It is the beginning of April and I just happened to be wearing my  favorite cranky pants. I have been dealing with a critic(s) about the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway (NCO). who insinuated that my knowledge only pertained to Lassen County. It’s far from the truth,. People who have been acquainted with my research over the decades know that the said criticism is erroneous .

However, the truth be known Lassen County played a substantial role in the NCO’s history. When the NCO finally reached  Lakeview, Oregon in 1912, the length of the narrow gauge railroad was 241 miles. Over the half that mileage, 124 miles was in Lassen County. Over the railroad’s troubled existence, it operated in Lassen for 43 years.*. Translation the railroad operated in Lassen County longer than any other jurisdiction. While, Sierra County had the shortest trackage within its territory, the NCO’s presence in that county was 35 years, far greater than Modoc County of 21 years.. Enough said.

Tim

*I arbitrarily use 1927 as the end date of NCO, since that is when the line was converted to standard gauge.