Since today is Lassen Land & Trails Trust annual Rails to Trails festival, it is only fitting to share a few scenes of the construction. In September 1913 work began on the construction of the line from Susanville to Devil’s Corral. This segment provided railroad officials with numerous challenges, since there were hardly any physical barriers to contend with the segment from Fernley, Nevada to Susanville. Time was also of the essence, since the railroad had a contractual obligation to complete the line to Westwood by February. With that in mind, over 1,000 men were hired for this construction phase. On December 12, 1913, the construction train crossed the Devil’s Corral, and all appeared well, until Mother Nature unleashed a fury of storms, which is a topic for another time.
Where is Devil’s Corral?
It is located approximately six miles west of Susanville, where the current highway 36 crosses the Susan River. I will write about it in some future posts.