Yosemite Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Yosemite Valley Railroad (YVRR) was a short-line railroad operating from 1907 to 1945 in the state
of California
, mostly following the Merced River
from Merced
to Yosemite National Park
, carrying a mixture of passenger and freight traffic. Contrary to the name of the railroad, rail service did not extend to Yosemite Valley
itself, but rather ended at the park boundary as the construction of railroads is prohibited in the National Parks. Passengers would disembark at the park boundary in El Portal, CA and take a stage coach, and starting in 1913 a motor coach, to Yosemite Valley itself. With closure of the Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Company in 1942 and the sale of the Yosemite Portland Cement Company to the Henry J. Kaiser Company and subsequent suspension of all operations in 1944 lead to a loss of most of the freight track on the railroad. This in addition to the increased competition for passengers from use along the Yosemite All-Year Highway (now designated as California State Route 140
), both commercial and private, and the substantial decrease of recreational passenger traffic because of World War II led to the downfall of the railroad. The last regularly scheduled train ran on August 24th 1945.
The railroad was incorporated on December 18, 1902, by John S. Drum, William B. Bosley, Sydney M, Ehrman, Thomas Turner, and Joseph D. Smith in the city of San Francisco
. It was a standard-gauge railway
that stretched about 30 miles (48.3 km) from Merced to the mouth of Merced Canyon, connecting the towns of Snelling
, Merced Falls
, Exchequer and Bagby
, and a further 50 miles (80.5 km) to El Portal, CA. Aside from passengers and mining products, the railroad also carried lumber (from the Yosemite or Sugar Pine lumber companies) to Merced Falls, to be cut at a group of sawmill
s at a cataract on the Merced River.
Among many notable passengers, the YVRR carried two presidents: William Howard Taft
in October, 1909 and Franklin Roosevelt on July 15, 1938.
http://www.yosemitevalleyrailroad.com/
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...
, mostly following the Merced River
Merced River
The Merced River , in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, and the...
from Merced
Merced, California
Merced is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 78,958. Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government...
to Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
, carrying a mixture of passenger and freight traffic. Contrary to the name of the railroad, rail service did not extend to Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
itself, but rather ended at the park boundary as the construction of railroads is prohibited in the National Parks. Passengers would disembark at the park boundary in El Portal, CA and take a stage coach, and starting in 1913 a motor coach, to Yosemite Valley itself. With closure of the Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Company in 1942 and the sale of the Yosemite Portland Cement Company to the Henry J. Kaiser Company and subsequent suspension of all operations in 1944 lead to a loss of most of the freight track on the railroad. This in addition to the increased competition for passengers from use along the Yosemite All-Year Highway (now designated as California State Route 140
California State Route 140
State Route 140 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, 102 miles in length. It begins in the San Joaquin Valley at Interstate 5 near Gustine, and runs east into the Sierra Nevada, terminating in Yosemite National Park....
), both commercial and private, and the substantial decrease of recreational passenger traffic because of World War II led to the downfall of the railroad. The last regularly scheduled train ran on August 24th 1945.
The railroad was incorporated on December 18, 1902, by John S. Drum, William B. Bosley, Sydney M, Ehrman, Thomas Turner, and Joseph D. Smith in the city of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. It was a standard-gauge railway
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
that stretched about 30 miles (48.3 km) from Merced to the mouth of Merced Canyon, connecting the towns of Snelling
Snelling, California
Snelling is a census-designated place in Merced County, California. It is located on the north bank of the Merced River north of Merced, at an elevation of 256 feet . The population was 231 at the 2010 census....
, Merced Falls
Merced Falls, California
Merced Falls is an unincorporated community in Merced County, California. It is located on the north bank of the Merced River east of Snelling, at an elevation of 348 feet .A post office operated at Merced Falls from 1856 to 1957...
, Exchequer and Bagby
Bagby, California
Bagby is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California. It is located on the north bank of the Merced River northeast of Hornitos, at an elevation of 830 feet . Lake McClure covers the original town site....
, and a further 50 miles (80.5 km) to El Portal, CA. Aside from passengers and mining products, the railroad also carried lumber (from the Yosemite or Sugar Pine lumber companies) to Merced Falls, to be cut at a group of sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s at a cataract on the Merced River.
Among many notable passengers, the YVRR carried two presidents: William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
in October, 1909 and Franklin Roosevelt on July 15, 1938.
Related Websites
Yosemite Valley Railroad - YVRR - A Fascinating History Of The Railway - By Clayton Guesthttp://www.yosemitevalleyrailroad.com/