Steam & Excursion > So What Is The Story Here On This Non-Common Carrier?

When one first looks at this photo nothing seems out of the ordinary. What we have is a simple stock train back in the days of steam. But if you look close you will see the real story.

The Gerlinger smoke stack on the Baldwin 2-8-2 seems to give the engine the appearance of a logging engine rather than a shortline engine. Wait a minute! This is a logging engine. What is she doing pulling a train of cattle stock cars.

In Eastern Oregon is a huge cattle ranch known as the Z-X Ranch. This ranch covers tens of thousand of acres near the center of Oregon.

In 1940 Weyerhaeuser Timber was expanding it Klamath Falls logging railroad to what was known as the Eastern Block of their timber holdings in this pine region. In order to reach some of their timber by the best route Weyerhaeuser surveyors wanted to cross some of the flat marsh lands that were owned by the Z-X Ranch. In order to secure the right of way for the new logging railroad across these Z-X Ranch lands Weyerhaeuser agreed to operate stock trains for the Z-X on the new logging line. The Z-X let their cattle out for grazing in these areas in the spring and brought the cattle back in the fall.

In this photo we see WTC Mikado #1 and the fall stock special ready to depart the loading area north of Sycan, Oregon. The conductor can be seen to the right of the engine caling in for clearance. Even though this was a pure logging line and not a common carrier railroad, these trains were seen for years in operation


Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/14 04:14 by LoggerHogger.

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Wow Martin, another little nugget. Is that a tank car on the head-end with water for the stock or was the travel distance too short to be an issue?
Rolland

Somebody should cross-post this to the model RR board. There's a prototype for everything (but without this, who wouldn't cackle at the sight of a cattle car special on a logging RR??)

That right of way looks far better than most logging railroads.

tomstp Wrote:
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> That right of way looks far better than most
> logging railroads.


Noticed that as well, also the phone box to the right and the water tank to the left. Some serious drainage work as well. Can't quite place it on the SP though.

*now I'm seeing cattle pens in the shadow and a switch stand.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/14 10:35 by TCnR.

Martin,

Now that's something I never knew about Weyerhaeuser in Oregon Very Interesting!. I wonder how many years this practice went on? Do you know what year the photo was taken?

Pete

Pete,

The photos came in a batch that also show the building of the Sycan line by 2-8-2 #1. That would make these 1940-41. Given the new look to the track I presume these are at the begining of stock train runs in 1941.

Martin

A neat little detail for a model layout for sure.

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

Any information on to whom those stock cars belong ? If a common carrier, how would they get the cars for a non-revenue move -- lease them ?

SZ - just wondering.....

That's a good size train--about 25+ cars of cattle!

All these stories, with photos, would make a great book!

coach Wrote:
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> That's a good size train--about 25+ cars of
> cattle!
>
> All these stories, with photos, would make a great
> book!

The ZX ranch was (not sure if it's still the ZX any longer) one of the biggest that is/was (not sure anymore)
owned by J R Simplot, , , just 1.3 million acres.

Larry Dodgion
Wilsonville, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/14 11:24 by truxtrax.