The Holland Branch – Ryde Saga and Oxford

This undated south view from Riverview is purported to be the opening of the Holland Line or Branch. The individuals shown have not been identified.

L209-05-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 98563sn, (Image 1 of 24)

Basic information about the branch is summarized in this mid-20th century map and list. As the July 20, 1928 Woodland Daily Democrat announced that Sacramento contractors Rice and Miles had begun grading and placing culverts for the new line, the SN applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission, ICC, on July 16th to extend further south.

L209-10-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis, (Image 2 of 24)

The route of the proposed extension is included here. The initial ICC filing for the 7.75 mile extension to Ryde through Yolo and Sacramento Counties was denied on July 1, 1929, as recorded in ICC Reports Vol. 154, Finance Docket 7028, despite strong support from local farmers and canners. The ICC saw no positives in rate costs or service to an area already fully developed and served adequately by the Southern Pacific Walnut Grove Branch and trucking.

L209-15-Courtesy BAERA, the Western Railway Museum Archives, 11638, (Image 3 of 24)

A detail from the previous map shows the extension from south of Valdez to Ryde. The ICC decision also noted an unfavorable excessive estimated cost of 1.06M dollars, something that would be eventually passed along to the public. The SN then got Sacramento County to agree to pay half the cost for a bridge over Sutter Creek, one of the two bridges needed, substituted 60-pound rail for 85-pound rail, and got ranchers’ help to secure the right-of-way to reduce the estimated cost to 735k dollars.

L209-20-Courtesy BAERA, the Western Railway Museum Archives, 11638, Detail, (Image 4 of 24)

The SN refiled to the ICC on May 24, 1930 with lower costs and wider support, but the decision delivered on July 20, 1931 shown above from the concluding section from ICC Reports Vol. 175, Finance Docket 8276, was again unfavorable.

L209-25-From Google Books via the Hathi Trust, (Image 5 of 24)

The Walnut Grove Branch of the Southern Pacific was completed from Sacramento to Walnut Grove primarily on levees in 1912 to serve the growth in agriculture from reclamation, and as part of a possible new mainline to San Francisco. This south view of Walnut Grove by George Russell was taken in 1926 prior to 1929 when the line was extended to Isleton. Ref: SLC_468_1926_1

L209-30-George Russell Photo, Courtesy California State Lands Commission, (Image 6 of 24)

North view of Walnut Grove, 1926. At the July 20, 1931 ICC hearing, the SP stated that the railroad’s financial gain was only about 5.5 per cent on its original 3,383,269 dollar investment in the the Walnut Grove branch, and 700,000 dollars in the Isleton extension, a total of 4,083,269 dollars. In addition, 40 per cent of outbound traffic was switched to the WP in Sacramento, making the average haul of 33 miles on the SP and 661 miles on the WP. Ref: SLC_468_1926_2

L209-35-George Russell Photo, Courtesy California State Lands Commission, (Image 7 of 24)

Detail of the 1926 north view of Walnut Grove of the SP operation. The Walnut Grove Branch did well enough to survive into the 1970s. Many miles of abandoned rail still exist, and 3 miles are still used by the California State Railroad Museum for excursions. Ref: SLC_468_1926_2

L209-40-George Russell Photo, Courtesy California State Lands Commission, (Image 8 of 24)

Now to discuss the Holland Branch in detail. Not a single image of an electric-powered freight on the line has been found, although this north oriented aerial from 1937 between Central and Coniston attests to their existence during the harvest. South of Clarksburg, only one set of images from 1972 taken by Dave Stanley of a single freight heading to Greendale to pick up onions has been identified.

L209-45-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis, (Image 9 of 24)

Images of the line during the electric era, i.e., pre-1953, were derived from four occasions; the May 8, 1938 Cal-Nevada-sponsored Mystery Excursion to Colusa, the image above at Valdez from that trip with SN 1009, SN 1025, SN 1019, SN 1021, SN 1020, and the Bidwell; a May 18, 1948 inspection run with MW 302; and two BAERA-sponsored excursions from Sept. 25, 1949 and July 4, 1950.

L209-50-Wilbur C. Whittaker Photo, Courtesy Arnold Menke, (Image 10 of 24)

The journey starts in the south at Oxford and the entire area in Solano County, top drawing, derived from, orange rectangle, the long map of the entire route placed along the bottom of the page. Originally the town was called Westfield, but why they changed the named has not been investigated.

L209-55-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64588sn , (Image 11 of 24)

Three north-oriented aerials of the Oxford packing houses from the early electric era, early diesel era, and three decades after abandonment, left-to-right, respectively.

L209-60-Courtesy Map Collection, Shields Library, University of California, Davis and Google Maps , (Image 12 of 24)

A northeast view from Oxford Rd. in 2015 of the Oxford packing houses and Duck Slough or the Main Drainage Canal.

L209-65-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 13 of 24)

After, northeast view from 2015 ...

L209-70-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 14 of 24)

... and before, from the inspection trip with MW 302, May 18, 1948. Rail fan and collector Vernon Sappers is seen along the left edge, furthest back in line of rail enthusiasts.

L209-75-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85177sn, (Image 15 of 24)

Another view to the east of the inspection trip with MW 302, May 18, 1948.

L209-80-William S. Billings Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85171sn , (Image 16 of 24)

This northeast view from the inspection trip with MW 302, May 18, 1948, shows a string of refrigerated boxcars, or “reefers”, and the beet loading apparatus used by Holly Sugar.

L209-85-William S. Billings Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85173sn, (Image 17 of 24)

One south view, this one from one of the two excursions during 1949-1950.

L209-90-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 86447sn, (Image 18 of 24)

Schuman-Buck Co. was a longtime customer at Oxford, this diagram from their lease agreement. The circa 1957 WP Circular no. 167-E lists only Schuman Co. at the site storing vegetables on a spur track handing 4 boxcars.

L209-95-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 39071, (Image 19 of 24)

These lease-related correspondences from 1960s reflect the decline in railway shipping of produce from Oxford.

L209-100-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, , (Image 20 of 24)

This southwest view from Apr. 1984 documents the level of disuse of the line close to the time of abandonment.

L209-105-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018 , (Image 21 of 24)

A complementary northeast view also from Apr. 1984.

L209-110-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 22 of 24)

Dave Stanley documented the removal of the track from the area with this northeast view from Feb. 7, 1986.

L209-115-Dave Stanley Photo, Courtesy Dave Stanley, Copyright 2018, (Image 23 of 24)

Back to Route 84 to head north, with one last east view of the Oxford packing houses in 2015, with evidence for a continued agricultural focus sans SN. Appreciation to Dave Stanley for providing the post-abandonment images.

L209-120-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 24 of 24)