San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada Railroad
Encyclopedia
The San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada Railroad (or Rail Road) was originally built as a 3-foot narrow gauge railroad that ran from Bracks Landing (10 miles west of Woodbridge on the San Joaquin Delta) to Woodbridge and Lodi and then east to the Sierra Nevada foothill town of Valley Springs. The railroad was incorporated on March 28, 1882 and construction was completed on April 15, 1885. The railroad was built as a common carrier with copper mining being its primary traffic. The track was built using 35/40 lb steel rails. There was also a portion of the line that ran from Woodbridge
then west for 10.6 miles to Bracks Landing, a location on the San Joaquin Delta. Brack's Landing was located on the Brack Tract on the east side of South Mokelumne River
, between Hog Slough and Terminous.
On March 15, 1888 the San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada was consolidated into Southern Pacific Railroad's
(SP) subsidiary, the Northern Railway
Company. In 1897, the Northern Railway abandoned the track between Woodbridge and Brack's Landing and converted the rest of the line to standard gauge. The following year, the Northern Railway was consolidated into the Southern Pacific.
In 1925/1926, Southern Pacific extended the branch line 8 miles east into the Sierras to its ending point known as Kentucky House (or Kentucky Home). The last 4 miles of the branch at Kentucky House were sold to the Calaveras Cement Company on April 28, 1929. The Calaveras Cement Company closed the plant at Kentucky House in 1984. Prior to 1984, the SP was operating three freight trains per week between Lodi and Kentucky House. The branch was listed in Southern Pacific timetables as the Kentucky House Branch and interchanged at Lodi with the SP mainline that ran from Stockton - Sacramento. After the cement plant closed, the branch was used to store railroad freight cars. Eventually the tracks were removed.
The line from Woodbridge to Lodi is known as the Woodbridge Branch and terminates near the General Mills
plant in Lodi.
Woodbridge, California
Woodbridge is a census-designated place in San Joaquin County, California. Woodbridge sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Woodbridge's population was 3,984....
then west for 10.6 miles to Bracks Landing, a location on the San Joaquin Delta. Brack's Landing was located on the Brack Tract on the east side of South Mokelumne River
Mokelumne River
The Mokelumne River is a river in Northern California. The Upper Mokelumne River originates in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and flows into Pardee Reservoir and then Camanche Reservoir in the Sierra foothills. The Lower Mokelumne River refers to the portion of the river below Camanche Dam...
, between Hog Slough and Terminous.
On March 15, 1888 the San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada was consolidated into Southern Pacific Railroad's
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
(SP) subsidiary, the Northern Railway
Northern Railway (California)
The Northern Railway was a non-operating subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad during the 19th century, created primarily as a device to consolidate the management of a number of smaller subsidiary railroads....
Company. In 1897, the Northern Railway abandoned the track between Woodbridge and Brack's Landing and converted the rest of the line to standard gauge. The following year, the Northern Railway was consolidated into the Southern Pacific.
In 1925/1926, Southern Pacific extended the branch line 8 miles east into the Sierras to its ending point known as Kentucky House (or Kentucky Home). The last 4 miles of the branch at Kentucky House were sold to the Calaveras Cement Company on April 28, 1929. The Calaveras Cement Company closed the plant at Kentucky House in 1984. Prior to 1984, the SP was operating three freight trains per week between Lodi and Kentucky House. The branch was listed in Southern Pacific timetables as the Kentucky House Branch and interchanged at Lodi with the SP mainline that ran from Stockton - Sacramento. After the cement plant closed, the branch was used to store railroad freight cars. Eventually the tracks were removed.
The line from Woodbridge to Lodi is known as the Woodbridge Branch and terminates near the General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
plant in Lodi.
Route
Note: Southern Pacific (MP) were track mile distance from Oakland, California.- Brack's Landing (SJ&SN 1882–1897) connection with shipping on the California Delta/Mokelumne RiverMokelumne RiverThe Mokelumne River is a river in Northern California. The Upper Mokelumne River originates in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and flows into Pardee Reservoir and then Camanche Reservoir in the Sierra foothills. The Lower Mokelumne River refers to the portion of the river below Camanche Dam...
located on Brack Tract - Woodbridge Road 5 miles east of Interstate 5Interstate 5Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
. - WoodbridgeWoodbridge, CaliforniaWoodbridge is a census-designated place in San Joaquin County, California. Woodbridge sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Woodbridge's population was 3,984....
