The Holland Branch – No Turning Around at Clarksburg

Continuing the review of the SN Holland Branch, this update will review the lines only spur, green arrow, a connection with the sugar mill and refinery on the north side of Clarksburg. For simplicity sake, the facility will be referred to as a mill appreciating that all steps in the extraction and production of highly refined and bagged sugar, as well as molasses, occurred her.

L249-05-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis, (Image 1 of 34)

The mill’s history is summarized by Kathleen Graham Hutchinson in the June 2006, Volume 26, no. 1 Sacramento River Delta Historical Society Newsletter. “After 1920, sugar beets were tried again as a principal crop when the Alameda Sugar Co. contracted for the first beets grown in the “Holland Tract” … Holly Sugar Co. later bought them out, and in turn was followed by Amalgamated Sugar in 1934 … the landmark facility was built … In 1936, American Crystal Sugar bought the plant …” Go to http://www.srdhs.org/newsletters.html to read the entire history.

L249-10-Courtesy Yolo County Archives, 390, (Image 2 of 34)

Once the branch was established, teasing apart exactly how trucks and the railway competed for beet transport is complex given that the SN was also hauling beets in 1957 for Holly Sugar Co. from Greendale and Coniston, and for Speckels Sugar Co. from Argenta, each warehouse capable of handling 20 cars. Here, an undated north view of the SN’s Speckels Sugar Co. beet loading at Lisbon Station, later renamed Arcade.

L249-15-Courtesy Yolo County Archives, 790, (Image 3 of 34)

Sugar production involves more than delivery of beets, as Dave Stanley noted in “Disappearing Delta Blues” in the Winter 2020, Vol. 21, No. 4 issue of “Classic Trains”. To the end of rail service, “molasses, beet pulp, and bags of White Satin brand sugar continued to be shipped out of Clarksburg. Inbound loads of coke were brought to the refinery to fire a kiln, burning limestone to produce lime powder” for the purification process. Dave credits Ted Benson for this information. Southeast view, ca. 1950s

L249-20-Courtesy Yolo County Archives, 1046, (Image 4 of 34)

This east view shows the mill complex sometime after 1971 based on aerial views to follow.

L249-25-Courtesy Yolo County Archives, 1044, (Image 5 of 34)

These four dated vertical aerials document the major expansion of the facility between 1957 and 1971. The two tanks boxed in orange from 1971, and dating back to 1937, are absent in the previous image. Other differences are also marked. Refs: UC Santa Barbara Library, cas-3069_2-110, Mar. 19, 1971; UC Davis Library, ABB-49-55, Aug. 18, 1937; ABB-70T-34, Sept. 18, 1957; Google Maps, 2014

L249-30-Courtesy University of California, Davis Library and Santa Barbara Library, (Image 6 of 34)

Add these three aerials and it can be seen that the main addition of tanks occurred between 1957 and 1962, although the final two that appear in 1971 are not present in the 1962 aerial, turquoise rectangle. The two tanks marked by the orange square present from 1937-1971, were gone by 1981. Refs: UC Davis Library, ABB-70T-34, Sept. 18, 1957; Courtesy Bill Calmes - Cartwright Aerial Surveys July 9, 1962 62 YOLO-2-25; UC Santa Barbara Library, cas-81081_4-168, Apr. 18, 1981

L249-35-Multiple Attributions, (Image 7 of 34)

Sugar production at the plant, and in the US for that matter, was bolstered by the protections until 1974 afforded in the Sugar Acts of 1934, 1937 and 1948. The letter from the SN Superindent of Transportation, W. W. Nelson, to its president, Harry Mitchell, is the only document found detailing SN visits to the mill. According to the 1957 Western Pacific, WP, Circular No. 167-E, the sugar plant had a capacity of 40 boxcars, twice that of any of the SN’s other three beet-loading warehouses. The track diagram provides no mechanism, such as a turntable or wye, to turn an engine or car around.

L249-40-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 27269sn, (Image 8 of 34)

The only electric era images taken at the mill were from the BAERA-sponsored excursion with MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 taken on July 4, 1950. That excursion, plus the earlier one from Sept. 25, 1949, featured staged runs over Winchester Trestle, but no images have been found documenting a visit to the mill in 1949. This first example is a southwest view from the 1950 excursion.

L249-45-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79654sn, (Image 9 of 34)

Addison Laflin’s series from 1950 continues here with a south view. Note how MW 302 is positioned such that the pantograph is seen at the rear of the car, while the canopied, porch-like open vestibule platform area of 751 is positioned on the back of that car.

