah left for California and, shortly thereafter, Judah opened up an office in Sacramento’s Hasting’s Building at the southwest corner of 2nd and J streets, and started the business of surveying the Sacramento Valley Railroad’s proposed route.

During this same time, Wilson, with the help of Judge Divine, a promoter of a railroad from San Jose to San Francisco, lobbied the California State Legislature to change the Railroad Act of 1853, which stood in their way of financing and progress. With the law amended, the route was surveyed and the right of way acquired. A contract was signed on Nov. 24, 1854, with the firm of Robinson, Seymour & Co. of New York, retaining them and Lester Robinson as chief engineer to build the road. On Feb. 12, 1855, construction began.

Contractor covers his cost with gold sluices

Approximately 20 miles from town, a Mr. Anderson had taken the subcontract to grade and built the embankment. He had prospected the area before and knew that the dirt contained gold. Through the use of ingenious sluices and other methods, Mr. Anderson was able to recover enough gold to pay for the job and have his payment from the railroad as pure profit.

As the work progressed, financial problems soon arose. It had been a dry winter in California and, because of the reduction in mining, many banks began to fail. Appeals for investors failed and, on Aug. 10, the board of directors of the Sacramento Valley Railroad met to discuss and remedy the situation.

SF Mayor, Sherman lead board

The board elected Commodore Garrison as its president. As Mayor of San Francisco, he had ruled the city with an iron hand and had proved to be a man of action. To the position of vice president came William Tecumseh Sherman (who would later leave California to become a general for the Union Army), now returned from the East and was the head of the banking house of Lucas & Turner, one of the few banks that had not failed, thanks to his careful management. The SVRR needed strong leadership and a good banker, and it now had both.

On Aug. 11, 1855, the day after the board meeting, Judah and three others boarded a handcar on the rails, built to 5-foot gauge, that were laid down Sacramento’s R Street and pushed their way down the tracks. It was not a long ride, only a mile or so, but it was the first railroad journey west of the Rockies.

About a week later, Judah stood on the levee watching while the small locomotive “Sacramento” was unloaded from the schooner “Two Brothers.” The following day the little 4-4-0 locomotive was under a full head of steam, and construction engineer Lester Robinson and guests took a small excursion to 17th Street, much to the applause and cheers of trackside crowds.

Garrison and Sherman then invited several potential investors to come to Sacramento to view their now operating railroad and take the trip to the end of rail, followed by a carriage trip to Negro Bar. The investors included tycoons J. Mora Moss, George F. Bragg, and the bankers Pioche and Bayreque, among others. Unfortunately they were not sufficiently impressed to further invest and, on October 18, 1855, because of lack of compensation to his firm, Lester Robinson attached the railroad through court action, placing it under a deed of trust, and appointing J. Mora Moss as the trustee. Fortunately, work continued under this arrangement.

Marysville route dropped

Because of the financial problems, the connection between Negro Bar and Marysville had to be dropped, but as the rails approached the new town of Folsom just above Negro Bar, Theodore Judah’s mind was still looking farther east. The 22.9 miles that had been completed to Folsom were not an end to what he envisioned. He fervently believed in the concept of a transcontinental railroad, connecting both coasts.

By now the locomotive “Sacramento” had help on the rails. The engine “Nevada” had arrived from Boston and the locomotive “L.L. Robinson” from New Jersey. To add to these, Commodore Garrison had purchased the first railroad engine in California, the “Elephant,” which he renamed the “C.K. Garrison (it became the “Pioneer” 1868). Passenger cars were being built by John Robinson (the railroad’s superintendent) at the foot of R Street, using wheels and iron work that had come from Boston. With all this rolling stock and the rails finally reaching the growing township of Folsom on Jan. 1, 1856, it was time to celebrate a formal opening in a grand style.

Inaugural run to Folsom

On Washington’s Birthday, Feb. 22, 1856, at 11 o’clock in the morning, the locomotive “Sacramento” pulled away from the Sacramento station with its string of passenger and flat cars carrying a large group of the local citizens and politicians. It was shortly followed by the “Nevada” which, in spite of developing mechanical problems, also arrived at the Meredith Hotel, in Folsom, in time for the celebration. After speeches from Sen. Flint and several of the railroad’s board members, the guests were treated to a “Railroad Ball,” which lasted until 5 a.m. of the next day.

