Between 1909 and 1918, traffic rose with the onset of World War I, although such gains vanished in the 1920s and 1930s. Feather River Canyon. [8] In the shared track area, the tracks mostly run on opposite sides of the Humboldt River; at some points the two lines are several miles apart. Enter your e-mail address for things to do, restaurants to try and much more! Initially this required a crossover between the two tracks. Finally, on November 1, 1909 a Golden Spike ceremony was held within the Feather River Canyon at Keddie, California marking the railroad's formal completion. The Feather River Route is a rail line that was built and operated by the Western Pacific Railroad. which is 1,000 feet (300 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) high. However when the WP and UP merged in 1983, the crossover was eliminated.[10]. While we continue to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, please take proper precautions or add them to your bucket list to see at a later date. Western Pacific Track. If you are an admirer of highway and railway engineering, then go. The Western Pacific was a late comer to America’s railroad scene – WP was not incorporated to build its main line from Salt Lake City to the San Francisco Bay Area until 1903, and its final spike was You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Most of the remaining portion of the Feather River Route follows, "History of Water Development and the State Water Project", "Eureka County, Yucca Mountain Existing Transportation Corridor Study", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Feather_River_Route&oldid=991985560, Transportation in Plumas County, California, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Winnemucca Subdivision - from Portola to Winnemucca, This page was last edited on 2 December 2020, at 21:35. Otherwise, it's 3-4 hours of white knuckle driving with no guardrails. In response to this, the Western Pacific installed Centralized Traffic Control between Oroville and Portola, California, in the Sierra Nevada, during 1944 and 1945. Subsequently, Harriman decided to close off access to the Southern Pacific to all railroads other than the Union Pacific, leaving all other railroads unable to access the Pacific Coast from Salt Lake City. The canyon portion of this 130-mile scenic byway route travels east-west across Butte and Plumas Counties on State Highway 70, following the north fork of the Feather River. Feather River Canyon Detours in June 2013 by RailfanJunction . Flickr/ David Prasad The Feather River Scenic Byway route can be taken in either direction. During the 1970s, the Feather River Route experienced modernization, as operations became computerized. [citation needed], The Feather River Route parallels the Overland Route in central Nevada between Weso (near Winnemucca) and Alazon (near Wells). The Union Pacific has divided the remaining portion of the Feather River Route into three subdivisions: The far western portion of the line, west of Stockton, is now used by the Altamont Corridor Express. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Glide past — not above — amber waves of grain. The Union Pacific Railroad now owns the tracks that formerly belonged to the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroads. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909, and connects the cities of Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah. It also sat towards the eastern end of the WP's legendary Feather River Route through the Feather River Canyon between Oroville and Portola, California. This is your chance to join Trains & Travel for an unforgettable experience of riding a private charter train up the scenic Feather River and take part in the fun of the 32nd annual Portola Railroad Days. [1], However, interest in a line through the Feather River Canyon was renewed in 1900, when the Union Pacific Railroad, then led by E. H. Harriman, took control of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Featherbed Railroad is located right on the shore of Clear Lake in Northern California's Lake County. Operated by the Feather River Rail Society, a California 501(c)3 Non Profit Organization 700 Western Pacific Way, Portola, California 96122-8636 | 1-530-832-4131 | email us at: info@wplives.org In 1909, the Western Pacific Railroad built their line on the sides of the cliffs along this same route. The Central Pacific (later WP was not incorporated to build its main line from Salt Lake City to the San Francisco Bay Area until 1903, and its final spike was not driven until 1909. [citation needed]. Feather River Keddie Wye Drone View: Union Pacific Autoracks 9/4/2017 The Western Pacific was built with the intention of not exceeding a gradient of one per cent. [12], The Western Pacific Railroad Museum, a preservation society founded in 1984, is located next to the Union Pacific rail yard in Portola, California. The line began operation in 1962. It was at this time the #4 was sent to the Tahoe Timber Company’s mill near Reno for stationary boiler service. The canyon portion of this 130-mile scenic byway route travels east-west across Butte and Plumas Counties on State Highway 70, following the north fork of the Feather River. [7] Eastbound trains of both companies used the tracks for the Feather River Route while westbound trains used the Overland Route. Regularly scheduled freight service commenced on December 1st that year while passenger service launched several months later … The route derives its name from its crossing of