Steam & Excursion > Let's See Who Can ID This Rare Shortline & Engine!

Here is a Western Shortline that I had not heard of before I found this photo in my collection.

Let's see who can tell us about this obscure Western Shortline and this brute of a Baldwin!

Martin

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Cement, Tolenas & Tidewater. A Pacific Portland Cement Co. railroad that ran from the town of Cement to Suisun, CA.They had two 0-4-0 electric locos, Nos. 2 and 3 as well.

Cheers,
Jack



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/12 17:12 by africansteam.

Well, That must have been too easy! Well done Jack.

Martin

I believe Jack is correct in this being Cement, Tolenas & Tidewater 0-6-0 No. 4 (Baldwin #33724 blt. 3/08). The CT&T was unusual in that it used 3 gauges of track: standard gauge, 3-foot gauge and 23-3/8" gauge, plus some of it was an electric operation.

The CT&T began as a Pacific Portland Cement property and operated both standard and narrow gauge tracks. It interchanged with Southern Pacific's Cal-P Line at Tolenas, about three miles east of Suisun-Fairfield - about mid-point between Suisun-Fairfield and Cannon. CT&T was an electric operation that ran northward from SP about five miles to a cement plant. It later connected with the Sacramento Northern's Vacaville-Willota Branch at Armno. CT&T was in place before the Sacramento Northern branch (the former Vallejo & Northern which never materialized).

It is unclear whether the narrow gauge rails ever ran as far at the Southern Pacific interchange at Tolenas. I suspect (but cannot prove) that the electrified part of the railroad actually interchanged directly with the Southern Pacific.

Searching the 1929 Sacramento Northern station list it says than no carloads would be accepted at the CT&T/SN interchange point of Armijo. It appears that CT&T narrow-gauge rails made it to the Sacramento Northern. Listed inside a copy of Sacramento Northern employee timetable #16 (8/28/32) shows that the CT&T crossing still in place even though the line was dissolved 2/01/30! The SN station of Armijo had an 18-car spur at this time - possibility an interchange track?

The CT&T started in 1905 as Pacific Portland Cement Company Consolidated. It reorganized in 1927 as Pacific Portland Cement Company (minus the "Consolidated"). They had three different cement plants (Redwood City, San Juan Bautista and Cement CA.) The CT&T dissolved February 1, 1930.

Here is the roster from the files of Allen Copeland.

23 -3/8" gauge:
No. 1, a 4-wheel electric B-W #31615 blt. 9/07. mine engine
No. 2, a 4-wheel electric B-W #31653 blt. 9/07 . mine engine
I wonder when the electrification of this operation stopped and what happened to the locomotives.

36" gauge: 200 HP B-B electrics (all lettered "PPCCCon-C&QRR")
No. 1. - B-W #27929 blt. 4/06
No. 2. - B-W #27930 blt. 4/06
No. 3. - B-W #27613 blt. 3/12

Standard Gauge: (steam)
No. 1 (information missing)
No. 2, a 0-4-0ST 44-15x24 Baldwin #24782 blt. 10/04 (lettered "Pacific Portland Cement")
No. 3, a 0-6-0ST 50-19X26 Baldwin 28839 blt. 8/06 (lettered "CT&TRR")
No. 4, a 0-6-0 50-19x26 Baldwin #33724 blt. 3/08 (lettered "CT&TRR")

The Cement, Tolenas & Tidewater Railroad Company was incorporated on October 3, 1911 as the operator of 1.65 miles of line connecting the Pacific Portland Cement Company's plant at Cement, CA with the Southern Pacific at Tolenas, CA. Counting yard, siding and spur tracks the CT&T had almost 6.5 miles of rail. It appears that the railroad was built earlier, about 1902-1903, as the private connection for the cement plant, then transferred to the CT&T later as a common carrier.

The plant originally had limestone quarried on site, but soon depleted that, leading PPCC to build the Mountain Quarries Railroad out of Auburn. The MQRR would haul limestone to the SP at Auburn, then the SP would hand off to the CT&T at Tolenas.

