Spring Garden Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Spring Garden Tunnel at 7344 ft (2,238.5 m) in Spring Garden, California
is the longest of 34 tunnels of the Feather River Route
(cf.
(Chilcoot Tunnel) and crosses under the drainage divide between the East Branch North Fork Feather River (north portal, 39.8876°N 120.7840°W) and the Middle Fork Feather River
drainage (south portal, 39.8686°N 120.7750°W).
(now part of the Union Pacific Railroad
) built the tracks along the Feather River
in 1909 to complete the Feather River Route
, a San Francisco Bay Area
- Salt Lake City, Utah
, route competing with the Southern Pacific
's route over Donner Pass
.
The Feather River Route was preferred over the Donner Pass
route (elevation about 7,000 feet / 2,133.6 m) over the Sierra Nevada Mountains because the Feather River route's pass (Beckwourth Pass
) is at a lower elevation (about 5,221 feet / 1,591 m) and most of the route follows a more subtle grade along the Feather River.
The tunnel was designated one of Plumas County's "7 Wonders of the Railroad World," and the north portal is 0.15 miles west on Railroad Street, then 0.35 miles SSE along a fair-condition dirt road from Spring Garden, California
.
Spring Garden, California
Spring Garden is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 16 at the 2010 census, down from 55 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Spring Garden is located at ....
is the longest of 34 tunnels of the Feather River Route
Feather River Route
The Feather River Route is a rail line that was built and operated by the Western Pacific Railroad. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909, and connects the cities of Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah...
(cf.
Cf.
cf., an abbreviation for the Latin word confer , literally meaning "bring together", is used to refer to other material or ideas which may provide similar or different information or arguments. It is mainly used in scholarly contexts, such as in academic or legal texts...
(Chilcoot Tunnel) and crosses under the drainage divide between the East Branch North Fork Feather River (north portal, 39.8876°N 120.7840°W) and the Middle Fork Feather River
Middle Fork Feather River
The Middle Fork Feather River is a major river in Plumas and Butte Counties in the U.S. state of California. Nearly long, it drains about of the rugged northern Sierra Nevada range....
drainage (south portal, 39.8686°N 120.7750°W).
History
The Western Pacific RailroadWestern Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
(now part of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
) built the tracks along the Feather River
Feather River
The Feather River is the principal tributary of the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The river's main stem is about long. Its length to its most distant headwater tributary is about . Its drainage basin is about...
in 1909 to complete the Feather River Route
Feather River Route
The Feather River Route is a rail line that was built and operated by the Western Pacific Railroad. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909, and connects the cities of Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah...
, a San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, route competing with the Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
's route over Donner Pass
Donner Pass
Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
.
The Feather River Route was preferred over the Donner Pass
Donner Pass
Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
route (elevation about 7,000 feet / 2,133.6 m) over the Sierra Nevada Mountains because the Feather River route's pass (Beckwourth Pass
Beckwourth Pass
Beckwourth Pass is the lowest Sierra Crest mountain pass and is located at the Sierra Valley's eastern edge near Chilcoot-Vinton, Plumas County, California. Beckwourth Pass is east of Beckwourth, California, in the Sierra Nevada, and is northwest of Reno, Nevada. The pass carries California State...
) is at a lower elevation (about 5,221 feet / 1,591 m) and most of the route follows a more subtle grade along the Feather River.
The tunnel was designated one of Plumas County's "7 Wonders of the Railroad World," and the north portal is 0.15 miles west on Railroad Street, then 0.35 miles SSE along a fair-condition dirt road from Spring Garden, California
Spring Garden, California
Spring Garden is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 16 at the 2010 census, down from 55 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Spring Garden is located at ....
.