Tulare Valley Railroad facts for kids
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Corporate at Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Reporting mark | TVRR |
| Locale | Tulare County, California |
| Dates of operation | 1992–2008 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Track length | 180 miles (290 km) |
The Tulare Valley Railroad (
i/tʊˈlɛəri/), known by its reporting mark (reporting mark TVRR), was a railroad company that operated in California. It started running trains on December 22, 1992. Before that, on October 20, 1992, it bought several railway lines that used to belong to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in California's San Joaquin Valley.
The company was created by Morris Kulmer and Kern Schumucher from A&K Railroad Materials, along with Michael Van Wagenen from Kyle Railways. A&K Railroad Materials is a company that takes apart old railway lines and sells the used track parts. Kyle Railways runs several smaller railway companies, often called "shortline railroads," across the United States.
Contents
What Was the Tulare Valley Railroad?
The Tulare Valley Railroad was a shortline railroad. This means it operated shorter routes compared to large, well-known railway companies. It mainly transported goods for businesses in the San Joaquin Valley.
How Long Did It Operate?
The TVRR operated for about six years, from December 1992 until May 1998. During this time, it managed a network of tracks that stretched for about 158 miles (254 km).
Where Did the Trains Go?
The railroad's routes connected several towns and areas in California. Some of the main lines it operated included:
- Magunden to Arvin, covering 17 mi (27 km) (this was called the Arvin Subdivision)
- Oil Jct. to Maltha, a shorter 4 mi (6.4 km) line (Oil City Subdivision)
- Ducor to Cutler, which was 52 mi (84 km) long (Porterville Subdivision)
- Corcoran to Calwa, a major 66 mi (106 km) section
- Wyeth to Orange Cove and Minkler, about 9.4 mi (15.1 km) (Visalia Subdivision)
- Hammond to Cameo, a 6 mi (9.7 km) route
Changes and End of Operations
Over time, the Tulare Valley Railroad decided to stop using some of its tracks. This process is called "abandoning" a line.
Which Tracks Were Abandoned?
The TVRR stopped operating on these sections:
- The line from Corcoran to Tulare
- The route from Visalia to Cutler, which was 14.7 mi (23.7 km)
- The tracks from Wyeth to Orange Cove, 13.3 mi (21.4 km)
- The section from Orange Cove to Minkler
What Happened to the Railroad?
In May 1998, most of the remaining tracks that the Tulare Valley Railroad owned were sold. They were bought by another company called the San Joaquin Valley Railroad. This marked the end of the Tulare Valley Railroad's operations.
