Eel River and Eureka Railroad | |
---|---|
Locale | California's North Coast from Eureka - Alton, California |
Dates of operation | 1882–1902 |
Successor | San Francisco and Northwestern Railway |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge); 30 miles (48 km) of system originally, |
Headquarters | Eureka |
The Eel River and Eureka Railroad company was organized on November 14, 1882 by a group of Eureka businessmen led by John M. Vance (b. Nova Scotia October 1, 1821 - d. January 1892).[1]
The primary 25 miles (40 km) of the Eel River and Eureka Railroad ran from the line's office and depot at the foot of Second Street, Eureka to Burnell's station, a town near Hydesville.[2] The longest tunnel was nearly 2,000 feet (610 m) through Table Bluff[2] between the stops of Salmon Creek and Swauger's Station.
By 1896, the Eel River and Eureka Railroad was running passenger trains twice a day, every day but Sunday when there were three trains.[3] From June 1895 to June 1896, the line had 32,811 passengers who paid a total of $24,748.70 in fares.[3] In the same period, the line earned $67,568.85 from lumber and freight, over 3,000 tons of which was butter from the Eel River Valley dairies.[3]
After the junction at Alton the Pacific Lumber Company Railroad extended south about 4 miles (6.4 km) through and slightly beyond the town of Scotia.[2]
In October 1902, all the property and rights of the Eel River and Eureka Railroad were transferred to the San Francisco and Northwestern Railway.[4]
The tracks became part of a continuous line from San Francisco to Trinidad in the summer of 1914.[5] On December 28, 1918, the San Francisco and Northwestern Railway transferred the assets to the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.[4]