The Sacramento Southern Railroad is a heritage railway owned by the California State Railroad Museum which operates excursion trains on it.[1] The railroad extends from the museum property located in Old Sacramento State Historic Park south along the east bank of the Sacramento River levee.
Sacramento Southern Railroad | |
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Sacramento Southern Railroad #2030 performs some local switching duties on the SSRR line located just south of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento in December, 2004. | |
Locale | Sacramento Freeport, California; original route was to Walnut Grove |
Terminus | Freeport, California; original route was to Walnut Grove |
Connections | Union Pacific Railroad (Freight) |
Commercial operations | |
Built by | The original Sacramento Southern Railroad a non-operating subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Company |
Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Preserved operations | |
Owned by | California State Railroad Museum |
Operated by | California State Railroad Museum |
Reporting mark | SSRR |
Length | 3 miles |
Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Commercial history | |
Opened | 1909 |
1912 | Merged with Central Pacific Railroad |
(?) | Became a part of the SP system |
Closed | 1978 |
Preservation history | |
c. 1978 | Property acquired by the museum |
(?) | Freight service resumed |
1982 | Excursions started |
Present | In operation |
Headquarters | California State Railroad Museum at Sacramento |
Website | |
Official website |
The original Sacramento Southern Railroad ran south 24.3 miles (39.1 km) to Walnut Grove, California via Freeport and was a non-operating subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company incorporated in 1903.[2]
The line was constructed between 1906–1912, and the first train began operating over the line in 1909.[3] It was merged in 1912 with the Central Pacific Railroad upon completion of the line to Walnut Grove. The line was extended to Isleton by 1929. In 1931, a 3-mile (5 km) extension of the branch reached the Mokelumne River.[3]
The railroad later became a part of the SP system who filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the line, and did so on October 10, 1978.[3] Around that time the California State Railroad Museum started acquiring the rail property, and started excursions in 1982.[3] Recent years have seen a resurgence in the road's freight business, serving a number of local industries via an interchange with the Union Pacific Railroad. Future plans call for expanding operations southward into the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta area.