Though the Sacramento Valley Railroad was not yet completed, the four engines were pulling trains loaded with all the passengers and freight they could handle. But, even with this success, meeting its construction costs were still proving difficult. The cost of laying the track had been nearly 50 percent more than Judah had estimated and there was 30 percent interest to be paid on the floating debt under the trusteeship, along with some 10 percent bonds. They were generating income, but if they were to expand, the fully privately financed railroad would need government help.

No help from Congress

The railroad’s vice president, William T. Sherman, contacted his brother John, who had recently been elected to Congress, for help. He asked John to try and obtain federal land grants for the railroad and a wagon road to Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was not at all successful.

Theodore Judah, though, was not daunted. He had earlier surveyed the line to Marysville and knew it was possible. He was so positive that he leaked the results of his survey to others, which upset Lester Robinson, the Sacramento Valley’s engineer. Judah felt that if the SVRR was not interested in building to Marysville, he would form another railroad, the California Central.

Judah builds line to Lincoln

He did so, incorporating the company on April 21, 1857. Ground was broken for the California Central on June 1, 1858, and between then and Oct. 13, 1861, 18.5 miles connecting Lincoln, to the north, with the Sacramento Valley Railroad at Folsom Junction. In the meantime Judah had proceeded to Auburn to survey his route over the Sierra. The citizens of Auburn, irritated with his action, as they wished to be connected to the Sacramento Valley Railroad, formed their own railroad, the Sacramento, Placer and Nevada Railroad, which they built and by 1862 connected Auburn with Folsom.

The city of Sacramento, meanwhile, was experiencing a drastic loss of revenue. Folsom had become the new center for freight heading into El Dorado and Placer counties, and to retaliate, Sacramento placed a tax on all passengers and freight goods that crossed the levee from river boats to the trains at its docks.

Upset, but again not defeated, the ingenious Lester Robinson contracted with the Placerville and Sacramento Railroad (soon to become the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad), surveyed a new route to a place called Newport, on the river just south of Sacramento, and named the townsite Freeport. In 1859, he extended a Sacramento Valley Railroad branch from its Perkin’s Station southwesterly 12 miles to the new townsite. (This was known as the Freeport Railroad and was abandoned by the Central Pacific in 1865, possibly the earliest railroad abandonment in the SP records) The city of Sacramento countered by tearing up the original tracks of the Sacramento Valley Railroad along Front Street.

Placerville wants railroad

During the same period, the people of Placerville were demanding that rail service be extended beyond Folsom to their town to carry the heavy freight that was heading over the Sierra to the silver mines in the Comstock Lode of Nevada. They approached the SVRR’s new president, George F. Bragg, and construction engineer Lester Robinson, now the company’s major stockholder, to see what could be worked out. Garrison and Sherman had by this time left California.

The Placerville citizens had heard that Judah had discussed his ideas with two Sacramento hardware men, Collis P. Huntington and Mark Hopkins, a grocer named Leland Stanford, and a drygoods dealer named Charles Crocker. They also knew that President Lincoln on July 1, 1862, had signed the new Pacific Railway Act, authorizing construction of the Central Pacific and specifically showing the route of the California Central and the Sacramento, Placer and Nevada as the Western terminus. They were concerned that a railroad would not pass through Placerville and extend on along the wagon road through “Johnson’s Pass” to Nevada as they desired.

The 10% bonds

The owners of the Sacramento Valley Railroad informed the delegation from Placerville that, if El Dorado County would grade the route from Folsom and furnish ties, they would supply the rails for 10 percent county bonds. For this, a new company, the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad was incorporated June 12, 1862.

At the general election on Sept. 2, 1863, the people of El Dorado County approved the issuance of $200,000 in 10 percent bonds that would be used to purchase stock in the new railroad. Placerville also pledged $300,000 in bonds towards this end. The P&SV Railroad promptly asked for the money, and construction began in late 1863, from Folsom Junction towards Placerville.

The Big Four start Central Pacific

This was just a few months after Leland Stanford, now governor of California, had lifted the first shovelful of dirt on Oct. 10, 1863, to start the building of the Central Pacific Railroad east from Sacramento. The Central Pacific was the company he, Crocker, Huntington and Hopkins had formed June 28, 1861.

