Central California Traction Company
The Central California Traction Company (reporting mark CCT) is a Class III short-line railroad operating in the northern San Joaquin Valley, in San Joaquin County, California. It is owned jointly by the Union Pacific and BNSF Railway.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Union Pacific BNSF Railway |
| Headquarters | Stockton, California |
| Reporting mark | CCT |
| Locale | San Joaquin Valley, California |
| Dates of operation | 1905– |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 1,200 V DC third rail (countryside) 600 V DC overhead line (within city limits)[1] none since 1946 |
| Length | 78 miles (126 km)[2] |
| Other | |
| Website | www |
CCT Interurban |
|---|
Service edit
The railroad operates between Stockton and Lodi. CCT also operates the Stockton Public Belt Railway around the Port of Stockton.
It connects to the Stockton Terminal and Eastern Railroad company freight lines that serve greater Stockton. Several miles of the CCT track through Acampo are being used to store rolling stock, primarily Centerbeam flatcars that carry lumber, as of 2009[update].
History edit
The Central California Traction Company was founded on August 7, 1905, as an alternative city streetcar line to the Stockton Electric Railroad. Streetcar service began in 1906.[3] The company soon had greater ambitions and became a 1,200-volt DC electric interurban railway,[2] opening a line from Stockton to Lodi on September 2, 1907, and reaching Sacramento on September 1, 1910.[1]
In 1928, the railroad was sold by the original owners and was then jointly purchased by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Western Pacific Railroad.[4] The Stockton streetcar operations were taken over by Stockton Electric Railway (by then an SP Subsidiary) in 1929.[5] Interurban service ceased on February 4, 1933,[1] but local streetcars continued to run in Sacramento continued until the service was acquired by National City Lines in 1943.[6] Electric service ended on December 22, 1946.[1]
The railroad operated over the same line from Lodi and Stockton to Sacramento until 1966 when the Sacramento belt line was closed, then trains were run over Southern Pacific's line into Sacramento. In 1998, service to Sacramento was suspended.[6] Since then the tracks remain between Stockton and Sacramento, being kept for future operational options.[citation needed]
One of the Central California Traction Company train stations survives in Acampo, just north of Lodi. This station was converted into a residence, with altered interior walls and an expansion.[citation needed]
Locomotive roster edit
| Model | Road no. |
|---|---|
| GE 44-ton switcher | 25 |
| 26 | |
| GE 70-ton switcher | 30 |
| 31 | |
| 32 | |
| ALCO S1 | 40 |
| 41 | |
| 42 | |
| ALCO S2 | 45 |
| EMD GP7u | 44 |
| ALCO S4 | 50 |
| EMD GP7 | 70 |
| 90 | |
| 700 | |
| ALCO RS-1 | 80 |
| Brookville BL12CG | 1201 & 1202 |
| EMD SW1500 | 1222 |
| 1501 | |
| 1502 | |
| 1503 | |
| 1504 | |
| NRE 3GS21B | BNSF 1243, 1247 & 1270 |
| Brookville BL20CG | 2101 |
| EMD GP18 | 1790 |
| 1795 |
See also edit
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ a b c d Robertson 1998, pp. 99–100
- ^ a b Demoro 1986, p. 202
- ^ Van Ommeren 2004, p. 54
- ^ Hilton & Due 2000, p. 207
- ^ Fickewirth 1992, p. 148
- ^ a b Burg 2006, p. 89
Bibliography edit
- Burg, William (2006). Sacramento's Streetcars. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738531472.
- Demoro, Harre W. (1986). California's Electric Railways. Glendale, California: Interurban Press. ISBN 0-916374-74-2.
- Fickewirth, Alvin A. (1992). California railroads: an encyclopedia of cable car, common carrier, horsecar, industrial, interurban, logging, monorail, motor road, shortlines, streetcar, switching and terminal railroads in California (1851-1992). San Marino, CA.: Golden West Books. ISBN 0-87095-106-8.
- Hilton, George W.; Due, John F. (2000) [1960]. The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-4014-3.
- Middleton, Wm. D. (2000) [1964]. The Interurban Era. Kalmbach Publishing Co. Milwaukee, WI. ISBN 978-0-89024-003-8.
- Robertson, Donald B. (1998). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History - Volume IV - California. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers. ISBN 0-87004-385-4.
- Stanley, David G.; Moreau, Jeffrey J. (2002). The Central California Traction Company. Lompoc, CA: Western Star Distributors. ISBN 1-930013-06-X.
- Stindt, Fred A. (1996). American Shortline Railway Guide - 5th Ed. Waukesha, WI: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-290-9.
- Van Ommeren, Alice (2004). Stockton in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738528786.
- Walker, Mike (1997). Steam Powered Video's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - California and Nevada - Post Merger Ed. Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom: Steam Powered Publishing. ISBN 1-874745-08-0.
External links edit
- Official Central California Traction Company−CCT website
- Comprehensive Trainweb.org: CCT Site
- Trainweb.org: Current CCT Locomotive Roster
- Cencalrails.railfan.net: Photographs of CCT
- Donsdepot.net: Photographs of CCT
- Western Pacific Railroad Museum — home of CCT Caboose #24.
- Tidewatersouthern.com: CCT Steeple Cab locomotive #100.
- Davesrailpix.com: Photograph collection of all interurbans — includes CCT and TS.