San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad at Huntington Lake c. 1918
The SJ&E was originally built to get men and supplies to the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project sites for the Pacific Light and Power Company (now Southern California Edison). The track was constructed for $1,055,728 by Stone & Webster Construction Company of Boston, the project's primary contractor.[1] Grading commenced on February 16, 1912 and construction was completed on December 15, 1912. The 55 mile line started at El Prado (near Friant where it interchanged with the Southern Pacific Railroad. The SP branch continued on to Fresno where it intercepted the SP Mainline. From El Prado the line went east to Auberry and then terminated at Big Creek (Cascade/Cascada).
The railroad was known as the “crookedest railroad in the world”. The railroad featured 1073 curves up to 60 degrees. The railroad had 43 wooden trestles and 255 steep grades with the steepest at 5.3%.
The railroad was built for the sole reason of building the Big Creek hydroelectric project. When that was essentially complete, the need for the railroad ended. Over the years, it had only earned about 22% of what it cost to build and operate, leading to its nickname "Slow, Jerky, and Expensive. The line was abandoned and dismantled in 1933.
The caption on the picture is incorrect. The SJ&E ended at Big Creek. There was an incline that made it to the site of Huntington Lake for dam construction, but the RR proper never went that far.[2]
Route & Station Stopsedit
Western portion of route in 1922Eastern portion of route to Huntington Lake
El Prado MP 0.0 (near Friant) (Interchange with Southern Pacific Railroad)
McKenzie
Wellbarn MP 16.1
Lodge
Prather this stop was known as Lodge Station in 1914 it is near where Lodge road is today
Auberry MP 26.1 the original road bed is 'SJ and E Rd' today
Indian Mission today it is known as Mono Wind
Hutchens
Lerona MP 34.9 the original road bed is known as 'Old Railroad Grade Bed Rd' today
White Pine MP 43.0 near Shaver Crossing trestle
West Portal MP 50.4 (with a 1-mile branch north to Powerhouse 2 on the San Joaquin River)
Dawn Southern California Edison acquired Shaver Lake, and constructed a branch line from this point Shaver to build a new dam. Shaver Lake Railroad
The railroad owned 5 passenger cars and the railroad's October 10, 1915 timetable showed an 8:00 a.m. departure from El Prado, arriving at Cascada at 2:25 p.m. The 55 mile trip operating on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and returns on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Passenger service continued as late as 1929. Some of the passenger traffic was attributed to tourists going to the resort at Huntington Lake during the summer.
US Forest Service Fire Patroledit
1913 U.S. Forest Service speeder fire patrol operated along the San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad, California. An auto mounted on car wheels and equipped with fire fighting tools.
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, California: Golden West Books. pp. 45, 140. ISBN0-87095-106-8.
Johnston, Hank (1965). California The Railroad that Lighted Southern California: The Story of the Edison Big Creek Project San Joaquin and Eastern. Los Angeles, California: Trans-Anglo Books. ASIN B000GX1GHM.
Resendes, Mary Ann. "San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad". Archived from the original on 2003-01-05. Retrieved July 22, 2006.
Robertson, Donald B. (1998). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History - Volume IV - California. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers. p. 218. ISBN0-87004-385-4.
Redinger, David H. (1998). The Story of Big Creek. Ironwood Press. ISBN0-9628236-8-6.
Sievers, Walt (January 1956). "San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad". The Western Railroader: 1–14.
Walker, Mike (1997). Steam Powered Video's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - California and Nevada - Post Merger Edition. Kent, United Kingdom: Steam Powered Publishing. p. 27. ISBN1-874745-08-0.
Notesedit
^Donald Conrad Jackson, Building the Ultimate Dam: John S. Eastwood and the Control of Water in the West, p.76, University of Oklahoma Press, 2005
^Eaton, Edwin M. (1965). Vintage Fresno, Pictorial Recollections of a Western City. Fresno, California: The Huntington Press. pp. 129–130. OCLC 2007613.
^Koch, Michael (1971). The Shay Locomotive Titan of the Timber. The World Press. pp. 440&442.