The Central Pacific’s rails were laid alongside and crossed the earlier excavation and short trackage of Judah’s California Central near Roseville. The CP then continued its route on to Rocklin and Auburn. It became apparent that the four Sacramento merchants had gained the upper hand in the power play for the Pacific Railway financing, and they were not to be stopped.

The tracks of the California Central and the Sacramento, Placer and Nevada railroads became useless. The California Central was sold by foreclosure Feb. 28, 1868, and conveyed to C.P. Huntington. The 8.2 miles of CC rail between Roseville and Folsom were removed by the Central Pacific that same year. (The California Central had five locomotives, one became Central Pacific No. 93, the “Oronoco.” Its trackage from Roseville to Lincoln was sold to the California and Oregon Railroad.)

Quick action gets railroad to Latrobe

Because much of the rail that the P&SVRR had ordered from the East lay in the holds of ships sunk by the Confederate privateers, Lester Robinson bought the property of the Sacramento, Placer and Nevada Railroad. In spite of local opposition and legal roadblocks from the Central Pacific, he removed the rails and ties (sometimes in the dark of night) and used them to extend the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad to the El Dorado County town of Latrobe, where the trains arrived in August of 1864. (The P&SVRR never owned any rolling stock and used engines and cars of the SVRR. The SVRR would lease the new trackage of the P&SVR for its own use.)

Problems for the P&SVRR, however, were not over. Robinson, still fighting the Central Pacific, and believing that the route through Placerville was the best over the Sierra, challenged the owners of the Central Pacific, now known as the “Big Four”, to a contest of speed. The steamer “Chrysopolis” would bring two bundles of San Francisco papers up the river to the terminus of each railroad, and there would be a race to see who could get them delivered to Virginia City, Nevada the fastest. The Challenge was accepted by the CP.

The Sacramento Valley Railroad would pick up its papers in Freeport and carry them by rail to Latrobe, there transferring them to the Pioneer Stage for the rest of the journey. The Central Pacific would collect its papers in Sacramento, carry them to its end of track, Applegate, where they would be tossed onto the California Stage. The owners of the Central Pacific knew that there was a possibility that the Chrysopolis might not be able to steam into the port at Sacramento, since the river was too shallow, except at high tide which would not occur at the correct time. In an openly dishonest move, the Central Pacific had a horseman waiting at the Freeport Dock to take their papers to Sacramento and save precious hours.

On Aug. 22, 1864, at 11:15 p.m. the SVRR locomotive “C.K. Garrison” pulling its normal complement of freight, mail and passengers, left Freeport and an hour and 37 minutes later arrived in Latrobe, a 37-mile distance. The Central Pacific’s locomotive “Atlantic,” bare except for its tender, crew and a Pony Express rider, left Sacramento at 12:04 a.m. on Aug. 23 and made its 31-mile run to Applegate in only 42 minutes, setting the stage for the remainder of the race. At 1 o’clock the next afternoon, the California Stage arrived in Virginia City with a total time of 21 hours for the papers from San Francisco. There was a very strong rumor that the Pony Express rider had carried the papers nearly to Virginia City and, at the last moment, hooked up with the California Stage. Nine hours later the challenging Pioneer Stage arrived at the same point, the exhausted driver explaining that the road from Latrobe had never been so crowded and that at every curve the road had been blocked by at least one big freight wagon. Again, the “Big Four” were known for not leaving things to chance, and the stakes here were too big for them to be defeated!

Viewing this as only a temporary set-back, the optimistic Lester Robinson and his Placerville supporters formed the San Francisco & Washoe Railroad to build eastward to Virginia City, and sought legislation to financially assist them. The federal government agreed to give them aid, on the same basis as the Central Pacific received it, provided they could complete the line into Nevada by 1866. The Nevada Constitutional Convention also offered a subsidy to the first railroad to cross the state line (a year later the offer was amended to include only the Central Pacific).

Robinson had argued to no avail before the Nevada Legislature that the Central Pacific did not intend to build a railroad to their state but only a wagon road, since their route was impassible for trains. He referred to his concept of the CP’s plans as the “Dutch Flat Swindle.” He also stated that Judah had been bribed to give him bad information, which Leland Stanford adamantly refuted. It all made no difference, since the young state of Nevada in reality had no money to give anyone.

