San Joaquin Valley Railroad

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=San Joaquin Valley Railroad
logo_filename=
logo_size=
old_gauge=
marks=SJVR
locale=Fresno, California and Bakersfield, California area
start_year=January 2, 1992
end_year=present
hq_city=Exeter, California

The San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR) is one of several short line railroad companies and is part of the Sunset Division of RailAmerica. It operates about 207 miles of track primarily on several lines in California's Central Valley/San Joaquin Valley outside of Fresno, California and Bakersfield, California. The SJVR has trackage rights over Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific) from Fresno - Goshen Jct - Famoso - Bakersfield - Algoso. The SJVR also operates for the Tulare Valley Railroad (TVRR) from Calwa to Corcoran and Famoso.

There were two former San Joaquin Valley Railroads. One was owned by Leland Stanford in 1870 to build an 11.3 mile line from Lathrop, California to the Stanislaus River and was consolidated into the Central Pacific Railroad. The second San Joaquin Valley Railroad operated from 1892–1893 between Fresno and Friant over 24.1 miles of track and was sold at foreclosure to the Southern Pacific.

In 1991 the SJVR operated the entire former SP line from Fresno to Famoso, but a portion north of Famoso was later abandoned.

SJVR interchanges with the BNSF Railway at Fresno and Bakersfield and with the Union Pacific at Fresno and Goshen Junction.

SJVR was originally owned by Kyle Railways. In 1992 the SJVR was created to obtain and operate several branch lines from the Southern Pacific. From 1992–1997 the SJVR was owned by Kyle Railways. In 1997 SJVR's parent, Kyle Railways, was sold to States Rail. In 2002 SJVR's new parent, States Rail, was purchased by RailAmerica. Today the SJVR remains a shortline within the RailAmerica family of railroads. Fortress Investment Group LLC acquired RailAmerica in February 2007.

Lines operated by SJVR

*Fresno - Exeter - Jovista
*Exeter - Goshen Jct. - Hanford - Huron
*Burrel - Helm - Firebaugh - Ingle
*Oxalis - Mendota - Ingle - Fresno
*Fresno - Pinedale
*Ultra - Ducor
*Famoso - Hollis
*Maltha - Oil Jct - Landco
*Bakersfield - Gosford - Buttonwillow
*Gosford - Taft
*Algoso - Arvin
*Trackage rights over UP from Fresno - Algoso (Bakersfield) via Goshen Jct.

History

Oxalis - Mendota - Fresno

This mainline route was formerly known as Southern Pacific's "West Side Line" and at one time extended from Tracy, California and then south through the West side of the San Joaquin Valley (I-5 corridor) via Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Los Banos, Oxalis and then east to Fresno via Ingle and Kerman. California Northern Railroad now operates the northern section of the line from Tracy - Los Banos. SJVR operates the southern section of the line from Oxalis to Fresno and was at one time owned by Port Railroads, Inc. (PRI; also a Kyle subsidiary) and operated by the SJVR. On April 24 1996 the PRI was merged into the SJVR. Both the PRI and SJVR were already Kyle Railway subsidiaries. The section of track between Los Banos and Oxalis was abandoned by Southern Pacific in 1993 and the tracks were removed soon after.

The Southern Pacific constructed the track from Tracy to Newman (37 miles) and from Los Banos to Armona (near Fresno) in 1891. Southern Pacific's overnight "Owl" passenger train (#57/58) operated over this line between San Francisco and Los Angeles into the 1960s.

Sources

*Edward A. Lewis, American Shortline Railway Guide 5th ed. (Kalmbach Publishing, 1996)
*Mike Walker, SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - California/Nevada Post Merger Edition, (Steam Powered Publishing & SPV, 1997) Ownership and detail of rail lines.

ee also

*List of United States railroads
*List of California railroads
*RailAmerica

External links

* [http://www.railamerica.com/railmaps/SJVR.htm Map of SJVR and Contacts]