January 01, 1970
joaquin, eastern, railroad, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message The San Joaquin amp Eastern Railroad SJ amp E was a standard gauge common carrier railroad that operated in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Fresno County in the U S state of California The line was abandoned in 1933 The railroad hauled primarily lumber and agricultural products San Joaquin amp Eastern RailroadOverviewHeadquartersLos Angeles CaliforniaLocaleSierra Nevada foothills of Fresno County CaliforniaDates of operation1912 1933TechnicalTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gauge Contents 1 History 2 Route amp Station Stops 3 Passenger Service 4 US Forest Service Fire Patrol 5 Locomotives 6 References 7 NotesHistory edit nbsp San Joaquin amp Eastern Railroad at Huntington Lake c 1918 The SJ amp E was originally built to get men and supplies to the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project sites for the Pacific Light and Power Company now Southern California Edison The track was constructed for 1 055 728 by Stone amp Webster Construction Company of Boston the project s primary contractor 1 Grading commenced on February 16 1912 and construction was completed on December 15 1912 The 55 mile line started at El Prado near Friant where it interchanged with the Southern Pacific Railroad The SP branch continued on to Fresno where it intercepted the SP Mainline From El Prado the line went east to Auberry and then terminated at Big Creek Cascade Cascada The railroad was known as the crookedest railroad in the world The railroad featured 1073 curves up to 60 degrees The railroad had 43 wooden trestles and 255 steep grades with the steepest at 5 3 The railroad was built for the sole reason of building the Big Creek hydroelectric project When that was essentially complete the need for the railroad ended Over the years it had only earned about 22 of what it cost to build and operate leading to its nickname Slow Jerky and Expensive The line was abandoned and dismantled in 1933 The caption on the picture is incorrect The SJ amp E ended at Big Creek There was an incline that made it to the site of Huntington Lake for dam construction but the RR proper never went that far 2 Route amp Station Stops edit nbsp Western portion of route in 1922 nbsp Eastern portion of route to Huntington Lake El Prado MP 0 0 near Friant Interchange with Southern Pacific Railroad McKenzie Wellbarn MP 16 1 Lodge Prather this stop was known as Lodge Station in 1914 it is near where Lodge road is today Auberry MP 26 1 the original road bed is SJ and E Rd today Indian Mission today it is known as Mono Wind Hutchens Lerona MP 34 9 the original road bed is known as Old Railroad Grade Bed Rd today White Pine MP 43 0 near Shaver Crossing trestle West Portal MP 50 4 with a 1 mile branch north to Powerhouse 2 on the San Joaquin River Dawn Southern California Edison acquired Shaver Lake and constructed a branch line from this point Shaver to build a new dam Shaver Lake Railroad Big Creek Cascada Station MP 55 6 Camp 2 Dam 2 of Huntington Lake Passenger Service editThe railroad owned 5 passenger cars and the railroad s October 10 1915 timetable showed an 8 00 a m departure from El Prado arriving at Cascada at 2 25 p m The 55 mile trip operating on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays and returns on Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays Passenger service continued as late as 1929 Some of the passenger traffic was attributed to tourists going to the resort at Huntington Lake during the summer US Forest Service Fire Patrol edit1913 U S Forest Service speeder fire patrol operated along the San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad California An auto mounted on car wheels and equipped with fire fighting tools Locomotives editNumber Type Builder Works number Date Notes 3 100 Shay locomotive Lima 2533 4 1912 sold in 1918 to English Lumber Company in Mount Vernon Washington 101 Shay locomotive Lima 2534 4 1912 sold in 1916 to Red River Lumber Company in Westwood California 102 Shay locomotive Lima 2564 7 1912 sold in 1918 to Edward Rutledge Timber Company in Coeur D Alene Idaho 103 Shay locomotive Lima 2601 10 1912 leased in 1922 to Pacific Light and Power Company 104 Shay locomotive Lima 2606 10 1912 sold in 1916 to Red River Lumber CompanyReferences editFickewirth 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 California Golden West Books pp 45 140 ISBN 0 87095 106 8 Johnston Hank 1965 California The Railroad that Lighted Southern California The Story of the Edison Big Creek Project San Joaquin and Eastern Los Angeles California Trans Anglo Books ASIN B000GX1GHM Resendes Mary Ann San Joaquin amp Eastern Railroad Archived from the original on 2003 01 05 Retrieved July 22 2006 Robertson Donald B 1998 Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History Volume IV California Caldwell Idaho Caxton Printers p 218 ISBN 0 87004 385 4 Redinger David H 1998 The Story of Big Creek Ironwood Press ISBN 0 9628236 8 6 Sievers Walt January 1956 San Joaquin amp Eastern Railroad The Western Railroader 1 14 Walker Mike 1997 Steam Powered Video s Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America California and Nevada Post Merger Edition Kent United Kingdom Steam Powered Publishing p 27 ISBN 1 874745 08 0 Notes edit Donald Conrad Jackson Building the Ultimate Dam John S Eastwood and the Control of Water in the West p 76 University of Oklahoma Press 2005 Eaton Edwin M 1965 Vintage Fresno Pictorial Recollections of a Western City Fresno California The Huntington Press pp 129 130 OCLC 2007613 Koch Michael 1971 The Shay Locomotive Titan of the Timber The World Press pp 440 amp 442 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad amp oldid 1145215068, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
