California, Shasta and Eastern Railway
Encyclopedia
The California, Shasta and Eastern Railway was a 15 miles (24.1 km) shortline railroad
which operated, for nearly 40 years, between Anderson
and Bella Vista, California
with no greater aspirations then being a glorified mill spur. Briefly around 1906 however, the road basked in the limelight of the mighty E.H. Harriman who considered, and then discarded, the idea of incorporating it into one of his "paper" railroads projected through the region.
from the rich timber belt near Round Mountain
about 35 miles (56.3 km) northeast of Redding
on the Little Cow Creek drainage to a point below the snow belt. From here, sawn boards were transported by wagons to the railhead. Ownership passed to Joseph Enright of Chico
, who extended the flume (up to 32 miles (51.5 km)) to a planing mill
, drying shed, and box factory he erected where Little Cow Creek and Dry Creek join to form Cow Creek. The community around the operation became known as Bella Vista.
. Clearly, a standard gauge
shortline railroad
would need to be constructed. In about 1891, work began on the Anderson & Bella Vista Railroad down the valley of Cow Creek to a the Southern Pacific rail connection in Anderson.
Construction
Little grading was required, the only major obstacle being the crossing of the Sacramento River north of Anderson which was originally done with a ferry. The top heavy arrangement of the ferry proved to be fatal for the railroad's first locomotive. A diminutive 4-4-0
named J.C. Kellog which one day fell into the river never to be recovered. The locomotive is still there; it was discovered again during construction of a new road bridge across the river, next to the old one. Following this incident, the railroad opted to build a trestle instead. There are plans to raise the loco.
Sale to J. E. Terry
By 1897, Enright had sold all his properties, including the A&BV, to Joseph E. Terry, reportedly for $87,000. The 2-4-0
locomotive (obtained from the Visalia Railroad to replace the J.C. Kellog) was appropriately named J.E. Terry.
Traffic
From the beginning, the road was never intended as a common carrier
or passenger road. The top speed was around 15 miles per hour (6.7 m/s) and most of the business came from the mills in Bella Vista, although other producers used the line on occasion.
Operating equipment in 1906
The operating equipment in 1906 consisted of a single locomotive, a leased Southern Pacific 4-4-0 numbered 1341 which replaced the J.E. Terry following an enginehouse fire in Bella Vista in December 1905. The line also had one boxcar
, Oregon Short Line no. 7385 which was used as a caboose
, express car, and coach. In addition there were 2 hand cars, 3 light pushers, and 3 center dumb gravel cars.
This survey of equipment was part of a comprehensive study for Southern Pacific chief engineer William Hood. It seems that the Anderson and Bella Vista Railroad mainline lay directly in the path of the Goose Lake and Southern Railway, a Harriman contrivance, an arm of which was projected into the area in 1906 on its way from the Goose Lake area, via Alturus, some 227 miles (365.3 km) to a connection with the SP at Anderson. Nothing was to come of the project however.
By March 1920, the Red River Lumber Company was in control and pumped men and money into the railroad laying new ties and rails where needed on the CS&E as well as improving and restoring logging operations on Round Mountain and rebuilding the mill at Bella Vista. Unfortunately, the industry went into recession by late 1920 and the entire logging operation was shut down. The logging railroad on Round Mountain was pulled up in 1925.
Operations on the railroad became infrequent, although for unknown reasons, the Red River Lumber Company continued to spend money on the line. In 1925, the piers on the original bridge over the Sacramento River were replaced with concrete at a cost of nearly $19,000. Red River made little use of the bridge and it was deeded to the county, along with much of the right of way which became Deschutes Road. The county filled in the deck with concrete until a new bridge was built in 1972. The remaining railroad was torn up in 1937, although official permission to abandon the line was not granted by Interstate Commerce Commission
until 1946.
Shortline railroad
A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the USA and Canada...
which operated, for nearly 40 years, between Anderson
Anderson, California
Anderson is a city in Shasta County, California, USA, approximately 10 miles south of Redding. The population was 9,932 at the 2010 census, up from 9,022 at the 2000 census....
and Bella Vista, California
Bella Vista, California
Bella Vista is a census-designated place in Shasta County, California. Bella Vista is a small, rural community about north-east of Redding, and about north of Palo Cedro. Bella Vista sits at an elevation of...
with no greater aspirations then being a glorified mill spur. Briefly around 1906 however, the road basked in the limelight of the mighty E.H. Harriman who considered, and then discarded, the idea of incorporating it into one of his "paper" railroads projected through the region.
Timber industry
The roots of this operation date back to 1884 when the Morris brothers began construction of a flumeFlume
A flume is an open artificial water channel, in the form of a gravity chute, that leads water from a diversion dam or weir completely aside a natural flow. Often, the flume is an elevated box structure that follows the natural contours of the land. These have been extensively used in hydraulic...
from the rich timber belt near Round Mountain
Round Mountain, California
Round Mountain is a census-designated place in Shasta County, California, United States. The population was 155 at the 2010 census, up from 122 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Round Mountain is located at ....
about 35 miles (56.3 km) northeast of Redding
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
on the Little Cow Creek drainage to a point below the snow belt. From here, sawn boards were transported by wagons to the railhead. Ownership passed to Joseph Enright of Chico
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, who extended the flume (up to 32 miles (51.5 km)) to a planing mill
Planing mill
A planing mill is a facility that takes cut and seasoned boards from a sawmill and turns them into finished dimensional lumber. Machines used in the mill include the planer and matcher, the molding machines, and varieties of saws...