the Sierra Nevada, where it follows both the North and Middle Forks of the Fea… Railfanning fact sheet for Feather River Canyon This is not a location per se but a scenic region (like Cajon Pass) with many RR photo ops though 60+ miles of beautiful Canyon country. After November 1, 1909 the spot was well known simply as being the company's golden spike location where its eastern line to Salt Lake City connected with its western route to Oakland. Hence, on April 3, 1903, the Western Pacific Railroad, backed heavily by Gould, was founded in San Francisco, California. Freight traffic doubled, and passenger traffic increased sixfold. The North Fork Feather River is the Feather River's source tributary with the largest watershed area and the highest average discharge into Lake Oroville. Ironically, the Western Pacific built the last transcontinental railroad completed in 1909, which goes through the Feather River Canyon above Oroville, California, and provided an easier crossing over the mighty Sierras back then. A portion of the line through downtown Sacramento is now used by the Blue Line of the Sacramento Regional Transit District. Marvel at the vivid hues of Utah’s deserts. Traffic increased steadily in both categories over the next few years of the war. The pass, at 5,221 feet (1,591 m) in elevation, is the lowest pass through the Sierras. The route derives its name from its crossing of the Sierra Nevada, where it follows both the North and Middle Forks of the Feather River. It's a major portion of the Feather River National Scenic Byway and serves as the lowest elevation east-west passageway through the Sierra Nevada. The Feather River Canyon along the North Fork of the Feather River in Butte County is a truly unforgettable drive. The train carrying co... Railroad: Union Pacific Locomotive: n/a Location: Rich Bar, California, USA Locomotive #: n/a Train ID: UP GSG5TR 20 Photo Date: November 25, 2014 on the railroad maps of North America. The route is famous for its impressive engineering qualities and its considerable scenic value. Even today you will see long snake-like rows of freight cars traveling across the chasm from your roadway. The final spike was driven into the railroad on the trestle at the present Keddie “Y,” named after Arthur W. Keddie who in 1867 surveyed Much of the line crisscrossed the river and was carved out of and tunneled through solid granite cliffs. In 1911, the WP installed automatic block signals between Spring Garden and Tobin and planned to extend the signals down the Feather River Canyon to Oroville. [1], When the line was finished in 1909 it spanned a total of 927 miles (1,492 km), and had been built at the then ferociously expensive cost of $75 million (equivalent to $2.13 billion in 2020). The award-winning Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast Resort in Northern California's wine country offers a truly unique lodging experience. From the late 1940s through to the early 1970s, freight traffic on the line grew slowly, while passenger traffic fell substantially. The run was completed in 1909. Date: 10/03/20 15:07 ... but FYI Highway 70 through the Feather River Canyon has been closed to traffic for about a week, account of the North Complex fire which is burning on the south side of the Canyon down in the vicinity of the highway tunnels. The Western Pacific was a late comer to America?s railroad scene ? Trains are relatively few, but the scenery is spectacular. East of Winnemucca, the former Feather River Route has been combined with lines from the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad to form the Central Corridor. Western Pacific’s Feather River Canyon route is one of the most famous, scenic, and highly-engineered railroad lines in all of North America. [4] The new line features the North Fork Bridge,[5][6] which is 1,000 feet (300 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) high. Drive Past Lights, Trees, And Holiday Displays At Christmas In The Park In Northern California, Take A Spooky Garden Tour At The Winchester Mystery House In Northern California This Holiday Season, Family-Owned Since The 1960s, Sacramento Sweets Co. Railroad: Union Pacific Locomotive: EMD SD40-2 Share your experiences with us today on Facebook. The Feather River Canyon, located along Highway 70 between Oroville and Quincy, is one of the most popular scenic driving routes in the state. UP 3499 and sister SD40-2 head west through the Feather River Canyon leaving the Keddie Wye behind them, in less than perfect lighting conditions. By using a route surveyed through the Feather River Canyon, Arthur Keddie managed to maintain this grade, and in so doing did not exceed 4000 feet altitude in his crossing of the Sierras. [citation needed] However, this did not stop the Western Pacific from introducing the California Zephyr in 1949. The construction of the Inside Gateway line, completed in 1931 between Keddie and Bieber, California, failed to alleviate the problem. Feather River Scenic Byway . Check flight prices and hotel availability for your visit. The Southern Pacific Railroad and Western Pacific came to a shared trackage agreement to use directional running. The GPS loca The Zephyr, which operated over three railroads on its route between Oakland and Chicago, gained immense recognition but failed to last past the year 1970, when lack of riders and unprofitability forced the Western Pacific to abandon the service. All of the route is now owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad; however, the Union Pacific