Railroad reaches Shingle Springs

By June 1865, the P&SVRR had only reached Shingle Springs and, although it now connected to the main road that carried nearly all of the freight and passenger traffic to and from the Comstock, it was obvious that the railroad would not reach Virginia City by the 1866 federal deadline. The line had progressed only four miles in 10 months while the toiling Chinese laborers of the Central Pacific were blasting out a mile a week over the “impassible” route towards Donner Summit. Even in light of this lack of progress, the owners of the Central Pacific still feared that the rails of the P&SVRR could still be extended over the Sierra and become a competing line, so they took steps to completely eliminate this problem.

In a questionable move, the SVRR’s president George F. Bragg finally convinced Lester Robinson and the bankers who held most of the railroad’s stock, that their problems were real and insurmountable. Though the rail line was bringing in substantial income, there was no way more financing could be obtained for construction or payment of their bonds. The railroad was on the verge of bankruptcy.

An underhanded move

On Aug. 1, 1865, president Bragg purchased the entire stock interests of three other directors valued at nearly $400,000. Shortly thereafter, and in spite of the protests and claims of corruption from the press, he sold all of his stock to Leland Stanford and the other principal stockholders of the Central Pacific. The Central Pacific took over complete control of the SVRR on Aug. 16, 1865. In a final blow, Stanford ordered the suspension of all passenger traffic to and from Freeport.

Thus ended the independent existence of California’s first commercial railroad. The sizeable shops of the SVRR at Folsom were dismantled by the CP in 1865 and the equipment moved to their Sacramento shops. The CP also rebuilt the line to standard gauge that same year.

With the sale of the SVRR, the financial interest that El Dorado County and the city of Placerville held in the P&SVRR passed to the purchasers, and the $500,000 in bonds that had been sold in 1863 and 1864, became a financial burden for the county. With the rapid loss in freight traffic through El Dorado County since the completion of the Central Pacific to Reno, Nev., had made that city the gateway to the Comstock, and a general reduction in all mining, the county and city were in a life and death struggle just to exist, let alone pay off the bonds which would mature in 1876.

The 26.2-mile P&SVRR (Folsom Junction to Shingle Springs) had operated as its own company from August 1864 to July 21, 1871. But the mortgage on the property of the P&SVRR was foreclosed on May 21, 1869 and sold to William Alvord. On July 21, 1871, title was conveyed to Alvord who, on the same day conveyed the title to Huntington, Stanford, and Hopkins. They later formed the Sacramento & Placerville Railroad, incorporated April 19, 1877, and by deed of sale dated May 28, 1877, transferred the property of the P&SVRR into the new S&PRR corporation.

Bondholders sue El Dorado County

In 1873, the holders of the P&SVRR bonds sued the County of El Dorado and the City of Placerville, to recover the entire amount due in principal and interest. The county defended the suit but lost in lower court. Finally, through the efforts of H.S. Morey, A. Mierson, and Judge Williams, the whole of the bonds and coupons, with accrued interest, amounting to $239,135.37 were surrendered for the sum of $200,000, which was paid in new bonds running 20 years but only bearing 5 percent interest. The city of Placerville had a simpler solution to the problem.

City Council disappears

When the telegraphed news of the bondholders winning the suit reached the City Council, they all simply resigned, leaving no one in charge or responsible for the payment. The pages of the minute books of the City Council of Placerville are empty from that point into the 1900s, when apparently, the whole problem had become forgotten history and the City Council thought it safe to return.

Placerville finally gets its railroad

The Central Pacific through the Shingle Springs & Placerville (incorporated May 10, 1887) gave a bond of $100,000 to continue the tracks to Placerville. The county had finally won a railroad to Placerville but at a high cost to its taxpayers.

The last 11.6 miles to Placerville were completed March 29, 1888. The first passenger train arrived on April 9, 1888, while the first freight reached the depot on April 18, 1888. The occasion of the arrival of the first passenger train brought out nearly all the residents of Placerville and the surrounding towns. With only five days advance notice, the city was cleaned up and preparations for the celebration had been made. As the 500 excursion passengers pulled into the station, they were greeted by the boom of cannon, the blare of brass bands, and the cheers of the thousands assembled there. A large group of local citizens delivered welcome statements which were followed by an extended oration by Gov. Waterman. Festivities continued with a large parade and finally concluded with a huge banquet.

