Name

Date

Start-

End

Event

SJSN

1882

S

F. Birdsall promotes the construction of the San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada RR in Lodi, California heading to Calaveras Big Trees

SJSN

1885

E

F. Birdsall passes away after completing narrow gauge line from Lodi to Valley Springs-acquired by So. Pacific Co.

SP

1890

So. Pacific builds a rail terminus at Milton in Calaveras County and Oakdale where stages and teamsters enter into Southern Mother Lode mining areas in Tuolumne County

1895

T. Bullock arrives in the West looking to find a place to use his rails and equipment from the Prescott-Arizona Central RR, which went out of business due to Santa Fe competition

1895

T. Bullock attempts to promote a railroad from Stockton in San Joaquin County to the Central Mother Lode mines, but fails because of prohibitive costs of right-of-way

SF

1896

Santa Fe completes rail line to Riverbank in Stanislaus County, 6 miles west of Oakdale with possibility of continuing to Southern Mother Lode mining areas

1896

T. Bullock considers selling his rails to prospective Yosemite Valley RR contractors, but goes on tour of Calaveras & Tuolumne counties and decides to build a more southerly route into the southern mines after considering joining So. Pacific and using San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada RR

SR

Feb. 1, 1897

S

Sierra Rwy incorporated by Thomas Bullock, William Crocker, Prince Andre Poniatowski ($5M) – (standard gauge)

WR

Feb. 1897

S

Stockton Tuolumne RR (aka Women’s RR) incorporated by Annie Kline Rikert (standard gauge)

SR

Mar. 24, 1897

Construction begins on Sierra Rwy from Oakdale to Jamestown (original terminus at 41 miles) & two small engines are purchased

WR

Mar. 1897

Women’s RR begins construction from Stockton & raises money from city of Sonora investors (mostly women)

SR

Jun. 21, 1897

Sierra Rwy completed to Cooperstown at milepost 20 & opens for business with a timetable.

WR

Aug. 1897

E

Women's RR, after completing only 12 miles plus, is stopped; graders leave for work on Sierra Rwy; leave for lack of back pay & leans are put on Women’s RR

SR

Nov. 10, 1897

First Sierra Rwy train arrives in Jamestown from Oakdale; Sonora rejects Sierra Rwy plan to operate down Washington St. to reach Columbia marble quarry; Sierra Rwy owners consider spur to Columbia off the future line to Angels Camp

SR

Mar. 1898

Sierra Rwy's general offices moved from Oakdale to Jamestown; site of freight depot, roundhouse, turntable and maintenance shops

SR

Apr. 1898

Nevills Hotel opens next to Jamestown depot; built by Bullock and Capt. Nevills, owner of Rawhide Mine

SR

Feb. 1899

First Sierra Rwy train arrives at outskirts of City of Sonora depot, pushing on later  to Tuolumne to reach the timber investments of Bullock & Crocker

WSL

May 31, 1899

S

West Side Flume & Lumber Co. incorporated by T. Bullock et al in Carters/Summersville

T. Bullock builds Sierra Railway depot near site of West Side Lumber & Flume Co. in Carter/Summersville, creating a new terminus at 57 miles (later officially named Tuolumne in 1909)

WSLR

Aug. 1900

S

West Side Flume & Lumber Co. incorporates Hetch Hetchy & Yosemite Valley RR (narrow gauge)

WSL  

1901      

T. Bullock sells West Side Flume & Lumber Co. to Michigan company; name changed to West Side Lumber Co. & joins Standard Lumber Co.

SLC

Sep. 30, 1901

S

Standard Lumber Co. incorporated by Steinmetz; joined by Bullock in Oct.