has transferred significant portions of the route to other lines. Crossovers were constructed where the lines run in close proximity to allow bi-directional service to the areas previously only accessible from one of the lines, such as Battle Mountain. Freight traffic doubled, and passenger traffic increased sixfold. [9], By 1967, a second section of the Feather River Route was converted to directional running. Serves Up The Tastiest Candies In Northern California, Pick And Cut Your Own Christmas Tree This Season At Snowy Peaks Tree Farm In Northern California, These 11 Beautiful Byways In Northern California Are Perfect For A Scenic Drive, The Highest Road In Northern California Will Lead You On An Unforgettable Journey, It’s So Hot In California Right Now That Roadways Are Buckling, Take A Journey Through This One-Of-A-Kind Bridge Park In Northern California, The Scenic Byway In Northern California You Have To Travel At Least Once, This Hotel In Northern California Is Actually A Boat And You Need To Visit, Why This One Tiny Town Is Secretly The Best Place In Northern California. Thank you! The track formerly owned by the Western Pacific Railroad runs parallel to the Feather River, slightly east of it. [citation needed], Traffic levels on the route exploded during the first year of the war. Love Northern Cal? Beautiful country roads and scenic byways are plentiful in Northern California, but this one riverside route will amaze you. The route begins just outside of Oroville, home to Feather River, the state’s first designated Wild and Scenic River. Interest in building a transportation artery through the Feather River Canyon and across the deserts of Nevada and Utah began with the discovery of Beckwourth Pass, in the Sierra Nevada, in 1850. [1], Construction of the line began in 1906 and continued under harsh conditions. Just after 3am on November 25th, 2014, a westbound grain train derailed near Rich Bar, California in the Feather River Canyon. Jay's son and successor, George Gould, decided it prudent to regain access to the Pacific Coast. During the 1970s, the Feather River Route experienced modernization, as operations became computerized. The portion still called the Feather River Route by the Union Pacific runs from the California Central Valley to Winnemucca, Nevada and has been divided into three subdivisions named the Sacramento, Canyon and Winnemucca subdivisions. Cross the Continental Divide, travel through tunnels and canyons. However, none of these proposals ever amounted to any level of action, and the idea was widely considered dead by the 1890s. If you have an idea for an Only In Northern California story, email her at. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909, and connects the cities of Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah. It featured a ruling grade of 1%, making it only half as steep as Southern Pacific's Donner Pass line, its primary competitor. Have you ever traveled this breathtaking and fascinating route? Pentrex visited the Feather River Canyon in 1991 to produce “Union Pacific’s Feather River Route.” We returned to the Feather River Canyon in 2009 and again in 2011 to record modern operations over this scenic yet difficult territory. In 1996, the Union Pacific acquired the Southern Pacific, resulting in both lines between Oakland and Utah being owned by the same company. [citation needed], From the late 1940s through to the early 1970s, freight traffic on the line grew slowly, while passenger traffic fell substantially. We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life. Along portions built as part of the Feather River Route that are currently assigned to other lines: For the Georgia-Pacific logging railroad, see, The traffic levels of the Feather River Route fluctuated considerably between its completion in 1909 and the purchase of the, Traffic levels on the route exploded during the first year of the war. In response to this, the Western Pacific installed. Western Railroad Discussion > Feather River Canyon Access. The line began operation in 1962. For this series we will follow the Western Pacific through the Feather River Canyon to the Nevada border. If you know of a local business that could use some extra support during these times, please nominate them here: Jill is a freelance writer from a small Northern California town and lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the deserts of Nevada and Utah high temperature and lack of water made conditions similarly difficult; construction costs skyrocketed, nearly bankrupting the contractors building the line. Belden >> A November train derailment in the Feather River Canyon was caused by a broken rail, the Enterprise-Record has learned.As Union Pacific Railroad prepares to … I would like to thank everyone for there support with my channel! He eventually found such a route, and helped to found the Oroville and Virginia City Railroad Company in 1867 to build a railroad along it. [2], The traffic levels of the Feather River Route fluctuated considerably between its completion in 1909 and the purchase of the Western Pacific Railroad by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1983. Like much of the Canyon this is … In its latest customer service advisory, railroad managers say the last remaining rail outage is located between Oroville and Portola, Calif. Labor turnover was extremely high, due to the miserable working conditions. The Union Pacific Railroad, which terminated in Ogden at the time, postulated multiple times throughout this era about building the line, so that it could bypass the Central Pacific and access the Pacific Coast on its own. Feather River National Scenic Byway (Route 70 north from Oroville) is really not all that scenic, in our opinion. Traffic increased steadily in both categories over the next few years of the war. