On September 1, 1929 the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad’s existence came to an end, when it finally ceased to exist and was entirely absorbed by the Southern Pacific. Its demise was slow, and for its owners it must have been a strange process. Its decline dated back to 1914, the last year the railroad made a profit. What was started like a death knell came in 1917, when the NCO sold its trackage rights from Hackstaff (now Herlong) to Reno to the Western Pacific Railroad. Without its connection to Reno, it became a very isolated feeder line to the Southern Pacific Railroad.

In 1925, the Moran family, owners of the NCO, reached an agreement with the Southern Pacific to sell the line. It was a slow process. It would take nearly a year before the Southern Pacific acquired the trackage rights. In 1927, starting at Wendel, the Southern Pacific began to broad gauge the NCO’s narrow gauge line north. One would have thought NCO would have dissolved, but NCO was a peculiar outfit. What really gets confusing is its financial statement. In 1928 the NCO showed an operating revenue of $510,478.37 and a net expenses, including taxes, of $848,262,25.

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The Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad is a fascinating narrow gauge line that went from Reno, Nevada to Lakeview, Oregon. Its original intent was to The Dalles, Oregon on the Columbia River. The NCO would make a good case study on how not to operate a railroad.

Since its inception in 1879, it was plagued with financial troubles. In 1884, a New York banking firm, the Moran Brothers took over the ownership. The following year it was renamed the Nevada & California. In 1888, it became the Nevada-California-Oregon.  These initials NCO became a target of criticism for its poor service. The NCO received such dreadful titles as the Narrow-Crooked & Ornery, the Northern California Outrage, Never Comes Over and the Nevada-California-Ocasional. The newspapers were quick to report any operating problems. In 1893, J.M. Tremain editor of Susanville’s Lassen Weekly Mail called the NCO a tri-weekly.  “It goes to Reno one week and tries to return the next.”

There were times, however, it would have a reason for being slow and at times non-existent. Along Long Valley Creek, the tracks would receive damage from flooding. Snowstorms were another culprit. In January 1916, the snow was so deep, it would take nearly three weeks for trains started running again.

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Shumway was a ranch and stage stop located at Horse Lake. Benjamin Emerson Shumway (1823-1909) settled there in 1869 and built the first cabin at Horse Lake.  In addition, he built the road from Willow Creek Valley to Horse Lake and then onto the Madeline Plains. For a time, it was the quickest route to Alturas and Surprise Valley.

On May 23, 1883, the Shumway Post Office was established with Susie Shumway, as postmaster. On October 31, 1913, it was discontinued. In 1916, Horse Lake residents attempted to re-establish the post office and have a mail drop off at the NCO Railroad’s Horse Lake siding. The postal authorities denied the request. They stated they did not need a mail drop as there were only four permanent families residing in the area. In addition, it was cited, the NCO was an unreliable operation, with irregular train service and since there was no attendant at the Horse Lake Station, there was no way that the mail could be protected.

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While recreational boating on Honey Lake dates back to 1856, commercial boating did not occur until the early 1890s with the establishment of Amedee on the east side of the lake, as the terminus of the N-C-O-Railroad.

There were a total of four boat docks. Two on the west shore on the ranches of Decious and Clark. The Barham dock on the northwest corner near where Baxter Creek enters the lake. Of course, the other was at Amedee. Material on them are scarce. In September 1907,  E. C. Brown launched his tugboat at Amedee. In 1915, his son, Asa docked the boat for the last time at Barhams. The last time I inspected the remnants of Brown’s boat, there was nothing to indicate a dock along the shore. The same was true when attempting to locate the site of the Amedee boat dock, there was no evidence of a dock. Though unrelated, it is real interesting what washes ashore on the east side of Honey Lake.

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Karlo, located in Secret Valley, was a NCO Railroad station that was established in 1899. The post office was originally known as Secret, but the name was changed to Karlo in 1911. On December 1, 1925 postal authorities suddenly abandoned the Karlo Post Office, without consulting the residents. The residents were upset to say the least, for they now had to travel seventeen miles south to Wendel to pick up their mail. They petitioned to get the post office re-established, in which they succeeded. On December 26, 1925 the Karlo Post Office was back in business. The post office was finally closed in 1934 and made part of the Rural Free Delivery system.

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In August 1890, the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad (NCO) extended its line northward from Onieda, near the Nevada state line for some fifty miles to Lower Hot Springs, later to be renamed Amedee. The region was stunned as the railroad abandoned its original survey on the west side of Honey Lake, to the east side nearly barren of inhabitants. That is a long story, for another time.

What was also stunning was the size of the depot built there. The two-story structure was 168 feet in length, making it one of the largest buildings in Lassen County. The second story provided lodging for railroad employees. The south side was offices and the remainder of the building was for freight storage.

In its early years, it was a busy place. A quarter mile away the NCO constructed stock years. To understand the activity, during a two week period in April 1891 nearly 30,000 head to sheep were at the corrals. After shearing the sheep, 160,000 pounds of wool was shipped, along with forty carloads of cattle.

In 1900, when the railroad extended its line north to the Madeline Plains, Amedee lost its status as a major shipping point.  On July 1, 1909 the depot was destroyed by fire, origin unknown.

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