Rail chair

From: "Chris Graves" caliron@att.net

A rail chair was found a short time ago on the old Towle Bros. rail road grade, above Drum Camp.  This road bed was abandoned by the Towle Bros. about 1903; Towle Bros. used what ever rail they could find, primarily we find CPRR initial construction on their old grades.

This rail chair however, is not in the pattern of chairs found along the old CPRR grade, nor is it similiar to other chairs found on the Towle Brothers grade.

Instead of the 'wrap around' being in the middle of the chair, the 'wrap around' fills the entire chair, end to end.

Additionally, the only rail that fits it perfectly is the rail purchased by Theo. Judah in the Fall of 1859, for his railroad, the California Eastern Extension running between Lincoln, Cal. and Gold Hill, Cal.  This rail, 52 lbs. to the yard, was made by the Rensellear Iron Co. of Troy, N.Y.  It was initially laid on the Sacramento, Placer and Nevada rail bed, and following the failure of that endeavour, it was relaid on the Placerville Branch.

Does anyone in the group have first person historical notes that would show this rail being pulled up by the Associates and being sold to the Towle Bros.?  If so, what year would that have taken place?

—Chris Graves

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