Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Railroad |
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All material courtesy of Rich McCutchan unless otherwise noted. See USE NOTICE on Home Page.  |
The End of a Most Remarkable Era |
 Engine No. 9 sporting a phony smoke stack and headlamp with a group of narrow gauge rail aficionados in the late 1950s.  |
 The "Slim Princess" making a final run from Laws to Owenyo loaded with SPNG fans. [Photo from Greg Brown] |
Exploring a Ghost Railroad
by Gary Speck
GPS Locations
by Gary Speck
10/24  The Sun-Telegram of San Bernardino County - August 28, 1960 |
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 From The Sun-Telegram of San Bernardino, CA - August 28, 1960 "Slim Princess" Just a Memory as Line Abandoned |
 Carson & Colorado Railroad Route from Moundhouse, NV to Keeler, CA |
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 These final words echoed the end of the Keeler Branch of the narrow gauge railroad in Owens Valley. |
 The "Grand Old Lady," engine No. 9, rides a free pass on her last trip. Having failed to pass an I.C.C. boiler inspection earlier, No. 9 was deprived of making her last run by her own power. |
 Spike puller requiring a bit of help from the spikes fused to the ties. |
 The track gang keeps a steady pace as the scrap train nears Kearsarge. |
 The first portion of the Keeler Branch rail that was removed is loaded at Zurich in September, 1960. |
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 Last crew of the "Slim Princess" on April 29, 1960. L/R: Bob Cartt (Agent), Bob Olson (Brakeman), Jerry Jones (Brakeman), G. C. McGhee (Conductor), W.C. "Furgie" Furguson (Engineer), Mr. Graves (Fireman) |
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 Rolling Stock wheels collection. |
 Ceremonial "Pulling of the First Spike" at Laws Station |
 The last of the Carson & Colorado RR hobos. |
 Last run to Keeler departing on April 29, 1960. Bringing to a close 80 years of Carson & Colorado Railroad history. |
 Laws oil and water tower. |
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by George Turner
 Abandoned Laws Railroad Station - Laws, CA |
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 Laws Station with Diesel #1 - April 1960 |
 Thursday, September 22, 1960 classified advertisement. |
 No. 18 taking on water in Owens Valley. |
 Gallows turntable originally at Owenyo was originally used at Keeler. |
 A former Carson & Colorado baggage-mail car provides storage for tools along with a boxcar and several sheds. |
 No. 18 near Mt. Whitney with a bunch of fans getting a ride - 1954 |
 Engine No. 18 makes a caboose-hop during this twilight run on the narrow gauge in Owens Valley. |
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 Reclaimed by time. |
 Lonesome and deserted ties in the sand. |
08/22 Looking south of Owenyo - Spring 1971, 7 years after the rails were pulled up (Photo courtesy of Rick Donaldson) |
08/22 Abandoned maintenance shop at Keeler - 1971 (Photo courtesy of Rick Donaldson) |
08/22 SP Keeler depot, 8 years after service ended - April 1968 (Photo courtesy of Rick Donaldson) |
08/22 Remains of the Sierra Talc processing plant - 2011 (Photo courtesy of Rick Donaldson) |
08/22 Looking north at the remains of a railroad trestle on the SP narrow gauge. Five miles south of Big Pine near Fish Springs hatchery. - July 1970 (Photo courtesy of Rick Donaldson) |
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Ghost Boxcars Did you ever wonder where all of those C&C boxcars used on the narrow gauge railway in Owens Valley ended up? Would it surprise you if I mentioned names like Henry Olivis, Dr. Bill Smart, Bob White and Ben Baker, to name a few, were proud owners of some of those cars. If you're interested who else in Owens Valley, at least as of 1982, ended up with those boxcars then click on the link below and enjoy. "Carson and Colorado Railroad Boxcar Locations" by Mallory Ferrell |
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 Ghosts of the Carson & Colorado |
NOTE: According to Dennis Burke, President of the Carson & Colorado./ Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Historical Society "This Carson & Colorado Police Badge is a FRAUD. There was never a C&C Police. You can also confirm this with the Railroad Historians at both the Nevada and California State RR Museums. This badge was made by a person in Texas who has made several others that are frauds and sold them on e-bay. We watched this a few years back while it was on e-bay a observed how much the buyer paid. (it was a shame). We actually contacted the seller and was told by him that he purchased it at a flea market and was going by what he was told. This is what he tells us every time we contact him about his badges. |
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[photo by Jason Lubra] |
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Carson & Colorado RR Photos Courtesy of Rich McCutchan |
