NEVADA AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD. The Nevada-California-Oregon Railway (three-foot gauge) commences at a point in Reno, Washoe County, Nevada, alongside the Central Pacific Railroad, four thousand five hundred and thirty feet above sea level; thence for two thousand two hundred feet on an approximating level grade; thence rising on a continuous grade (much of it one hundred feet per mile) for 9.7 miles to first summit, five thousand two hundred and thirty feet above sea; thence descending on varying grades of one hundred feet and less for 4.62 miles to Sway, four thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight feet above sea; thence ascending one mile on a one hundred-foot grade, and for 3.45 miles further over light and undulating grades (together 4.45 miles) to foot of mountain, four thousand nine hundred and forty-three feet above sea; thence up a varying grade, mostly ninety-five feet per mile, 3.23 miles to second summit, five thousand three hundred and seventy feet above sea; thence descending on a varying grade from ninety-seven feet to fifty-three feet for 3 miles to five thousand one hundred and eleven feet above sea; thence over a nearly level grade for 13 miles, and a rising grade of eighty-five feet for miles (together 24 miles) to the line between Nevada and California, five thousand one hundred and fifty-three feet above sea; thence descending for .52 miles rapidly into Long Valley to five thousand one hundred and twenty-three feet altitude; thence down said valley on a descending undulating grade, average thirty-four feet per mile, 8.24 miles to Chat, altitude four thousand eight hundred and thirty-six feet. Chat is 2 miles east of Crest, in Beckwith Pass. From Crest the water flows west to Feather River, and with the valley of that stream, offers a practical route, with grade not over one hundred feet per mile, into Plumas County, and to Sacramento and tide. From Reno for 19 miles the general direction of the road is a little west of north, and its southern half exceedingly sinuous. Thence northwest for 2 miles; thence northwest, west, and southwest to 28th mile at State line, 2 miles further south than at the 19th mile. This last section is much like the first or Reno section in curvature. Thence 9 miles to Chat, or 37th mile, on a little west of north course. Between Reno and Chat there are many curves (some as sharp as 18 degrees). Curves on grades are so compensated that they do not offer more resistance than straight grades. Only 22 miles of the 37 are tangents, and the curvature aggregates 6,578 degrees. In 1887-88 the road was extended north through Long Valley into Honey Lake Valley, 33 miles. There is no ascending grade going north on this section, as the valley descends at the rate of twenty-four feet to the mile. The physical features of the valley made necessary a descent in three places at the rate of seventy feet. In the alignment there are but few curves, and they generally of large radius; and of the sharper none are more than 10 degrees. Of this 33 miles 25 are straight, there being only 1,246 degrees of curvature. There are neither tunnels nor a truss bridge on the whole 70 miles. Between Reno and Chat there are twenty-three trestles, and four on the new road north of Chat-in all, twenty-seven-twenty of which can be filled with earth, only seven passing water. The present north end of the road is called Liegan, 70 miles from Reno, four thousand and fifty-eight feet above sea, in Section 13, Township 16, Range 17 east, Mt. Diablo Meridian, midway between the Nevada line and Honey Lake, California, 6 miles west from 120th meridian, latitude 40.93 degrees, as determined by the scientific party stationed at the north end of the road (Liegan) for the purpose of observing the sun's total eclipse. VISALIA AND TULARE RAILROAD. Visalia to Tulare.. Miles. 11.50 Chartered November 4, 1887. Line completed and put in operation. October 22, 1888, since which time it has been operated by the above named company. The track is of thirty-pound steel rail laid on No. 1 redwood ties; good roadbed; standard gauge; well equipped. Connects with Southern Pacific at Tulare. STATISTICAL DETAILS. MAP. Accompanying this report will be found the second official railroad map issued by the Board. This map represents the different railway systems of the State as they existed on November 15, 1889. As compared with the map of last year, this map shows seven new railroad systems, and also shows the changes in names of corporations, by the formation of new corporations, and by consolidations. TRACK MILEAGE. The miles of road owned by corporations reporting to this office for 1888 were 3,986.59, an increase upon the figures of the preceding year of 544.86. This results from the fact of seven new systems of roads being for the first time shown by reports of this Commission, increasing the mileage by 183.73 miles, and also by added mileage in 1888 amounting to 361.13 miles. Of the total mileage of 3,986.59, 513.79 miles are narrow gauge. TABLE No. 1. SHOWING PROGRESS OF RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION IN CALIFORNIA FROM 1856 TO 1888, INCLUSIVE. The current year will show a marked falling off from the year 1888, in addition to the railroad lines of the State. The added mileage is distributed as follows: Southern Pacific Company, 63.90; San Francisco and North Pacific Railway Company, 9 miles-making a total of 72.90. Statements showing details of added mileage are as follows: SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY. Statement showing Additions to Mileage in California by Construction of New Lines, January 1 to November 15, 1889. Miles. Northern California Railway: Marysville to Knights Landing (not yet in operation).... Southern Pacific Railroad: 27.70 Coast Division-Main line; end of track to Santa Margarita.. 10.80 4.40 15.20 Southern Division-San Joaquin Division; Newman to Banos Total miles added.. 21.00 63.90 SAN FRANCISCO AND NORTH PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY. Statement showing Additions to Mileage by Construction of New Lines, January 1, 1889, to December 1, 1889. STATEMENT OF NEW RAILROAD CORPORATIONS FORMED, AND REORGANIZATIONS, AMENDMENTS OF OLD CHARTERS, AND MISCELLANEOUS CHANGES SINCE DATE OF THE LAST REPORT OF THE STATE RAILROAD COMMISSION, AS SHOWN BY RETURNS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, NOVEMBER 15, 1889. NEW CORPORATIONS. EUREKA RAILROAD AND COAL COMPANY. Gauge (not stated in articles). Termini, County of Alameda, easterly to San Joaquin River, in San Proposed length, 20 miles. Capital stock, $2,000,000. Articles filed, December 15, 1888. SAN FRANCISCO AND NORTH PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY. Termini, Point Tiburon, in Marin County, to Calpella, in Mendocino Also, a railroad from Sonoma Landing to Town of Glen Ellen, in Also, to purchase from the Sonoma Valley Railroad Company, the Also, to purchase from the Cloverdale and Ukiah Railroad Company, the unfinished railroad from the Town of Cloverdale, in Sonoma County, to the Town of Ukiah, in Mendocino County. The proposed length of said railroad is 30 miles. Also, to purchase from the Marin and Napa Railroad Company, the railroad from Ignacio, in Marin County, to Sears Point, in Sonoma County. The length of said railroad is 74 miles. The estimated length of said railroads already completed and now being constructed, with their intermediate branches, is about 180 miles. Gauge (not stated). Capital stock, $6,000,000. Articles filed December 19, 1888. Gauge (not stated). (Amended Termini, Los Angeles to San Bernardino. Also from West Alhambra to Summit of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Proposed length, 72 miles. Capital stock, $250,000. Articles filed March 27, 1889. LOS ANGELES, PASADENA, AND GLENDALE RAILWAY COMPANY. Gauge (not stated). Termini, Los Angeles to Pasadena, and to Glendale and Verdugo Park. Proposed length, 9 miles. Capital stock, $200,000. Articles filed March 30, 1889. |