L249-50-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79655sn, (Image 10 of 34)

Continuing with the Laflin series, this image is an east view of MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 taken on July 4, 1950. Of interest is that none of Laflin’s images were dated, so the question is how can it be proven that these images were from the 1950 excursion, rather than the 1949 excursion?

L249-55-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79660sn, (Image 11 of 34)

One way is to find an image that is dated, and Roy Covert dated this east view of MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 excursion as July 4, 1950. The other way is to compare the position of the two cars relative to each other on the staged runs over Winchester Trestle, since many of those images were dated.

L249-60-Roy Covert Photo , Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 106472sn, (Image 12 of 34)

One of the three living original BAERA members as of 2021, Bob Townley, was on both excursions, and he took these two northeast views of the Winchester Trestle staged runs. The position of the pantograph of MW 302, orange arrows, relative to the position of the canopied, porch-like open vestibule platform area of 751, green arrow, assigns Laflin’s photos to the 1950 excursion. Note the front light on MW 302 opposite the side with the pantograph, blue arrow, only appears in 1950.

L249-62-Robert P. Townley Photos, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Arch., 171403sn, l, 171404, rl, (Image 13 of 34)

A rare image of American Crystal Sugar in 1969, a south view of GE 70T SN 201 backing in past the large tanks. Along with SN 202, this locomotive was purchased by the SN in the mid-1950s.

L249-65-Tom Irion Photo, Courtesy John Snyder and the Dave Stanley collection, (Image 14 of 34)

Dave Stanley took two images documenting SN switching at the mill just after the end of service on the Holland Branch south of Willow Point. A run to Clarksburg was one assignment of the West Sacramento daylight yard job, here a south view of SN 711, WP 711 in its prior life, switching out cars at the sugar mill past the row of tanks on July 26, 1973.

L249-70-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 15 of 34)

This trip to Clarksburg used borrowed Tidewater Southern RS1 746 to pull two molasses loads from American Crystal Sugar on Sept., 14, 1973, southwest view.

L249-75-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 16 of 34)

Leaving the mill, the right-of-way crossed Willow Point Rd., orange arrow, and ran along Winchester Lake. Off the lead track came a long siding or run-around track, the boundaries of which are marked by yellow arrows. A curve to the south rejoined it to the main line. The position of the lake prevented the creation of a wye structure here. North oriented aerial rotated 12 degrees counterclockwise from 1937. Ref: ABB-49-56, Aug. 18, 1937

L249-80-Courtesy University of California Santa Barbara Library, Special Research Collections, Detai, (Image 17 of 34)

Now to SN 711 at the Willow Point Rd. crossing, engineer Joe Lewis works the dual-control GP7 from the fireman's side in July 1973. Note the unusually long-lived Sacramento Northern-lettered crossbucks. Expiration of the Sugar Act in 1974 destabilized sugar prices, and artificial sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup became more popular. Although resulting in bankruptcies, American Crystal retained a leadership role in US beet sugar production by several accounts.

L249-85-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 18 of 34)

Ahead to April 25, 1984, Union Pacific GP30 863 does some switching outside the mill in Clarksburg. American Crystal closed the Clarksburg plant in the early 1980s. According to its website, from that point until 2021, it has focused its business as an agricultural cooperative corporation owned by approximately 2,800 sugar beet growers in the Minnesota and North Dakota areas of the Red River Valley. See https://www.crystalsugar.com/cooperative-profile/history/

L249-90-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 19 of 34)

Next, a south view at the Willow Point Rd. crossing from Apr. 1994. The mill was sold to a group of California growers by mid-1984 who formed Delta Sugar Corporation. Production continued until the company filed for bankruptcy in July of 1993, impacting 50 full-time and 350 seasonal workers. See https://www.joc.com/delta-sugar-corp-calif-close-many-400-may-be-laid_19930719.html

L249-95-RM Photo, Jack Shekell Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 132206sn, (Image 20 of 34)

By 2002, the crossbucks were gone, as seen in this north view just south of the Willow Point Rd. crossing. In 2000, the former sugar mill became the home of Clarksburg Wine Company, the area’s largest custom crush facility. In 2021, the brick structure of the Old Sugar Mill houses the tasting rooms of 14 wineries. See http://oldsugarmill.com/wineries.html

L249-100-Greg Byers Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 156253sn , (Image 21 of 34)

Ahead to 2017, a small portion of track is all that remains of the crossing, north view, left, south view, right, enough to imagine what had been.