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 Ceremonial "Last Run" (April 29, 1960) of the famed Southern Pacific Carson & Colorado narrow gauge railway - Engine #9, the "Slim Princess". Engine #9 is currently in the Laws Railroad Museum in Laws, CA. |
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 Final run of Carson & Colorado RR Engine No. 9 with a load of railroad fans - 1954 [Photo courtesy of Eastern California Museum] |
 Southern Pacific Standard Gauge Trestles crossing the Owens River [Photo courtesy of Dave Rowan] |
Remnants of a romantic bygone era of the Carson & Colorado Railway |
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 Remains of the Carson & Colorado roadbed at Zurich Station [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of the Carson & Colorado roadbed at Zurich Station [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains Carson & Colorado Railroad at Zurich Station [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of the Carson & Colorado Railroad at Kearsarge Station [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of the Carson & Colorado roadbed along Owenyo Road [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains Carson & Colorado Railroad at Kearsarge Station [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of the Carson & Colorado roadbed along Owenyo Road [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
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 Remains of Owenyo Transfer Trestle at Owenyo, CA - 2017 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of Owenyo Transfer Trestle at Owenyo, CA - 2017 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of Owenyo Transfer Trestle at Owenyo, CA - 2017 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of Owenyo Transfer Trestle at Owenyo, CA - 2017 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of Owenyo Transfer Trestle at Owenyo, CA - 2017 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of the Southern Pacific roadbed at Little Lake, CA - 2017 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of Lone Pine Depot, Lone Pine, CA - 2016 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Slim Princess No. 9 at Laws Railroad Museum, Laws, CA - 2013 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Keeler Depot, Keeler, CA - 2016 [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of the Southern Pacific Standard Gauge roadbed at Owenyo, CA [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of the Southern Pacific Standard Gauge roadbed at Owenyo, CA [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 C&C remnants at Kearsarge site [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
 Remains of the Carson & Colorado RR Depot in Keeler, CA [Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea] |
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Photographs courtesy of Rich McCutchan |
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 Southern Pacific Engine #9 making a last run in Owens Valley |
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 Southern Pacific Enginer #8 with a load of railroad fans. |
 Southern Pacific Enginer #8 with a load of railroad fans. |
 Southern Pacific Enginer #8 with a load of railroad fans. |
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 Southern Pacific Engine #9 making a last run in Owens Valley |
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 Southern Pacific Engine #8 with a load of railroad fans. |
 Southern Pacific with a load of railroad fans on a run from Laws to Keeler |
 The glory of Keeler's narrow gauge raiload a ghost of the past. |
 Removing rails on the the Southern Pacific narrow gauge line near Monola Siding - 1960. (Eastern California Museum - Virtual Transportation Museum photo) |
 SPNG #18 making a last run with a bunch of railroad fans onboard. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke). |
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 Railway fans on the Slim Princess in 1948 (Photo courtesy Rich McCutchan) |
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 October 1954 - The last official run of the Slim Princess at Owenyo (Photo courtesy Eastern California Virtual Transportation Museum) |
 The "Last Days" of the Carson & Colorado Narrow Gauge RR (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke) |
 Bucket bulk elevator for loading talc into train cars at Owenyo. |
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 Removed railroad ties from the abandonment of the Tonopah Junction to Benton section in 1943. |
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 Tearing up the rails along the Owens Valley SPNG at Kearsarge - Looking south |
 Tearing up the rails along the Owens Valley SPNG north of Kearsarge - 1960 |
 Tearing up the rails along the Owens Valley SPNG at Owenyo, CA |
 Tearing up the rails along the Owens Valley SPNG at Owenyo, CA |
 Owenyo being dismanteled - 1960 |
 Owenyo Hotel and SPNG yard being dismanteled - 1960 |
 Owenyo being dismanteled - 1960 |
 Owenyo being dismanteled - 1960 |