T. Bullock opens Turnback Inn in Tuolumne, new terminus of Sierra Rwy at 57 miles; burns down in Oct. 1923

SR

Sep. 15, 1902

First Sierra Rwy train arrives in Angels Camp overcoming complex engineering challenge with its Angels branch line; Angels Camp depot and turntable built

YVR

Dec. 18, 1902

S

Yosemite Valley RR (Merced & Yosemite RR) 86 miles; incorporated by Oakland & SF financiers - Frank G. Drum, Thomas Prather, William W. Gorthewaite

SPR

Feb. 1903

S

Sugar Pine Rwy incorporated by SLC – (std. gauge)

YVR

1904

Yosemite Valley RR (std. gauge) granted right-of-way into Yosemite Park by US Congress

YSL

Aug. 1905

S

Yosemite Short Line Rwy incorporated (narrow gauge) by T. Bullock et al

YSL

Oct. 1905

Yosemite Short Line Rwy first 10 miles construction starts 2 miles south of Jamestown on Sierra Rwy-dual gauge track

YVR

Oct. 15, 1905

S

Yosemite Valley RR construction begins, reaches 6 miles by December; a requirement of contract

YVR

1906

Yosemite Valley RR reaches Merced where main offices & depot set up; official passenger service begins

YVR

Apr. 18, 1906

San Francisco Earthquake-major destruction

YSL

1906

Yosemite Short Line Rwy is stopped by heavy rainfall & flooding

YSL

Jun. 1906

E

Yosemite Short Line Rwy financing ends as result of San Francisco Earthquake; rails & equipment moved to Empire City Mill

YVR

May 1907

Yosemite Valley RR construction reaches Yosemite National Park boundary, 12 mi. from valley floor; railhead established & named El Portal (the Gateway); stage coach was used to complete trip to valley

1907

Became known as the year of financial crisis & RR receiverships. Hundreds of RRs never operate again

SLC

1907

Standard Lumber Co. buys Empire City Mill

ECR

Jul. 27, 1908

S

Empire City Rwy (narrow gauge) incorporated by Bullock to provide service to South Fork, Empire & Cold Springs mills using Yosemite Short Line rails & equipment

ECR

1909

Empire City Rwy top section located at Lyon’s Dam; Sugar Pine Railway reached bottom of incline where transfer station using steam donkeys lowered & raised rail cars (narrow gauge)

YLC

1910

S

Yosemite Lumber Co. incorporated & plans a 7,800 foot incline railroad down to El Portal & Yosemite Valley RR mainline

YLC

1912

Yosemite Lumber Co. completes construction of the sawmill at Merced Falls & a 100 acre company town; closed down in 1927

ECR

1912

E

Empire City Rwy title suspended SLC assumes operation till 1917, then abandoned

SR   

May 1913

Sierra Railway depot in Jamestown and general offices burned down and immediately rebuilt; records destroyed.  Empire City Mill also burned down that year.

HH

Dec. 1913

Hetch Hetchy Water & Power project approved after 12 yrs of struggle with landowners & environmentalists

HHR

1913

City of San Francisco evaluates present & proposed RR for Hetch Hetchy & rejects in favor of best approach following Tuolumne River

HHR

1914

Hetch Hetchy design plan selected (std gauge) starts from connection with Sierra Rwy at Hetch Hetchy Junction 15 miles west of Jamestown at milepost 26

1915

Nevills Hotel in Jamestown burns down

HHR

Feb. 1916

S

City & County of San Francisco starts 68-mile line extending to rim of Hetch Hetchy at dam site

1916

E

Harvard, Shawmut, & Melones Mines were closing down

HHR

1917

Hetch Hetchy RR completed to dam site (O’Shaughnessy) at cost of $2M

SR

May 26, 1919

First silent movie shot on Sierra Rwy “The Red Glove”

1920

T. Bullock passed away

1921

S

Prohibition starts

PLC

1921

S

W. R. Pickering acquires Standard Lumber Co. and its Sugar Pine Rwy; renamed Pickering Lumber Co. & Pickering RR

SR

Jul. 1921

Sierra Rwy 8 mile spur completed to Don Pedro Dam site

HHR

Apr. 1923

O’Shaughnessy Dam construction completed with support of Hetch Hetchy RR and Sierra Railway; Turnback Inn at Tuolumne burns down

SR

1924

Don Pedro Dam construction completed with support of Sierra Rwy

SR

1925

Sierra Rwy spur started to reach Melones Dam site

HHR

Feb. 15, 1925

Hetch Hetchy RR now ceased as common carrier after 19-mile mountain tunnel project & Moccasin Power House completed

PLC

1925

W. R. Pickering acquires West Side Lumber Co. and its West Side Lumber RR

1926

Frog Jump competition starts in Calaveras County

PLC

1926

S

W. R. Pickering incorporates the Pickering Lumber Co.

SR

1927-1929

Melones Dam and power house completed supported by Sierra Rwy

HHR

1929

Hetch Hetchy Water & Power Foothill Tunnel westward from Moccasin was completed with support of Hetch Hetchy RR

