Visalia Electric Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Visalia Electric Railroad, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad
, began as an electric interurban
railroad in Tulare County, in the U.S. State
of California
. The railroad was incorporated on April 22, 1904.
Passenger service was discontinued in 1924, and the electrification was removed in 1944. Subsequent operation was by diesel locomotive
. The railroad was closed in 1992.
The Visalia Electric used the unusual choice of 15 Hz
AC
at 3,300 Volts carried by overhead wire, with pantograph
s on the cars for pickup. Parent Southern Pacific intended this as a testbed for main line, long distance electrification of its own lines in the area, a project that never came to fruition. At one time in its life the Visalia Electric briefly interchanged with the ATSF
. The ATSF was seen by the Southern Pacific as a rival. So for most of the life of the Visalia Electric only interchanged with parent SP
.
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....
, began as an electric interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
railroad in Tulare County, in the U.S. State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The railroad was incorporated on April 22, 1904.
Passenger service was discontinued in 1924, and the electrification was removed in 1944. Subsequent operation was by diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
. The railroad was closed in 1992.
The Visalia Electric used the unusual choice of 15 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
at 3,300 Volts carried by overhead wire, with pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
s on the cars for pickup. Parent Southern Pacific intended this as a testbed for main line, long distance electrification of its own lines in the area, a project that never came to fruition. At one time in its life the Visalia Electric briefly interchanged with the ATSF
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
. The ATSF was seen by the Southern Pacific as a rival. So for most of the life of the Visalia Electric only interchanged with parent SP
SP
-Business and commerce:* SaskPower, a company in Canada* IATA airline designator for SATA Air Acores* SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden* Schering-Plough, a pharmaceutical company now merged with Merck & Co.* Southern Pacific Railroad reporting marks...
.