Hetch Hetchy Railroad facts for kids
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Groveland |
| Locale | East Central California |
| Dates of operation | 1917–1949 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Hetch Hetchy Railroad (HHRR) was a 68-mile (109 km) standard gauge railroad. It was built by the City of San Francisco to help build and expand the O'Shaughnessy Dam. This dam was built across the Hetch Hetchy Valley.
The HHRR was based in Groveland. It ran from 1917 to 1949. The railroad mainly carried construction workers and building materials. But it also took passengers on special trips, carried other goods, and delivered mail.
The train line started at Hetch Hetchy Junction. This was a meeting point with the Sierra Railroad. It climbed up to Poopenaut Pass, which is 5,064 feet (1,543 m) high. The line ended near the Hetch Hetchy Valley, close to the dam construction site. Because the area was very mountainous, the tracks had steep slopes (over 4%). They also had very sharp turns. This meant trains had to go slowly, less than 8 miles per hour (13 km/h).
History of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad
Building the O'Shaughnessy Dam
In 1913, a law called the Raker Act was passed. This law allowed San Francisco to use water and power from the Tuolumne River. A big part of this plan was building a new reservoir in the Hetch Hetchy Valley. But it was hard to get to the area, so a railroad was needed.
The first 9 miles (14 km) of track were finished in 1915. The rest of the 59 miles (95 km) were done by October 1917. Building the HHRR cost about US$3 million. This was much cheaper than paying companies to move concrete and other materials over the rough mountains.
From July 1918 to February 1925, the Hetch Hetchy Railroad carried goods and people for anyone who paid. This was while the dam was being built. Because of this, it had to follow rules from the California Railroad Commission. So, there were official train schedules and prices. The mayor of San Francisco, James Rolph, was the railroad's president. The chief engineer of the dam project, Michael O'Shaughnessy, was the vice president. The railroad earned money by charging timber companies and others to carry their goods. It also delivered mail to people in the area.
People in San Francisco needed to support the dam project. So, special trains took visitors to the construction site. For about US$30, passengers could take a sleeper car from San Francisco on Friday night. They would cross California's Central Valley overnight. On Saturday morning, they would get on the Hetch Hetchy train. Tourists spent two days seeing the dam being built and the nearby forest. They slept in bunkhouses and ate meals made at the site. On Sunday afternoon, they took the train back down the mountain. They met the sleeper cars for the trip across the valley and arrived back in San Francisco on Monday morning.
Making the O'Shaughnessy Dam Taller
Most of the intense work to build the dam finished in 1923. But the train line kept running to carry goods and mail. This was especially important in winter when roads were too muddy or covered in snow.
Between 1934 and 1938, the railroad was used for construction again. This was because the dam's height was increased from 364 feet (111 m) to its current 430 feet (131 m). The tracks needed repairs to carry heavy materials again. This happened during the Great Depression, a time when many people lost their jobs. An Emergency Relief Act provided about 600 workers to fix up the train line.
The Sierra Railroad took over running the repaired line. Trains started running again on May 13, 1935. The first train had four cars and was pulled by Sierra engines #30 and #32.
End of the Railroad
After the dam construction ended in 1938, there wasn't enough freight to keep using big steam engines. Smaller gasoline locomotives were used instead. Heavy rain and snow made it very hard to keep the railroad running in winter. The station at Hetch Hetchy Junction was removed in 1938.
Train sidings (short tracks) and spurs (tracks branching off) were taken up. The metal was sold to help with the war effort in the early 1940s. Buildings in Groveland were removed in 1944. Roads into the area got better, and with less use, the railroad tracks wore out. In 1949, the entire train line was taken apart.
An old HHRR bridge over the Tuolumne River was removed between 1967 and 1971. This was to clear the canyon for the expansion of Lake Don Pedro. Some parts of the old railroad path are now used for roads. These include California State Route 120 in Big Oak Flat and Cherry Lake Road.
Train Stations
- Milepost 50 — Jones Station — This spot is marked by an old apple tree. In 2004, volunteers found old stove parts, nails, cans, buttons, and other items there.
Trains and Engines
Seven main locomotives (train engines) were used regularly. Six were owned by the HHRR, and one was rented from the Sierra Railroad.
Hetch Hetchy Railroad #1
The Heisler locomotive #1 was a special geared engine. It was needed to climb the steep 4% slopes of the railroad tracks. It was the first engine bought in 1917. During World War I, it was hard to buy new engines. So, they bought this one used. Heisler locomotive #2 was bought new for $24,100 and arrived right away.
Hetch Hetchy Railroad #2
This Heisler locomotive was one of the first engines bought for the HHRR in 1917. It was built in 1918. In 1923, #2 was sold to Standard Lumber Company, which later became Pickering Lumber.
Hetch Hetchy Railroad #3
This engine was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1910. It became Hetch Hetchy Railroad #3 in 1919. In 1927, after passenger service stopped, this engine was sold. It went to Grants Pass, Oregon. It was retired around 1950.
Hetch Hetchy Railroad #4
Hetch Hetchy Railroad #4 was built in 1920. It was a 2-8-2 Mikado type engine. In 1924, when HHRR sold five engines, this one went to the Newaukum Valley Railroad in Washington. It was renamed #1000. In 1958, it was given to the Travel Town museum in Los Angeles, California.
Hetch Hetchy Railroad #5
Hetch Hetchy #5 is a 2-6-2 engine built in 1921. This engine worked on the HHRR through the dam's height increase in the 1930s. In 1937, it was sold to Weyerhaeuser. It is now in Central Park in Sutherlin, Oregon. There have been talks about possibly fixing it up to run again for museum tours.
Hetch Hetchy Railroad #6
Hetch Hetchy #6 is a large, three-truck Shay locomotive built in 1921. This engine, Hetch Hetchy Railroad Engine No.6, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Sierra Railroad #12
Sierra #12 is the oldest three-truck Shay engine still around. It was built for the Sierra Railroad in 1903. It was rented by the HHRR while the dam was being built. Then it was sold to Standard Lumber in 1924. It is now stored at the Niles Canyon Railway.
Other Vehicles
Hetch Hetchy Railroad Motorcar No. 19 was a special vehicle. It is now part of the collection at Railtown 1897.