SPLC

1929

E

Sugar Pine Lumber Co. of Pinedale purchases Yosemite Lumber Co. assets and reopens Merced Fall sawmill; hit by Great Depression, but survived until 1933 and closes all operations

PLC

1930

Beginning of Great Depression; Pickering Lumber Co. closes West Side Lumber Co. mill & logging operations

PLC  

1931

E

Pickering Lumber Co. goes into bankruptcy; closes all mills & logging operations

SR

1932

Sierra Rwy forced into receivership by bondholders

1933

E

Repeal of Prohibition

WSL

1934

Pickering Lumber Co. sells West Side Lumber Co. back to Michigan company and mill reopens

SR

May 1935

E

Sierra Rwy contracts to operate Hetch Hetchy RR supporting enlargement of O’Shaughnessy Dam (completed in 1938)

SR

1935

E

Sierra Rwy ceases operation of Angels branch line after 33 years of operation – 1939 rails and turntable removed, depot and property returned to Tryon family

YSPL

1935

S

Assets of Yosemite Lumber Co. & Sugar Pine Lumber Co. were consolidated

YSPL

1935

E

Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Co. closed due to pressure to end logging operations in Yosemite Park by the Sec. of Interior Harold Ickes

PLC

1937

S

Pickering Lumber Co. reopens its sawmill & logging operations with aid of government reconstruction loan

SR

Mar. 31, 1937

S

Sierra Rwy emerges from receivership after sold at auction to Crocker Assoc; renamed Sierra Railroad

SRR

Aug. 31, 1938

E

Sierra RR last regular passenger service in Tuolumne County ending 41 years of passenger operations

SF, SP

1939

E

Santa Fe & Southern Pacific end passenger service into Oakdale; freight service continues into Oakdale

1942

E

U. S. government suspends all gold mining to redirect efforts to war related materials

YVR

Aug. 24, 1945

E

Yosemite Valley RR last scheduled run ending 39 years of operation

HHR

1949-1950

E

Hetch Hetchy RR tracks taken up & sold as scrap ending 32 years of operation

SRR

1955-1957

Sierra RR supports Tri-Dam project-Donnell, Beardsley, Tulloch (dams, power houses and reservoirs).

SR

1957

Sierra RR steam excursion rides begin; Tri-Dam completed-dedication ceremony in June

PLC

1958

Pickering Lumber Co. re-acquires West Side Lumber Co. and its West Side Lumber RR Narrow Gauge

PLC

1961

E

Pickering Lumber Co. RR (old West Side Lumber RR) discontinued after 61 years of operation; replaced by trucks and new highways in Tuolumne County

PLC

Apr. 1962

E

Pickering Lumber Co. (old West Side Lumber Mill) workers strike; mill burns down at end of year; permanently closes in spring 1963

SRR

1963

Sierra RR excursion train derailment causes management to end excursions

PLC

1965

E

Pickering Lumber RR abandoned after 62 years of operations (original Sugar Pine Rwy); PLC sold to Fiberboard Paper Products

SR

1971

Crocker Assoc. opens Railtown 1897; steam excursions reinstated with Sierra Rwy equipment

SR

Jul. 1982-83

S

State of California Parks & Recreation Dept. purchases Railtown 1897 from Crocker Assoc. & opens Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

SRR

Sep. 1995 

Sierra RR passes to a group of creditors

Fiberboard sell wood products division (includes mills at Standard and Chinese Camp) to Sierra Pacific Industries

SRR

2000

Sierra RR continues to haul freight and starts passenger excursion train out of Oakdale

SRR

2003

Sierra RR marks 106 yeas of operation; merges with Yolo Shortline excursion RR (now the Sacramento River Train)

SRR

2004

Sierra RR et al buys Skunk RR (formerly the California Western RR) excursion from Fort Bragg, California to Willits (redwood tree views)

SR

2007

Original Sierra Rwy steam engine #3 built in 1891 begins major multi-year restoration program (referred to as "The Movie Queen")   

Railtown 1897 SHP debuts the fully operational 1891 Sierra Railway Engine No. 3, “The Movie Queen,” after a three-year $1.5 million restoration.