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Union Pacific’s route through the Feather River Canyon is still closed from heavy rains that plagued northern California starting more than three weeks ago. Starting in Oroville, we worked our way into the town of Portola, 113 track miles to the east. Travel the Feather River Canyon by Train. Climb the magnificent Rockies and Sierra Nevadas and witness the power of the raging Colorado River. Figure 3 – Railroad Division Map . … The Feather River Route is a rail line that was built and operated by the Western Pacific Railroad. In looking at the current CA Fire website of the fire map of the ongoing Camp Fire burning between Chico and the Feather River Canyon that devastated the town of Paradise, it looks like the area around North Fork Bridge may have burned. Western Pacific?s Feather River Canyon route is one of the most famous, scenic, and highly-engineered railroad lines in all of North America. Have you ever wanted to relive a little bit of history? This route was selected because it leads to a low pass over the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the Sierra a total absence of roads, along with rockslides in the Feather River Canyon and extreme temperature fluctuation, made working conditions uncomfortable and dangerous. When it was completed, the new Western Pacific line stretched from the San Francisco Bay to Salt Lake City. Vastly Scenic Feather River Canyon [4K] Aerial RR Feature March 2019 . [7] After the acquisition, the Union Pacific truncated the Feather River Route to the meeting points of the two lines near Sacramento, California and Winnemucca, Nevada. In late 1956, the Clover Valley Lumber Company sold out to the Feather River Lumber Company, but the rail operation remained the same. Get directions, maps, and traffic for Feather River Canyon, CA. Nonetheless, progress inched further, although slower than anticipated, due to the challenges caused by the presence of many long tunnels on the Sierra portion of the route. Figure 4 – Response Strategy Location Map . Railfanning Keddie and Williams Loop, California: November 21, 2009 by Feather River Rail Productions . Derailment in the Feather River Canyon. In the 1860s, Arthur W. Keddie began surveying in the Feather River Canyon, in order to find a suitable route for such an artery. The line was built to compete with the Central Pacific Railroad (and later Southern Pacific Railroad), which at the time held a nearly complete monopoly on Northern California rail service. This results in trains following right hand traffic in the eastern half of the shared track area, but left hand traffic in the western half. ... Feather River Canyon significantly affects the response strategies presented in this GRP. There is a grade separated crossover of the two lines in the shared track area near Palisade, Nevada. Western Pacific’s Feather River Canyon route is one of the most dramatically scenic and highly-engineered railroad lines in North America. The Western Pacific was purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1983. Some interest remained, however, because the proposed route was much less steep and passed through the Sierras at a point 2,000 feet (610 m) lower than that of the recently finished First Transcontinental Railroad, owned by the Central Pacific Railroad between Sacramento and Ogden, Utah. Most of the remaining portion of the Feather River Route follows State Route 70 in California and former State Route 49 in Nevada. [3], In 1957, a portion of the route between Oroville and Intake had to be relocated to make way for the Oroville Dam. Keddie noted the small grade in the canyon and realized that building a railroad up the Feather River Canyon instead of through the Sierra would be advantageous. Another super busy day in the canyon. [1], Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, little progress was made in forming a company to construct the railroad line. The line was built to compete with the Central Pacific Railroad (and later Southern Pacific Railroad), which at the time held a nearly complete monopoly on Northern California rail service. Yet in 1936, in spite of falling traffic, the Western Pacific rehabilitated the Feather River Route using RFC funds. However, political pressure from the Central Pacific Railroad, among other factors, led to the end of all construction efforts by 1869. You will marvel at the bridges across steep gorges. As a result, the line was in optimal condition at the onset of World War II in 1939. In late 1957, the railroad became history when the logging operation switched to trucks. The easternmost portion of the line (Shafter Subdivision), from the Kennecott Smokestack of the Bingham Canyon Mine smelting facilities to the end of the line in downtown Salt Lake City was operationally combined with the Lynndyl Subdivision of the former Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad for a continuous dual track into Salt Lake City. Foremost among these railroads was the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, the westernmost part of an 11,000-mile (17,703 km) transcontinental rail network organized by Jay Gould.
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