The line of the CT&T also crossed the Sacramento Northern's Willota / Fairfield Branch about 1/2 mile north of Tolenas, between Fairfield and Vacaville Jct. on the SN line. This crossing was put in when the SN (Vallejo and Northern) line was built in 1913 and was called Armijo. It was also the site of the PG&E feed for the SN's overhead. Interestingly, the actual substation was at Cement.

It appears that #4 was the primary road engine, while #2 and #3 handled plant switching. #4 not only hauled in the lime / clay mix from Mountain Quarries but also hauled in coal for the kilns and hauled out the finished product. One history I've seen talked about the middle school and high school kids from Cement (which only had an elementary school) hitching a ride on #4 to the SN crossing then catching an interurban to their school.

The plant and the CT&T were abandoned about 1927, IIRC. Not sure what happened to #4 or the other 2 engines.

Z

EDIT: Well, TonyJ had way better info than I could recall! Thanks for posting!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/12 17:31 by zephyrus.

zephyrus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>>
> EDIT: Well, TonyJ had way better info than I could
> recall! Thanks for posting!


Better too much information than nothing at all.

I wish people could be more specific, you're right though about more being better than less, back to
quoting Depeche Mode, "Everything counts in large amounts".

Just a bit more!

While the mill and town have been gone since the late 1920's ruins of the operation may still be seen today off Cement Hill Road and Manuel Campos Parkway in northeast of Fairfield.

Cheers,
Jack



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/12 18:29 by africansteam.

For a while, the CT&T also had interchange, overnight Pullman service from SF. At one time, the tracks continued south (across the Cal-P) to the slough at Suisun, where there was a pier for transloading into barges. Cement Hill is one of about only 4 places in the world where the lime and clay come out of the ground mixed together naturally. Well, it used to be anyway.

EtoinShrdlu Wrote:
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> For a while, the CT&T also had interchange,
> overnight Pullman service from SF. At one time,
> the tracks continued south (across the Cal-P) to
> the slough at Suisun, where there was a pier for
> transloading into barges. Cement Hill is one of
> about only 4 places in the world where the lime
> and clay come out of the ground mixed together
> naturally. Well, it used to be anyway.


Who woulda thunk Pullman service was available to there?

africansteam Wrote:

> While the mill and town have been gone since the
> late 1920's ruins of the operation may still be
> seen today off Cement Hill Road and Manuel Campos
> Parkway in northeast of Fairfield.

Interesting. Comparing old topo maps to modern aerial photos, it looks like the diagonal scars across the middle of the field bounded by Clay Bank Rd., Cement Hill Rd., and Manuel Campos Parkway are old railroad grade, with the plant foundations just to the north.

http://binged.it/UvXsHT

The line to Tolenas passed just south of the lake on the left, then gets lost in the subdivisions but more or less followed Clay Bank Rd. across the SN and down to the SP at Tolenas (East Tabor Ave. crossing).

My great grandfather was superintendent of the plant at Cement, and my grandfather was born there.

Always nice to see more about the operation.

A little more info from my files.

In the 1927 Walkers Manual of Pacific Coast Securities the plant at Cement CA only shows with "railroad and other equipment" but does not give any additional information, such as gauge, miles of track, etc. The only information given is that the company "... at Cement, Solono Co. CA., having a capacity of 4,500 bbls. daily, with 5,000 acres of land, cement deposits, and railroad and other equipment; owns and operates 2 plaster mills..." at Gerlack NV. and Plaster City, CA.

I am guessing the 23 & 3/4 gauge section was to avoid FRA regulation, which I believe bottoms out at exactly 24" gauge, but may have some exceptions for steam power.

Here's a fun regulatory question - if your railroad is 23 3/4 but crosses a public road, is it still out of FRA jurisdiction?

-M

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Most likely, than it becomes a PUC issue.

I recently handled the funeral for a man who was born in Cement at the company hospital. The right of way on the hillside is quite visible from the surrounding area. The SN right of way is also still largely intact. Thanks for sharing the photos, Martin.

Chris Donhost
Vacaville, CA

Chris,

Good to hear that this line is still visable.

Martin

Harlock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am guessing the 23 & 3/4 gauge section was to
> avoid FRA regulation, which I believe bottoms out
> at exactly 24" gauge,

I was assuming this operation (and its demise) well pre-dated the FRA. I suppose though that the ICC may have had some similar regulations though.