(Later SP Woodbridge Branch MP 105.8) - LodiLodi, CaliforniaLodi is a city located in , in the northern portion of California's Central Valley. The population was 62,134 at the 2010 census. The California Department of Finance's population estimate as of January 1, 2011 is 62,473....
(SP MP 103.3) End Woodbridge Branch, begin Kentucky House Branch Depot - CCT CrossingCentral California TractionThe Central California Traction Company is a Class III short-line railroad operating in Northern California. It is owned jointly by the Union Pacific and BNSF Railway. The railroad extends from the Port of Stockton to Lodi, California...
(SP MP 105.1) - Roma (SP MP 105.2) Spur
- VictorVictor, CaliforniaVictor is a census-designated place community in San Joaquin County, California, United States. The population was 293 at the 2010 census.The ZIP Code is 95253, and the settlement is inside area code 209.-Geography:...
(SP MP 107.1) - LockefordLockeford, CaliforniaLockeford is a census-designated place in San Joaquin County, California, United States. The population was 3,233 at the 2010 census, up from 3,179 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lockeford is located at ....
(SP MP 110.7) Depot - ClementsClements, CaliforniaClements is an unincorporated community in San Joaquin County, California, United States. Clements is located on California State Route 12 and California State Route 88 east-northeast of Lodi. Clements has a post office with ZIP code 95227, which was established in 1882. The community is named...
(SP MP 114.7) - WallaceWallace, CaliforniaWallace is a census-designated place at the far west edge of Calaveras County, California, United States on State Route 12. The population was 403 at the 2010 census, up from 220 at the 2000 census.-The town's name:...
(SP MP 120.8) - Helisma (SP MP 126.4)
- NorvalNorval, CaliforniaNorval is a former settlement in Calaveras County, California, along the Southern Pacific Railroad. It lay at an elevation of 689 feet . It still appeared on maps as of 1944....
(SP MP 129.3) - Valley SpringsValley Springs, CaliforniaValley Springs is a census-designated place in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 3,553 at the 2010 census, up from 2,560 at the 2000 census. The town is located at the intersection of State Route 12 and Route 26...
(SP MP 130.2) Depot - ToyonToyon, CaliforniaToyon is an unincorporated community in Calaveras County, California, east-northeast of Valley Springs on the Southern Pacific Railroad. It lies at an elevation of 988 feet ....
(SP MP 134.7) - MacNider (SP MP 139.0)
- Kentucky House (SP MP 142.6) Calaveras Cement plant
Locomotives
- SJ&SN engine #1 was named "Ernie Birdsall" and was a narrow gauge 2-4-22-4-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
T (Columbia type locomotive) built in early 1881 by Baldwin Locomotive WorksBaldwin Locomotive WorksThe Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
(Builder Number 6035). It was used in Dayton, NevadaDayton, NevadaDayton is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. The population was 5,907 at the 2000 census.-History:Dayton is at the western end of the Twenty-Six Mile Desert at a bend in the Carson River. Immigrants stopping there for water would consider whether to follow the river...
for one year before being brought over to California. Frederick Birdsall was President of the SJ&SN. - Engine #2 was named "B.F. Langford" and was a narrow gauge Porter (Builder No. 504) 0-6-20-6-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
built in July 1882. It was later acquired by SJ&SN's successor, the Northern Railway and renumbered Northern Ry #1024. - Engine #3 was named "Jacob Brack", possibly after the landowner at the western terminous of the railroad. #3 was built in August 1882 by Porter (Builder No. 510) and was a 0-4-40-4-4Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles...
T (Forney type). It was later acquired by SJ&SN's successor, the Northern Railway and renumbered Northern Ry #1025. - Engine #4 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works (Builder No. 5748) in August 1881 and was a narrow gauge 4-4-04-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
(American Type). It was later renumbered Northern Railway #1026. - Engine #5 was built by Pittsburgh Locomotive And Car WorksPittsburgh Locomotive and Car WorksThe Pittsburgh Locomotive and Car Works was a railroad equipment manufacturing company founded by Andrew Carnegie and T.N. Miller in 1865. It was located in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.It repaired an early locomotive known as Bausman's Rhinoceros in April 1867....
(Builder No. 430) in July 1880 and was a 2-6-02-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
(Mogul Type). It was renumbered Northern Railway #1027.