Tulare Valley Railroad
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| Tulare Valley Railroad | |
|---|---|
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| Reporting marks | TVRR |
| Locale | Tulare County, California |
| Dates of operation | 1992 – Present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Corporate at Salt Lake City, Utah |
The Tulare Valley Railroad (AAR reporting marks TVRR) was operational on December 22, 1992 after acquiring several former Santa Fe Railway (AAR reporting marks ATSF) branch lines in California's San Joaquin Valley on October 20, 1992. The company was formed by Morris Kulmer & Kern Schumucher (of A&K Railroad Materials) and Michael Van Wagenen of Kyle Railways. A&K Railroad Materials specializes in dismantling railroad lines and selling relay (used) track materials. Kyle Railways operates several shortline railroads throughout the United States.
The TVRR operated 158 miles of track from December 1992 to May 1998. The track consisted of the following routes:
- Magunden to Arvin, 17 miles (Arvin Subdivision)
- Oil Jct. to Maltha, 4 miles (Oil City Subdivision)
- Ducor to Cutler, 52 miles (Porterville Subdivision)
- Corcoran to Calwa, 66 miles (Corcoran to Tulare abandon)
- Wyeth to Orange Cove and Minkler, 9.4 miles (Visalia Subdivision)
- Hammond to Cameo, 6 miles
The TVRR later abandoned the following tracks:
- Corcoran to Tulare
- Visalia to Cutler (14.7 miles)
- Wyeth to Orange Cove (13.3 miles)
- Orange Cove to Minkler
In May 1998, most of the remaining track was sold to the San Joaquin Valley Railroad (AAR reporting marks SJVR). Today, the TVRR today owns only 6.1 miles of track known as the Ultra Branch. The track runs between Ducor (where it connects with the SJVR and BNSF) to Ultra where its only customer, Cannella Chemical, is located. The TVRR is operated by the SJVR under contract.
Today, the General Manager of TVRR is Rex Bergholm.
The company charges a $900/car fee for switching services.
