Railroads in California Archives - Southern Pacific Railroad History Center

Rails Around Lake Tahoe – Steam Trains and Steam Boats Ferrell W-16

Chip Savoye — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:24:17 +0000

No area of the American West saw such a diverse accumulation of railroads as the Tahoe and Truckee basins of the Sierra Nevada. Lake Tahoe itself is nestled amid the towering pine-covered mountains along the California and Nevada state lines. Its waters provided transportation for not only the timber, but for passengers, mail and freight aboard the many steamboats that plied its blue waters.

In this beautiful setting, logging railroads and steamboats of the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company brought the huge logs to lakeshore sawmills. The Lake Tahoe Narrow Gauge Railroad and its connecting Clear Creek Flume took the timbers, lumber and cordwood up and over the divide for the Comstock Bonanza towns. By the late 1890s, most of the virgin stands had been cut. In the early 1900s, tourists began to flock to Lake Tahoe. They rode on a new narrow gauge, the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company. Eventually the Southern Pacific took over the property and converted it to standard gauge. The SP branch was abandoned in 1941.

Great Condition

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Southern Pacific’s Western Division by John Signor (W 4)

admin — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:27:57 +0000

This comprehensive 414 page volume describes the SP’s Western Division with 711 images (84 in color) and 23 maps, a station list, bibliography and 39 timetable pages. This is another of Signor’s masterpieces. Published by Signature Press in 2003, this book in new.

Locator Box 4 and Locator Box 11

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The Railroad that Lighted Southern California by Hank Johnston (W 1)

Gene Harmon — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:23:36 +0000

This is the history of the San Joaquin & Eastern built to aid in the construction of the Big Creek dam, the largest hydroelectric project started in 1912 for the Pacific Light & Power Company. Published by Stauffer Publishing in 1997, this fourth edition (revise) has 128 pages with black and white images including maps and diagrams. The book is in like new condition except for the jacket which has a small tear on the bottom front and slight scuffing.

Locator Box 1

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Steam Echos The Railroad Photography of Glenn Beier (W 98)

Gene Harmon — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:23:30 +0000

This 288 page horizontal format black and white album includes images of the |Southern Pacific, Sierra RR, Westside Lumber, Pickering Lumber, Feather River Railway, Southern Pacific narrow gauge, D&RGW narrow gauge, Southwest Lumber, Hillcrest Lumber and more! The book is in its original plastic wrapper but there are small edge tears on the lower binding edge. Published by Timber Times in this first edition of 2005.

Locator Box 98

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High Road to Promontory by George Kraus (W 3)

Gene Harmon — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:23:23 +0000

This 317 book covers the history of building the Central Pacific Railroad across the High Sierra. All 100 images are black and white. Published by American West Publishing in 1969, this volume is in very good used condition. The jacket has small tears and edge damage along the top with some scuffing. The jacket has sun bleaching on the spine only.

Locator Box 3

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Matches, Flumes and Rails by Kent Stephens (W 98, 9, 8)

Gene Harmon — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:23:04 +0000

This volume describes the logging and railway activities of the Diamond Match Co. in the High Sierra from the late 1800s until terminated under Southern Pacific ownership in 1974. Published by Trans-Anglo Books, this is the second revised edition in 1981. The book is in very good used condition. The jacket has scuffing and two small tears on 1 volume.The second volume has a plastic cover over the paper jacket. The third volume has a 1″ portion missing on the top front cover. Stock photo used.

Locator Boxes 98, 9 and 8

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Henry Huntington and the Pacific Electric by Spencer Crump (W 26A)

Gene Harmon — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:21:56 +0000

This is a B&W pictorial history of the PE with comprehensive captions, details about each route, maps, schedules, and text in 112 pages. The book was published by Trans-Anglo Books in 1970 (2nd edition) and is in like-new condition with a paper jacket sporting a few wear marks.

Locator box 26A

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Matches, Flumes and Rails by Kent Stephens (W 14)

Gene Harmon — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:59:58 +0000

This volume describes the logging and railway activities of the Diamond Match Co. in the High Sierra from the late 1800s until terminated under Southern Pacific ownership in 1974. Published by Trans-Anglo Books, this is the first edition edition in 1977. The book is in very good used condition. The jackets have scuffing, cover tears with small portions missing. Stock photo used.

Locator Box 14

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