The occasion marked an important event in the romantic annals of transportation to and from Placerville which had commenced with pack trains only 40 years earlier.

Without the foresight and vision of men like Col. Charles Lincoln Wilson, Theodore Judah, and Lester Robinson, the transcontinental railroad might still have been a dream in the 1860s. They fought to build the first commercial railroad west of the Rockies and opened many eyes with their success. The challenge given the Central Pacific by Lester Robinson and the Sacramento Valley Railroad only sped the progress of the western builders of the Pacific Railway across the summit of the Sierra far sooner than would have happened otherwise. To these companies, the Sacramento Valley Railroad, the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad, the Sacramento & Placerville Railroad, and the men and women behind them, we owe the saving of precious time in the building and settlement of the West.

Footnote:

The Sacramento & Placerville RR operated the Shingle Springs & Placerville RR under lease until May 15, 1888. On that date the 60.7 miles from Sacramento to Placerville were consolidated with 10 other local valley railroad organizations to form the Northern Railway of 1888, all under control of the Southern Pacific hierarchy.

The historical Placerville line became an important feeder branch line after the turn of the century for the Southern Pacific, producing hundreds of carloads annually, mostly lumber and refrigerated loads of deciduous fruits.

In 1986 the Placerville, Camino and Lake Tahoe Railroad, owned by Michigan California Lumber Co., abandoned its line from Placerville to Camino. The Michigan Cal. Co. had been delivering the majority of traffic at the far end of the line. Southern Pacific soon filed to abandon the line from Folsom to Placerville.

El Dorado County, with support of many smaller rail-shipping businesses, was successful in defeating the abandonment, both before the ICC and in federal court. Southern Pacific responded with a $750 per carload surcharge, which the ICC upheld. Most of the remaining railroad shippers reluctantly shifted to trucks as their means of transport.

Ironically, the last train operations all the way to Placerville ended in 1987, just one year short of the line’s 100-year anniversary.

AUTHOR NOTES:

Douglas J. Noble was born and raised less than a 100 feet from the Santa Fe tracks in Pasadena. He has always had a deep fascination with the railroads and Western history. His grandfather, who had come to California in the 1880s. furthered this feeling with tales of early railroad building. Doug moved to El Dorado County in the early 1970s where he worked as a county planner. In 1987 he was requested to write a short history about the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad for inclusion in the arguments against the abandonment of the Southern Pacific line from Folsom to Placerville, which El Dorado County was opposing before the ICC. This history was an integral part of the county’s submission which resulted in the ICC and Federal Court refusal for abandonment. Doug also writes columns for the Mountain Democrat and Sierra Heritage Magazine.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dunscomb, Guy L., A CENTURY OF SOUTHERN PACIFIC STEAM LOCOMOTIVES, G.L. Dunscomb Publications, Modesto, California, 1963.

Gwinn, William H., THE FREEPORT RAILROAD 1863-1865, Sacramento County Historical Society, Sacramento, California, 1971

Joslyn, David L., RAILROADS THAT HAVE ENTERED SACRAMENTO – THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY RAILROAD COMPANY, 14 pages, self published 1959.

Kneiss, Gilbert H., BONANZA RAILROADS, Stanford University Press, Stanford University, California, 1941.

McAfee, Ward, CALIFORNIA’S RAILROAD ERA 1850-1911, Golden West Books, San Marino, California, 1973.

Mountain Democrat, SOUVENIR EDITION OF THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD, Mountain Democrat, Placerville, California, January 24, 1898.

Mountain Democrat, SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SOUVENIR REVIEW EDITION, Mountain Democrat, Placerville, California, January 6, 1928.

Placerville Times, 1938, THE BIG YEAR, Placerville Times, Placerville, California, December 29, 1937.

Sioli, Paolo, HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, Paolo Sioli, Oakland, California, 1883.

The minutes of: Court of Sessions and Board of Supervisors, El Dorado County, 1850-present; Placerville Common Council and City Council, 1854-present

The files of: The El Dorado County Historical Museum; The El Dorado County Library; The Mountain Democrat 1854-1987.