, drying shed, and box factory he erected where Little Cow Creek and Dry Creek join to form Cow Creek. The community around the operation became known as Bella Vista.
Anderson and Bella Vista Railroad
The bottleneck of the operation was the transfer of the lumber from the mill at Bella Vista to the nearest rail connection, which was 10 miles (16.1 km) away in Redding and on the wrong side of the Sacramento RiverSacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
. Clearly, a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
shortline railroad
Shortline railroad
A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the USA and Canada...
would need to be constructed. In about 1891, work began on the Anderson & Bella Vista Railroad down the valley of Cow Creek to a the Southern Pacific rail connection in Anderson.
Construction
Little grading was required, the only major obstacle being the crossing of the Sacramento River north of Anderson which was originally done with a ferry. The top heavy arrangement of the ferry proved to be fatal for the railroad's first locomotive. A diminutive 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
named J.C. Kellog which one day fell into the river never to be recovered. The locomotive is still there; it was discovered again during construction of a new road bridge across the river, next to the old one. Following this incident, the railroad opted to build a trestle instead. There are plans to raise the loco.
Sale to J. E. Terry
By 1897, Enright had sold all his properties, including the A&BV, to Joseph E. Terry, reportedly for $87,000. The 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
locomotive (obtained from the Visalia Railroad to replace the J.C. Kellog) was appropriately named J.E. Terry.
Traffic
From the beginning, the road was never intended as a common carrier
Common carrier
A common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...
or passenger road. The top speed was around 15 miles per hour (6.7 m/s) and most of the business came from the mills in Bella Vista, although other producers used the line on occasion.
Operating equipment in 1906
The operating equipment in 1906 consisted of a single locomotive, a leased Southern Pacific 4-4-0 numbered 1341 which replaced the J.E. Terry following an enginehouse fire in Bella Vista in December 1905. The line also had one boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
, Oregon Short Line no. 7385 which was used as a caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
, express car, and coach. In addition there were 2 hand cars, 3 light pushers, and 3 center dumb gravel cars.
This survey of equipment was part of a comprehensive study for Southern Pacific chief engineer William Hood. It seems that the Anderson and Bella Vista Railroad mainline lay directly in the path of the Goose Lake and Southern Railway, a Harriman contrivance, an arm of which was projected into the area in 1906 on its way from the Goose Lake area, via Alturus, some 227 miles (365.3 km) to a connection with the SP at Anderson. Nothing was to come of the project however.
Incorporation of the California, Shasta and Eastern
The California Shasta & Eastern was incorporated June 4, 1913, but did not formally take title to the A&BV until September 4. Evidentely, this was a legal dodge by Terry who interested the Afterthought Copper Company to purchase the line. The purchase was made for $200,000 and a $405,000 extension to Ingot was announced. This never materialized. Following fires in Bella Vista in 1917, Terry disppeared, departing on an SP train in Anderson never to return. The Afterthought Copper Company was experiencing declining revenues with the loss of lumber traffic at Bella Vista and railroad went idle.By March 1920, the Red River Lumber Company was in control and pumped men and money into the railroad laying new ties and rails where needed on the CS&E as well as improving and restoring logging operations on Round Mountain and rebuilding the mill at Bella Vista. Unfortunately, the industry went into recession by late 1920 and the entire logging operation was shut down. The logging railroad on Round Mountain was pulled up in 1925.
Operations on the railroad became infrequent, although for unknown reasons, the Red River Lumber Company continued to spend money on the line. In 1925, the piers on the original bridge over the Sacramento River were replaced with concrete at a cost of nearly $19,000. Red River made little use of the bridge and it was deeded to the county, along with much of the right of way which became Deschutes Road. The county filled in the deck with concrete until a new bridge was built in 1972. The remaining railroad was torn up in 1937, although official permission to abandon the line was not granted by Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
until 1946.
A&BV
- J.G. Kellog, 4-4-04-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
, lost in a river crossing accident - J.E. Terry, 2-4-02-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
(ex-Visalia Railroad), destroyed in an enginehouse fire in Bella Vista in December 1905 - #1341, an "American type" 4-4-04-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
steam locomotive built by Schenectady Locomotive WorksSchenectady Locomotive WorksThe Schenectady Locomotive Works built railroad locomotives from its founding in 1848 through its merger into American Locomotive Company in 1901.After the 1901 merger, ALCO made the Schenectady plant its headquarters in Schenectady, New York....
(Builder No. 1457) in 1881 for the Southern Pacific Railroad. On 03/10/1909 the Southern Pacific sold the locomotive to the Anderson & Bella Vista, retaining its original numbering. It had earlier been leased from the Southern Pacific, following the loss of the "J.E. Terry".