L249-105-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 22 of 34)

Next, an east view along the spur from July 4, 1950. The localized, uniform overgrowth of the run-around track is surprising given what will be shown of the regular use and necessity of this segment once service stopped below Clarksburg. No information was uncovered to address the 1950 finding.

L249-110-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 105285sn, (Image 23 of 34)

East views of a sequence from July 4, 1950 start with the left panel, the excursion train after backing onto the Clarksburg spur, either before or after visiting the mill. The middle panel shows MW 302 after it has detached from the parlor car, switched to the west end of the run-around track, and is now moving east past the stranded car. In the right panel, MW 302 has switched to the lead track on its east end, and has repositioned itself to back out and leave the spur. Ref: left, Tom Buckingham Photo, 54916sn; middle, EK Muller Photo, 78458sn; right, Moreau Coll., 137980sn

L249-115-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 24 of 34)

After 1972, the SN no longer served any warehouses south of Clarksburg, but the continuous activity using single diesel-led freights kept any grass from growing on the tracks. After backing in, and then after delivery, SN 712, former WP 712, is ready to leave the spur on Nov. 17, 1977, left panel. Earlier in the day, it would use the run-around track, right panel, to reposition itself to the final configuration.

L249-120-Kenneth J. Meeker Photos, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society , (Image 25 of 34)

Ken Meeker’s images of WP 725 and freight on June 3, 1984 provide another illustration of the standard switching motif on the Clarksburg spur. In the left panel, the train from the north has backed onto the spur lead with four hoppers loaded with coke for the mill. Before delivering them, it will back into the mill, attach three empties to the caboose, and drag the whole ensemble back onto on the lead track, right panel. Continue to the next set of panels.

L249-125-Kenneth J. Meeker Photos, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 26 of 34)

WP 725 and the three full hopper cars would then be detached from the caboose, and head west until accessing the run-around track, head back to the mill, left panel, and deliver the goods. Once delivered, the freed WP 725 would then return to the spur lead track, hook up to the empties and caboose, and back out for the return trip to West Sacramento, right panel. The right panel was actually taken on May 12, 1984, but it illustrates the same set of movements.

L249-130-Kenneth J. Meeker Photos, Courtesy Feather River Rail Society, (Image 27 of 34)

Dave Stanley describes his two photos taken on Apr. 22, 1985. “The left panel shows the train, empty boxcars for sugar loading, being shoved towards the mill. The outbound cars, empty hoppers and loaded boxcars, will be coupled into with the caboose, then pulled up to the run-around where they will be cut-off, along with caboose. Then UP GP9 304, an ex-WP unit by the way, will shove the four empty boxcars through the run-around track and into the mill for spotting. The right hand photo shows the outbound train, boxcar loads, shoving back to Willow Point before heading off to Westgate.

L249-135-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 28 of 34)

Stanley was also at the mill at the end of the UP’s service there, Jan. 25, 1991. “Brakeman Harold Miller rides the point of coke loads and empty boxcars as the crew shoves towards the Delta Sugar Mill.”

L249-140-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018 , (Image 29 of 34)

The remaining images were taken by Dan Engstrom once the Yolo Shortline Railroad took over servicing the mill in Jan. 1991. Rather than following the typical switching schema, views of the right-of-way will proceed from the mill to the main line. The first is a north view of the Willow Point Rd. crossing. In his article, Dave Stanley explains that the last time SN trains ventured below Clarksburg was in 1972.

L249-145-Dan Engstrom Photo, (Image 30 of 34)

The eastern-most switch separating the lead from the run-around track is seen here in a west view, Jan 1991. Stanley continues, “In 1985, new owner Union Pacific abandoned and scrapped out the south end of the branch.”

L249-150-Dan Engstrom Photo , (Image 31 of 34)

An east view back taken from the run-around track of the spur lead with boxcar, Jan 1991, is shown. The shortline would service the mill until it closed in mid-1993.

L249-155-Dan Engstrom Photo , (Image 32 of 34)

Approaching the switch that united the run-around with the lead track, the train heads for the final switch to be united with the main line. West view, Jan. 1991.

L249-160-Dan Engstrom Photo , (Image 33 of 34)

Dan Engstrom’s north view on the mainline just south of the spur switch lead shows the top of the levee, where the next part of the journey along the Holland Branch will continue. Acknowledgement and appreciation to Dave Stanley, for his images and patience in explaining the mill spur operations, to Dan Engstrom, for his never ending unearthing of valuable images of railroad history, the Feather River Rail Society, for use of Ken Meeker’s images, and the Yolo County Archives.

L249-165-Dan Engstrom Photo , (Image 34 of 34)