Crane deposits locomotive

2011-01-16T21:12:00.000-08:00

WORK CREWS steady a 22 ton Plymouth diesel locomotive as it is being lifted from a trailer onto the railroad tracks in the town of El Dorado Friday afternoon. Democrat photo by Pat DollinsIt wasn’t wrapped, but the train engine that arrived in El Dorado on Friday, Dec. 17, might as well have had a big red ribbon on it.

The 22-ton Plymouth diesel locomotive is a gift from CertainTeed , in Chowchilla. Keith Berry, president of El Dorado Western Railway, said CertainTeed had owned the engine for over 30 years. “They were looking for a place to donate the engine where it would be taken care of.” In a sense the Plymouth is coming home to El Dorado County. At one time it was owned by American Rock & Gravel Co. in Cool. It was built by Plymouth Locomotive Works, a builder of small railroad locomotives in Plymouth, Ohio, in 1952. CertainTeed delivered the engine on a lowboy trailer provided by Bordges Timber Shop in El Dorado. Diamond Crane from Diamond Springs supplied the crane to lift the engine off the trailer. The Plymouth was delivered into the loving hands of the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation volunteers. Berry said there are about 35 volunteers who work on railroad development, rehabilitating old tracks, installing new ties, repairing drainage areas, cutting brush, and repairing and maintaining railroad equipment. “Our volunteers range in age from 14 to 82. The track crew is generally in the 18-30 range. Machinists work at a shop at the county museum and some volunteers have homework projects where they repair parts at home and bring them back.” If all goes according to plan, the Plymouth will be carrying passengers from El Dorado east to Missouri Flat Road, a distance of about three miles, beginning around Memorial Day. The next extension planned is west to the El Dorado Y. Long-range, they would like to extend the railway to Shingle Springs. “This is the living history component of the railway park in El Dorado,” said Berry. “This is part of the first railroad in the United States. People will be able to step back in time to the early 1900s and experience the excitement of waiting for the train to come into the station, then take a ride through beautiful scenery.” Berry said that when Southern Pacific was running trains there were dirt roads on each side of the tracks for fire service. The right of way is wide. It can accommodate a paved path for walking, a dirt path for mountain bikes and a path for equestrians. “Passengers can take the train one way, then ride their bicycles or walk back.” The rails are standard gauge, 4-feet, 8-1/2 inches. Berry says a third rail can be installed “that will allow us to use narrow gauge too.” The trailhead for this section of the tracks will be located at the proposed regional park in El Dorado. The El Dorado County Department of Transportation is applying to the state for grant money to develop the park. The original El Dorado Depot will be reconstructed on the site. The plan includes an information center, picnic area, parking, restrooms and handicapped access. Berry is a member of the El Dorado County Museum Commission and project manager for the historical railroad. He is a retired hospital administrator, but he has railroad blood: “My great-grandfather worked on locomotives in England. He brought his family to Dunkirk, N.Y., so he and his sons could continue working on trains.” He said, ”I was the logical person to take on the project because I had experience with the railroad museum in Sacramento and I have the time to devote to it. This is my avocation. The railroad park and train ride are a community public benefit, and will draw rail fans from outside the region.” Berry, who is a volunteer, says the development of the railroad is being done with private donations, museum volunteers and local contractors. “We want to show that the community can generate support for programs without having to spend millions of dollars,” he said. The railroad will operate under federal railroad regulations. It will travel at a speed of 10 mph, and when crossing a road will stop and the flag men will jump off the train and stop traffic. “The whistle is tuned to the environment. It’s about half volume. We will be a good neighbor,” he said. The El Dorado Western Railway Foundation is a 503(c)(3) not-for-profit. It is housed in the El Dorado County Museum at 104 Placerville Drive. Mary Cory, museum director is a member of the museum commission and serves as the foundation secretary. To make a donation or inquire about volunteering, call the El Dorado County Museum at 530-621-5865.
Berry says the train is scheduled to run on weekends and holidays year-round, including some evening rides “Imagine the fun of a train ride in the snow, and the sound of the train whistle tooting,” he said.

Supes: No priority rights on RR route

2010-12-10T21:42:00.000-08:00