The Nevada-California-Oregon Railway (NCO) was never a profitable enterprise, but somehow it found away to carry on.  Finally, the Moran family, owners of the beleaguered railroad had enough. On November 21, 1921, the N.CO. petitioned the Interstate Railroad Commission to abandon its entire line, due to substantial operation losses. After several public hearings the Commission denied the request. The Commission cited that the railroad could reduce its cost by operating a tri-weekly service, instead of a daily; eliminate the president’s $10,000 a year salary and close its New York City office.

At the same time, the Western Pacific Railroad had offered to buy the line for $1,100,000 the equivalent of $6,000 a mile. The NCO’s President, Charles Moran, insisted on a higher price of $10,000 a mile, an $800,000 difference. Moran, however, testified that the junk value of the railroad was $300,000.

The Commission did make one concession—it allowed for the abandonment of sixteen miles of the line between Wendel and Rayl (the latter to be known as Herlong). On October 31, 1922, the last NCO train left Rayl, passed through Amedee, and now Wendel was the terminus

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Back in early February was a Tuesday tidbit about the Nevada California Oregon Railroad’s Lakeview car. At the time, I noted my notes were not handy, and they still are not. I am just not mentally prepared to sift through my extensive NCO file that date backs to the 1970s.

Anyhow, the following was relayed to me. The Lakeview was originally a narrow gauge car owned by the Union Pacific which was used as a business car. The Union Pacific converted it to standard gauge. When the NCO purchased it from the Union Pacific, at the NCO’s Reno shop the Lakeview was once converted back again to narrow gauge.

As to the above passenger car it was sold to the Huckleberry Railroad, a narrow gauge railroad near Flint, Michigan where it was restored and put into use. This is a tourist railroad that operates  in summer months.

Tim

If you recall a Tuesday tidbit of two weeks ago, I wrote about the
NCO private car the Lakeview. In this instance, like the earlier, the handy notes are not handy on this railroad car . In November 1974 Tom Armstrong took this photograph. The defacto mayor of Wendel for many decades was the grand dame, Aldah Reisenman. Aldah had many rentals in Wendel and for a time this old NCO passenger car, was one, which she sold and was being hauled away when Tom captured the moment.

I have received some new information about the Lakeview which I will post in an update in the near future.

Tim

This Tuesday tidbit will be albeit brief. The NCO Railroad had two private cars the Esmeralda and the Lakeview. While the above photograph is hardly the best, some of the rail fans on this site will enjoy it nevertheless. I thought I had some handy notes on the Lakeview, but alas they are not so handy when I need them. When they do surface, I can always update the post, and if someone out there has information to share about the Lakeview that would be appreciated as well.

Tim

It was a popular stage station in the upper end of Long Valley on the Susanville–Reno Road.  It was established in the mid-1860s by Jonathon  C. Roberts. In 1873, Roberts sold to David F. Evans and for many years it was known as the Evans Ranch. In 1882, when the Nevada-California-Oregon (NCO) constructed its railroad there, they established a station named Oneida, for the Sierra County Township of Oneida. On June 6, 1889, a post office was established there named Purdy—for Solomon Purdy who came to Sierra County in 1852, from Oneida, New York and eventually sold to David F. Evans. In 1891, the Purdy Post Office was moved to a site known today as Bordertown. Travelers of U.S. Highway 395 between 1931 and 1976 will know the location of the old Antelope Station as the first site of the California Agricultural Inspection “Bug” Station.

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The Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad (NCO ) was such a colorful enterprise and how it managed to exist for nearly a half of a century is mind boggling.

In 1884, the NCO’s line extended thirty miles north of Reno, at the old Antelope Ranch, and they named it Oneida.  At the same, Edgar Heriot was brought in as general manager and under his leadership made numerous beneficial improvements.

At the end of 1884, the NCO extended its line five miles north to Junction House (near present day Hallelujah Junction.  Heriot had ambitious plans. On March 31, 1887 Heriot announced that work would commence on a 45-mile extension from Junction House to Brubeck’s Ranch at Lower Hot Springs on the east side of Honey Lake. This did not set well with Susanville or the communities on the west side of the valley. However, there were delays due to litigation with landowners over rights-of-way in Long Valley. This was a considerable expense and Moran’s owners of the NCO fired Heriot.  He was replaced with the cantankerous Erasmus Gest.

No matter how hard Susanville lobbied the Morans, dealing with Gest was an exercise in futility. Gest had made up his mind. He was determined to build the line as quickly as possible to the Oregon border, on the most direct route. Gest feared competition from the north, and it was his desire to have the railroad built to eliminate rival lines. Gest informed the Morans of his decision to stay with the original plans. Gest stated it was a waste of money to build to Susanville, referring to it as a “no place.” Later management called Gest’s judgment to bypass Susanville as “ . . . one of the most monumental blunders, I have ever known a sane man to commit.”

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