California Central RR

Bancroft, H.H., History of California, San Francisco, 1890, vol. XXIV, page 586:

"In December 1869 ... [the California and Oregon RR Co.] became consolidated with the Yuba Railroad company, (39) organized in 1862 to extend the California Central railroad (40) from Lincoln to a point at or near Marysville, and in which the Central Pacific had a controlling interest."

Footnote 39 " The first officers of the Yuba company were Samuel Brannan, pres't, James P. Flint, vice-pres't, J. M. Shotwell sec. and treas'r., Charles Dana , H. B. Williams and other directors. The company was composed of the bondholders of the defunct Cal. Central R. R., who, to make the bonds of the old road available, found it necessary to push the new road through to the Yuba river."

Footnote 40 "The Cal. Central R. R. was commenced in 1858 to run from Folsom to Marysville, but it was completed no further than Lincoln. Its first officers were J. C. Fall, pres't, Wiliam [sic] Hawley, vice pres't, Ira A. Eaton sec., John A. Paxton, teas'r, T. D. Judah chief eng'r, John H. Kinkead, H. P. Catlin, S. T. Watts, the other directors. The Central Pacific in 1863 purchased this Cal. Central at sheriff's sale and that portion between Roseville and Folsom was abandoned. [ The rest of the note concerns the Cal. Northern, or Northern Central as it was sometimes called, [ which] was incorporated in 1860...]

—Gene Lewis [from the R&LHS Newsgroup]

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Dennis Petrolla asked about the route between Folsom and Roseville. As far as I know the line crossed the American River about where the present footbridge is upstream of the Rainbow Bridge and followed Greenback Lane through the junction with the Auburn-Folsom Road. If I remember, there used to be a cut in the hill further up Greenback Lane where the line had run through. Due to highway improvements, this cut doesn't seem to be there anymore. Locations along the line included Williams, Grider's and Orchards, but not sure if this was the section between Lincoln and Roseville. The line was abandoned in 1868.

Also, there was the Sacramento, Placer and Nevada that connected with the Callfornia Central near Folsom that ran towards Auburn. From Wildwood Station (probably what is now Newcastle) it ran through the east side of Auburn Ravine, Buckeye Ravine, Secret Ravine, Oak House, Indian Valley House, Pine Grove House, Hawes, to the connection with the California Central. When the construction of the Central Pacific reached Newcastle, the line was torn up. I found this info from an old newspaper account many years ago in the California State Library.

Further information on the line can be found in "Bonanza Railroads" By Gilbert H. Kneiss, Stanford University Press (1954) and "First in the West - The Sacramento Valley Railroad" by Cindy L. Baker, City of Folsom (1996).

The latter had a photo of the train on the American River bridge, and may be the location of the Rainbow Bridge instead of the present footbridge. Copies of both books are no doubt contained in the world famous California State Railroad Museum!

—John Minke [from the R&LHS Newsgroup]