The Holland Branch – Coniston, Willow Point and the Great Trestle
Heading north from Newtown, the tour of the Holland Tract will cover Coniston to the crossing of Winchester Lake at Pumphouse Rd.
L226-05-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis, (Image 1 of 39)
The railway trip from Newtown to Clarksburg Rd. stayed along the west side of the Main Drainage Canal.
L226-10-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64588 , (Image 2 of 39)
These north-oriented aerials of Coniston show that packing sheds were removed sometime between 1937 and 1961. Jack Taylor added that the sheds were still there by 1947 in historicaerials.com. The road was straightened by 1984, fueled by the high number of traffic accidents due to the severe curve. UC Davis Refs: 1937, ABB-49-59, 8-18-1937; 1957, ABB-70T-83, 9-18-1957; 1984, WAC-84C 5-213, 3-20-1984; UC Santa Barbara Ref: cas-sac_2-91, 6/29/61; 2014, Google Maps
L226-15-Multiple Contributors, (Image 3 of 39)
No images during the SN era have been found for this area, now occupied by a winery as shown in this west view. According to the 1957 Western Pacific, WP, Circular No. 167-E, J.A. Rankin Oil had a 20-car capacity to handle gas and oil, and Holly Sugar a 4-car capacity for sugar beets.
L226-20-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 4 of 39)
The SN lease to Rankin was the first documented lease on the Holland Line to a non-agriculture-based entity, and given the nature of the business, that company erected their own facility.
L226-25-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives , (Image 5 of 39)
The middle letter mentions Holly Sugar’s two beet-loading facilities at Coniston. This correlates with the two sheds seen on the 1937 aerial in L226-15. Recall that Holly Sugar closed their operation at Oxford in 1965, but no information has been found to correlate with the removal of the sheds by 1961.
L226-30-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 6 of 39)
No railroad artifacts were uncovered at Coniston in 2015, and given the road realignment, this north view approximates the right-of-way path to the north.
L226-35-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 7 of 39)
Heading north, the next stop is Willow Point Rd.
L226-40-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64588 , (Image 8 of 39)
A south view of the right-of-way at Willow Point Rd. in 2015 ...
L226-45-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 9 of 39)
... and the view north in 2015. The gate with the red “Do Not Enter” sign can be seen blocking the right-of-way in the far distance.
L226-50-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 10 of 39)
These north-oriented images establish that whatever packing shed and facilities had existed at Willow Point in 1937, red arrow, were gone within two decades. Jack Taylor contributed that historicaerials.com indicates the facilities were cleared by 1947. There were no structures on either bank of the canal in 2020. UC Davis Ref: ABB-49-56, 8/18/37; ABB-70T-34 9/18/57; UC Santa Barbara Ref: cas-sac_2-92 6/29/61; cas-81081_4-103, 4/8/81; 2020, Google Maps
L226-55-Mutiple Contributors, (Image 11 of 39)
The use of the shed at Willow Point has not been uncovered, and all that was found was this diagram from 1966. No information was found to confirm that the lease was ever executed. No customers were listed the 1957 Western Pacific, WP, Circular No. 167-E.
L226-60-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39075, (Image 12 of 39)
Heading north of Willow Point Rd., the major landmark was the switch track initiating the long spur track to Clarksburg, located just south of the climb to the levee and Pumphouse Rd. Paul Smith took this north view during the Cal-Nevada-sponsored Mystery Excursion of May 8, 1938.
L226-65-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 160824sn, (Image 13 of 39)
Dudley Thickens followed that up with the same north view during the July 4, 1950 BAERA-sponsored excursion.
L226-70-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 81685sn , (Image 14 of 39)
Ken Meeker supplied the next north view, this from May 12, 1984, the presence of the Western Pacific Clarksburg local a bonus. The image also documents the poor condition of the track up to the levee.
L226-75-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society Archives, (Image 15 of 39)
Dan Engstrom rode the Yolo Short Line after it acquired the roadway from the Union Pacific, and captured the switch track in this north view from Jan. 1991.
L226-80-Dan Engstrom Photo, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, (Image 16 of 39)
By 2015, the right-of-way was gated short of the take-off of the switch. In this north view, the outline of the grass marks the site of the switch track.
L226-85-Stuart Swiedler Photo , (Image 17 of 39)
Two more additional views matching what existed south and north of Willow Point Rd. on Sept. 14, 1988. Here is the south view ...
L226-90-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 18 of 39)
... and here the north view, Sept. 14, 1988.
