Question: Mile Posts
From: pravoslavna@comcast.net
... The "Report of the Survey of the Central and Union Pacific Railways," published in 1877, indicates that three line relocations had already been done by 1876. Within the next thirty years, another 300 mile of right-of-way had been relocated in various grade revision projects.
Did the CP/SP ever "re-Mile Post" its railroad? Or did it just live with the problem of long miles, short miles, and missing Mile Posts? And if there were revisions, what was the date of the last such program of revisions?
—Abram Burnett
mileposts, mileage
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 5:06 PM
13 Comments:
From: "Wendell Huffman" wendellhuffman@hotmail.com
Early CP timetables show mileage from Sacramento, but soon after completion of railroad timetables were issues counting miles from San Francisco. There is one published in Best's "Iron Horses to Promontory" (pp188-190) still listing E.B. Crocker as attorney which gives 881 miles from San Francisco to Ogden. One I have from 1901 shows 833 San Francisco to Ogden. Clearly there was a significant revision before 1901 – a revision I suspect occurred with the opening of the Benicia route in 1879-80. I would think a careful comparison of timetables during that period would reveal whether the revision was merely the change in the San Francisco-Sacramento distance which resulted in the opening of the new route, or whether additional adjustments were made elsewhere along the line.
In 1911 mileages on the railroad were changed reflecting the relocation of "0 Milepost" from 3rd and Townsend Street to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I suspect this change was system-wide, but I do not know how it was reflected on the Sunset Route (for which 3rd & townsend made more sense that the Ferry Building). Hopefully we will hear more on this. To my knowledge the 1911 milepost change was the last. Again, it might take a careful examination of station lists and/or timetables to reveal whether they merely subtracted the 3rd & Townsend-Ferry Building distance from all the mileages, or whether there were other adjustments along the line to correct for realignments.
While it is beyond the range of the initial question, it may be of interest to note that altitude of stations on the Placerville Branch were changed in 1950. I have never checked to see whether there were changes elsewhere at that time. But it indicates that the company did resurvey their line.
Wendell
From: littlechoochoo81@netzero.net
... I am in the process of sending ... about 60 pages of milepost changes over the years. ... But there are no mising mileposts, at least in the engineering department. Vandals may take mile post signs but we in Maintenance of Way and Engineering must "defend to the death" the "sacredness" of mileage, engineering stations and distances which are very important on a railroad. ... And thanks for the interest in early CP/SP.
—Lynn Farrar
From: littlechoochoo81@netzero.net
Subject: CP Mileposts
I am busy trying to get a schedule of mileposts put together showing the changes for each station over the years 1866 to 1973 and some later. ... The more I look around at what I have the more things I find to use in checking the accuracy of my milepost files. I didn't realize how much time it takes to go over all the sources I have available. There are over 10,000 figures just from Reno to Ogden. And I have found new info on some of those. Then I will compare my old schedule with the profiles from circa 1870 to 1904 and I should compare the old schedules with the 1880 track plats for dates not in the station books. It will take a while but it will produce a better product than what I have now. My list is far from complete but it will provide a great deal of info. ... I am trying to get the best info possible for others. It was just fortunate that the Engineering Department at SP saved all that old material. As I look at the old station books from 1900 to 1910 I see notes written on them saying the book was used in the Oakland office while the General Office in SF was being moved uptown to new quarters as the old GO was destroyed by fire in 1906. And a number of the books show in handwriting the name of the owner, a few names being men I worked with when I first joined SP 1n 1948. So it is hard work to get it accurate but fun too. ... please be patient.
—Lynn Farrar
See:
OVERLAND ROUTE STATIONS AND MILEAGE
PART ONE OF FOUR
SACRAMENTO TO RENO FROM 1866 THROUGH 1903
... Thanks for wanting those records I have. I have enjoyed all my analyses of the engineering records ...
—Lynn Farrar
See:
OVERLAND ROUTE STATIONS AND MILEAGE
PART TWO OF FOUR
RENO TO OGDEN FROM 1866 THROUGH 1903
See:
OVERLAND ROUTE STATIONS AND MILEAGE
PART THREE OF FOUR
SACRAMENTO TO RENO FROM 1904 THROUGH 1996
See:
OVERLAND ROUTE STATIONS AND MILEAGE
PART FOUR OF FOUR
RENO TO OGDEN FROM 1904 TO 1996
See:
OVERLAND ROUTE STATIONS AND MILEAGE
SOURCES USED
See:
OVERLAND ROUTE STATIONS AND MILEAGE
INTRODUCTION
From: "Lynn Farrar" littlechoochoo81@netzero.net
Subject: Station lists
While going over some old records I found that the US government railroad commissioner's who were sent out to verify the construction of the CP Sacramento to Promontory listed the stations and the miles from Sacramento. These reports were in 1868 in California and 1868 in Nevada for most of the way, the remainder and all of Utah were in 1869.
... changes ... :
On Part 1 of 4 Sacramento to Reno there are only two changes, namely Tamarack which is shown as 04/10/74 & 235 miles and Cascade which is shown as 04'10/74 & 239 miles.
On part 2 of 4 Reno to Ogden there are many changes. Mirage is shown 04/10/74 & 355 miles; 04/10/74 Mountain Bridge & 395 miles; Rye Patch & 413 miles; Humboldt & 420 miles; Raspberry & 443 miles; Winnemucca & 000 & 324 miles; Tule & 006 miles; Golconda & 017 miles; Iron Point & 028 miles; Stone House & 041 miles; Shoshone & 083 miles; Moleen & 132 miles. Stations dated 1869 start with Deeth & 180 miles; Wells & 525 miles; Cedar & 671 miles; Pequop & 551 miles; Tecoma & 727 miles; Lucin & 736 miles; Kelton & 792 miles; Victory (Rozel) & miles. ...
—Lynn
Thanks to Lynn Farrar, Parts One and Two of the OVERLAND ROUTE STATIONS AND MILEAGE documents have been revised "for Sacramento to Reno ... and ... station list for Reno to Ogden ... "
Also see the explanation of surveying engineer stations.
"Where can I find Mileages between stations of the CPRR?"
See, Listing of Overland Route Stations and Mileage.
Also see, the ALFRED A. HART STEREOGRAPH CATALOG and repeatedly search for the word "station" on that web page.
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