 Owenyo being dismanteled - 1960 This is an image of Owenyo where the Narrow and Standard gauge met. Photo taken in 1960 looking NE across the standard gauge track. The tall metal structure was the Perlite loader where the very fine material perlite was transferred from the NG cars to the SG cars. The building in the background was the Owenyo Hotel. Much of the walls of the hotel were constructed from old SG box car bodies. The depot would have been just the othere side of the perlite loader. It still stands today in Keeler as the Volunteer Fire Department. It too was constructed of old box cars.. (text courtesy of Dennis Burke) |
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08/22
Photographs courtesy of Garth Groff |
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 SP Baggage Postal Car C.P.4, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
 SP Baggage Postal Car EX C.P.4, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
 SP Baggage Postal Car EX C.P.4, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
 SP Crossing Sign, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
 SP Depot, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
 SP Depot, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
 SP Ice House, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
 SPPaint Locker, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
 SP Pump House, Keeler, CA - 1967 |
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 Keeler Depot - circa 2020 (Photo courtesy of Willie Jardine) |
 Keeler Depot (Photo courtesy of Willie Jardine) |
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 Keeler (Photo courtesy of Willie Jardine) |
 Keeler circa late 1970s (Photo courtesy of Willie Jardine) |
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Keeler - Open Air repair shops Taken in November (photo on the left), 1964 on our way back from the Death Valley Encampment. First saw these in November 1959 when tracks were still present. Unfortunately I do not have a picture. Later, in 1970 I camped out here and if I can find them, I have the picture to prove it! These are the outdoor shops of the Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge, Keeler, California. I think they post date the Carson and Colorado RR. (Photo and text courtesy of Sean Donovan) The image Sean posted is the Keeler service facilities after the rails were pulled as Sean mentioned. This image is looking north from about where the locomotive water tank was. The engine house would have been just about where the tall bushes are in the photo......Starting from the furthest structure on the right coming towards us.....This is the original Carson & Colorado RR baggage car #4 which still exists in Keeler at another location. This car was detrucked and used as a tool house for many years...Next coming our way in the image is a standard gauge box car that was also used as a tool shed and shop. Next is another tool and storage building. Next and closest is a structure that has been described in several writings as being a washing and shower facility. In some images you can see a ground level pipe running from the water tank to this structure.....Being an outside work facility I would image this so called shower structure was used often just to cool down during the hot summer months........On the left of this image you can see the pipe and tin covered lean to type structure. In photos you can see the welding tanks and other related equipment would be stored here...Hope this helps....Thank you for sharing this photo Sean...Oh, I should mention that the main line would have been behind the facility structures on the right of the photo. Depot behind photographer some ways back....I will search for a matching image when the rails were in place. (Text courtesy of Dennis Burke) |
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07/23
 SPNG remnants between Laws and Chalfant. (Photo courtesy of Ronald Grau) |
 Abandoned SPNG roadbed Laws and Chalfant. (Photo courtesy of Ronald Grau) |
 Abandoned SPNG roadbed Laws and Chalfant. (Photo courtesy of Ronald Grau) |
 Abandoned SPNG roadbed Laws and Chalfant. (Photo courtesy of Ronald Grau) |
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Early Bishop Residents | |
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Mary Austin | |
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More,
Owens Valley - Carson & Colorado Railroad |
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Saline
Valley Saltworks Tramway |
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High Sierra Pack Stations |
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Willie A. Chalfant |
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Manzanar Town, Owens Valley |
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  Sign Guestbook View Old Guest Book Entries Oct 1999 - Feb 2015 (MS Word) |
 CONTACT the Pigmy Packer |
 View Guestbook View Old Guest Book Entries Oct 1999 - Feb 2015 (PDF) |
This page was last updated on
22 August 2024