Note: This is work in progress. It is hoped that when this is posted, some one may come forward with additional information.

The Fairbanks Morse Switcher Locomotives were a rare breed. There were only 336 manufactured between 1950-1961. The Sierra Army Depot, at Herlong, had three. In 1976, the Sierra base railroad operated five days week from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The main purposes were to shuffle cars arriving from the Western Pacific which could range anywhere from two to ninety. I do not know when the depot acquired these locomotives, nor when  they were discontinued by the depot..

The No. 1855, as seen above is now at the Nevada State Railroad Museum at Boulder City, Nevada. The No. 1857, is part of the collection of the Western Pacific Railroad Museum at nearby Portola, California.

Hopefully, with this article will flush out other information.

Tim

About a week ago Ken O’Connell relayed the following message, and an interesting train question at the conclusion. Hopefully, there are astute readers that  can answer Ken’s question. You may contact him at oconnell@uoregon.edu. Of course, you can always share you reply here, to enlighten us.

Ken wrote; “Recently I’ve been traveling through Alturas each time to drive to Reno to see my sister who is in Care. I have a question regarding the railroad transport in the 1940s and 1950s. My father, Daniel O’Connell, worked for Southern Pacific as an electrician. He would often ride along as several engines would pull a freight train that needed electrical work in one of them. Sometimes he would stay over night at a station in town and return to our home in Oakland, CA the next day.. My mother would say, “Your father will return tomorrow as he is staying in Alturas.”

“I see the hundreds of freight cars on tracks west of town. What role did Alturas play in those years as a station on the trains from the bay area?”

 Tim

Those rail fans may find this appealing, while others not. On the other hand it is documented for posterity.

Lassen County had to go through unusual hoops with railroad crossings at Wendel. They had to contend with the NCO’s narrow gauge and Southern Pacific’s standard gauge. In 1924, the county wanted to make a road alignment. The Southern Pacific agreed and provided the map above.

Tim

Wendel one of those railroad communities that in early years had an identity crisis. It was first known as Upper Hot Springs to distinguish of Lower Hot Springs five miles to the south. The later became known in Amedee in 1890,, when the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad (NC0)extended its line there. In 1899 the NC0 extended its line, the small station there originally called Smithon, though general usage was Hot Springs Station. Since it was close proximity to Amedee it was hampered any type development. In 1913 Southern Pacific’s Fernely & Lassen Branch crossed the NCO tracks at Hot Springs with little fanfare. It should noted that in 1915, Wendel designation applied to railroad stations and the post office.

Changes were on the horizon. In  1922, Wendel became NCO terminus. A couple years later, Southern Pacific purchased beleaguered NCO. Then on July 1, 1927 800 railroad workers descended there  to broad gauge the narrow gauge. For some time, there was hub of activity at Wendel. Then in the fall of 1929 J.E.Faustino recorded the Wendel townsite. Susanville’s Lassen Mail newspaper went on  the Wendel bandwagon during the spring of 1930 and published statement: “Certain people may prefer to scoff at Wendel as a possible metropolis of the plains, but the fact that there is more than sagebrush down there has been proven throughout past two weeks. There is good fortune in Wendel, and farsighted people will soon be watching this place to see what happens.”

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