Indian Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Indian Valley Railroad (IV) was a shortline railroad
that was constructed from the Engels Copper Mine
to a connection with the Western Pacific Railroad
at Paxton
, in Plumas County
, northeastern California
.
. In 1901 the Engels Copper Mining Company was founded. In 1911 the company built a smelter at China Gulch but was soon prohibited by the U.S. Forest Service which had stewardship over the land that was within the Plumas National Forest
. Prior to the IV, copper ore was hauled over road to Keddie
where the ore was loaded into Western Pacific Railroad freight cars and transported to a smelter at Garfield, Utah.
When the IV opened in 1917, it began hauling passengers and copper ore daily from Lower Camp to the Western Pacific station at Paxton. A year later, the townsite of Engelmine, or Engel, was laid out and gridded near Lower Camp. The townsite peaked in the 1920s when it reached a population of 1,200 people.
In 1930 the Engels mine was closed due to the declining value of copper. However, the IV continued to operate to serve the town and residents until 1938, when the railroad and town were dismantled. The houses were moved to Greenville, Quincy and Portola and the last cabin was removed in the 1960s.
(consolidation type) locomotives were built in 1891 & 1892 by Baldwin Locomotive Works
for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. The locomotives (D&RG #661 and #668) were sold to IV in December 1916. The locomotives served the IV until the railroad ceased operations and were scrapped in December 1939. The railroad also had a passenger car and two freight cars.
The old railroad right of way was paved over by a road, including portions of State Route 89
and Plumas County Road 213.
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...
that was constructed from the Engels Copper Mine
Engels Copper Mine
The Engels Copper Mine was located in Plumas County, California at the north end of the Plumas Copper Belt. The Engels mine was named after Henry A. Engels, who settled the area in the 1880s and began to mine copper. In 1901 the Engels Copper Mining Company was founded. In 1911 the company built a...
to a connection with the Western Pacific Railroad
Western Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
at Paxton
Paxton, California
Paxton is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 14 at the 2010 census, down from 21 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Paxton is located at ....
, in Plumas County
Plumas County, California
Plumas County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. The county gets its name from the Spanish words for the Feather River , which flows through the county. As of the 2010 census, the population 20,007, down from 20,824 at the 2000 census...
, northeastern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Construction
The Western Pacific line was completed through Paxton in 1909. The IV was incorporated on June 30, 1916 and grading commenced a month later. The laying of 56 and 65 pound rails commenced in November 1916. On September 1, 1917 the 21.6 mile line was completed at a cost of $746,483.Mining
The IV was constructed during a copper boom that ran from 1915-1930 in the area. At the north end of the Plumas Copper Belt was the Engels mine. The Engels mine was named after Henry A. Engels, who settled the area in the 1880s and began to mine copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. In 1901 the Engels Copper Mining Company was founded. In 1911 the company built a smelter at China Gulch but was soon prohibited by the U.S. Forest Service which had stewardship over the land that was within the Plumas National Forest
Plumas National Forest
Plumas National Forest is a 1,146,000-acre United States National Forest located in the Sierra Nevada, in northern California.-Geography:...
. Prior to the IV, copper ore was hauled over road to Keddie
Keddie, California
Keddie is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 66 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Keddie is located at ....
where the ore was loaded into Western Pacific Railroad freight cars and transported to a smelter at Garfield, Utah.
When the IV opened in 1917, it began hauling passengers and copper ore daily from Lower Camp to the Western Pacific station at Paxton. A year later, the townsite of Engelmine, or Engel, was laid out and gridded near Lower Camp. The townsite peaked in the 1920s when it reached a population of 1,200 people.
In 1930 the Engels mine was closed due to the declining value of copper. However, the IV continued to operate to serve the town and residents until 1938, when the railroad and town were dismantled. The houses were moved to Greenville, Quincy and Portola and the last cabin was removed in the 1960s.
Locomotives and Rolling Stock
The standard gauge railroad had two locomotives, #1 and #2. The 2-8-02-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
(consolidation type) locomotives were built in 1891 & 1892 by Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. The locomotives (D&RG #661 and #668) were sold to IV in December 1916. The locomotives served the IV until the railroad ceased operations and were scrapped in December 1939. The railroad also had a passenger car and two freight cars.
Operations
While the IV was built primarily to serve the copper mine at Engels, it was also a common carrier. Alvin Fickewirth states that the IV was sold to the Western Pacific Railroad (WP) in 1921. A 1931 public timetable published by WP in 1931 listed the Indian Valley Railroad with two daily round trip trains. However, Donald B. Robertson's book states that the owner of the IV in 1931 was "California-Engels Mining Company". The railroad ceased operations as a common carrier on December 5, 1938. The line was scrapped and removed within two years.Trivia
- The Engels Copper mine was the largest copper mine in California and yielded 117 million pounds of copper ore.
- Thomas the Tank Engine's Shining Time StationShining Time StationShining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
takes place on the fictitious Indian Valley Railroad. - Indian Valley is the name of the valley where the Engels mine was located.
Route (shown in Western Pacific 1931 Timetable) http://www.tidewatersouthern.com/contents/paperwork/1931_WP_Timetable/1931_wp_timetable.htm
- MP 0 Paxton, CaliforniaPaxton, CaliforniaPaxton is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 14 at the 2010 census, down from 21 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Paxton is located at ....
(Interchange with Western Pacific) - MP 4 Indian Falls
- MP 8 Crescent Mills, CaliforniaCrescent Mills, CaliforniaCrescent Mills is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States. Crescent Mills is located southeast of Greenville. The population was 196 at the 2010 census, down from 258 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1821 Mary A Zubea was born. Four years later Frank Joseph Stampfli...
- MP 12 Veramont
- MP 17 Starks
- MP 22 Engels
The old railroad right of way was paved over by a road, including portions of State Route 89
California State Route 89
State Route 89 is a California State Highway that travels in the north–south direction, and is the major thoroughfare for many mountain communities. It starts from U.S. Route 395 near Topaz Lake, winding its way up to the Monitor Pass, down to the Carson River, and up again over the Luther...
and Plumas County Road 213.