L226-95-Harre Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 19 of 39)
Next to follow a freight up the incline to Pumphouse Rd. This south view of WP 725 and freight from June 3, 1984 shows the switch track to Clarksburg and the end of track in the distance.
L226-100-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society Archives, (Image 20 of 39)
Same actors as previous, south view of WP 725 and freight from June 3, 1984, but here the freight has progressed to the berm or dam crossing Winchester Lake.
L226-105-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society Archives, (Image 21 of 39)
Ken Meeker and Dave Stanley were at this spot on Apr. 25, 1984, each documenting the rear of a local, and the poor condition of the track up to the levee road viewed to the south, Meeker to the left, Stanley to the right. Ref: Left, Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society Archives; Right, Dave Stanley Photos, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018
L226-110-Kenneth J. Meeker Photo, l, Dave Stanley Photo, r , (Image 22 of 39)
Dan Engstrom’s north view from Jan. 1991 suggests that the Union Pacific might have improved the road bed just a little.
L226-115-Dan Engstrom Photo, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, (Image 23 of 39)
A few images from 2015 just to set the stage for what is coming next. First the railroad crossing warning on Pumphouse Rd., with a southwest view toward the east side of the berm crossing of Winchester Lake.
L226-120-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 24 of 39)
A closer southwest view of the east side of the berm, 2015.
L226-125-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 25 of 39)
A direct view of the right-of-way situated on the berm, south view, 2015.
L226-130-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 26 of 39)
Finally, a southeast view from Pumphouse Rd. of the west side of the berm.
L226-135-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 27 of 39)
The issue at hand is that this berm had once been the site of a long trestle as documented in these north-oriented aerial views. Ref: UC Davis Ref: ABB-49-55, 8/18/37; ABB-70T-34 9/18/57; 2014, Google Maps
L226-140-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis and Google Maps , (Image 28 of 39)
The trestle burned in a fire in the mid-1950s, here a southeast view of the blaze.
L226-145-Courtesy Friends of the Clarksburg Library, 1481, (Image 29 of 39)
A closer view of the flames from the mid-1950s.
L226-150-Courtesy Friends of the Clarksburg Library, 1482, (Image 30 of 39)
Fortunately there is ample documentation of the trestle from railfan excursions. First, a north view from the front of SN 1009, May 8, 1938.
L226-155-Paul Smith Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 160827sn , (Image 31 of 39)
There are dozens of northeast images of MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 on a staged run on Sept. 25, 1949, but Bob Stein’s image had the best clarity and balance. Note how the pantograph of MW 302 is on rear of the car, while the canopied porch-like open vestibule platform area of 751 is positioned on the front of that car.
L226-160-Robert L. Stein Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 47406sn , (Image 32 of 39)
Addison Laflin’s northeast image of MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 on a staged run on Sept. 25, 1949 was a second type of view.
L226-165-Addison Laflin Photo Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 86442sn , (Image 33 of 39)
Roy Proffer backed up just a bit to show the assembled crowd awaiting MW 302 and SLU 751 on the south side of the lake on Sept. 25, 1949.
L226-170-Roy Proffer Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 91041sn , (Image 34 of 39)
The return visit of MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 on the BAERA-sponsored excursion of July 4, 1950 produced brighter skies, but an unsettled lake surface for northeast view. Note how the pantograph of MW 302 is on rear of the car as in the previous excursion, but in contrast, the canopied porch-like open vestibule platform area of 751 is positioned on the back of that car. This will become an important distinction for the next update.
L226-175-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79652sn, (Image 35 of 39)
Wil Whittaker’s solution on July 4, 1950 was to stand on the north bank and take this southeast view of the train returning north, a unique view that was not duplicated based on what has been found.
L226-180-Wilbur C. Whittaker Photo, Vielbaum Coll., Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 132759s, (Image 36 of 39)
E.K. Muller and Insley Brain took color shots on July 4, 1950, here Muller’s northeast view capturing MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751’s true colors.
L226-185-E.K. Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 153132sn, (Image 37 of 39)
Back to Pumphouse Rd. in 2015, looking north at the abandoned right-of-way. The road will be explored soon, but the next visit to the area will backtrack to Clarksburg. Appreciation to Dave Stanley and Dan Engstrom for their photo contributions, and acknowledgment to Wayne Monger for suggesting and making the Meeker Collection accessible.
L226-190-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 38 of 39)
An additional appreciation to Jack Taylor for his contributions in this update, and noting that some rail remains on Pumphouse Rd. are visible in Google Maps, as seen in this north view.
L226-195-Courtesy Google Maps, (Image 39 of 39)
