Chico and Northern Railroad

The Chico and Northern Railroad was a non-operating subsidiary holding company of the Southern Pacific Railroad that was created to acquire a 32.31 mile line from Chico - Stirling City from the Butte County Railroad. Upon acquiring the line the Chico & Northern immediately leased the line back to the Butte County Railroad. The Chico & Northern was dissolved into SP in 1912 and never operated any of the line.

The line ran from a connection with the Southern Pacific Railroad at Chico, California to the Diamond Match Company lumber mill at Stirling City. The Butte County Railroad operated over the line from 1903-1915. From 1915 until abandonment in the 1970s the line was operated as the Southern Pacific's Stirling City Branch.

History

The Butte County Railroad was granted a franchise on November 11, 1902 and incorporated on February 24, 1903 or March 2, 1903. Construction of the line commenced in April 1903 and seven months later (November 1, 1903) service commenced between Barber (1 mile south of Chico) and Magalia. The line was built using 75# rails and with grades as steep a 3.75%.

The Chico & Northern was incorporated on November 11, 1903. Within a month (November 27, 1903) of the Butte County Railroad reaching Magalia, the line was sold to the Southern Pacific Railroad via SP's non-operating subsidiary holding company the Chico & Northern Railroad. SP's Chico & Northern Railroad immediately leased the line back to the Butte County Railroad for operation. A year after commencing construction the line was operating all the way to Stirling City and completed on April 15, 1904.

The Chico & Northern Railroad was finally dissolved into SP on February 29, 1912. The line was then conveyed to SP's sister company, the Central Pacific Railway. In 1914 the line was conveyed from CP back to the SP. The Butte County Railroad's lease with SP expired on November 30, 1915. The Butte County Railroad was dissolved two months later on January 21, 1916 at which point the line became the Stirling City Branch and was operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Route

Skyway Road from Chico to Stirling City loosely follows the route of the entire railroad line.

• Barber (1 or 2 miles south of Chico)
• Butte Creek
• Paradise
• Optimo
• Magalia (SP MP 203.2)
• Doon
• Stirling City

The line today

Southern Pacific abandoned the line and the tracks were removed in the 1970s. The grade is still visible between Magalia and Stirling City where it crosses Skyway Road. The Magalia Southern Pacific Deport (an SP Common Standard No. 22 design)[1] remains at its original location and is now a restaurant (Lovin Oven Bagel Cafe at 6818 Depot Lane). The grade through Paradise is a trail.

References

• Fickewirth, Alvin A. (1992). California railroads: an encyclopedia of cable car, common carrier, horsecar, industrial, interurban, logging, monorail, motor road, shortlines, streetcar, switching and terminal railroads in California (1851-1992). San Marino, California: Golden West Books. p. 28. ISBN 0-87095-106-8. 
• Gross, Joe (2000). Railroads of North America (Third Edition ed.). Rochester, New York: Railroad Research Publications. p. 40. ISBN 1-884650-10-4. 
• Roberston, Donald B. (1998). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History — Volume IV — California. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers. pp. 82–83. ISBN 0-87004-385-4. 
• Walker, Mike (1997). Steam Powered Video's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - California and Nevada (Post Merger Edition ed.). Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom: Steam Powered Publishing. pp. 10–11. ISBN 1-874745-08-0. 

Further reading

• Butte County Railroad