Steam & Excursion > An Early View Of 2 Steam Railroads With One Purpose In Mind!

Some logging companies had to not only build logging railroads to bring their timber to the mills for processing, they also had to built a common carrier shortline to deliver the milled lumber to the open market.  This was the challenge facing the Diamond Match Company when they decided to tap their timber holdings near Sterling City, California in 1902.

In this fine panoramic scene, we see where both of the Diamond Match railroads came together at the Sterling City sawmill.  First, we see the logging railroad represented by the 2 Shays on the left.  On the far left is 3-truck Shay #102 while down the track and to her right is 2-truck Shay #101.

To the right of both Shays are 2 of the locomotives of the Butte County railroad that was built by Diamond Match to connect with the Southern Pacific.  The Butte County Railroad was needed to get the lumber out to the national market.  The SP would eventually acquire the Butte County Railroad as their Sterling City Branch, thus reducing the amount of work DM needed to do to ship its lumber to market.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/20 09:17 by LoggerHogger.

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Wonderful old photos. Nother there today.

I drove up to Stirling City in March, 1971.  A little bit was still going on, but I didn't see any action.

Stan Praisewater



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/20 09:40 by sagehen.

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Stirling City, not Sterling.

Here's a couple of shots taken by SP employee Bernice Jackson on a Railfan trip to Stirling City on June 10, 1951. From the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum collection.
Bill Pyper
Lacey, WA
 

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The 105 does not have any drive shafts on it.  I would guess it was being moved somewhere off-line.

wingomann Wrote:
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> The 105 does not have any drive shafts on it.  I
> would guess it was being moved somewhere off-line.

There are a couple more pictures of the 105 in the collection, but no information as to why thee shafts are removed.
BP
 

wingomann Wrote:

> The 105 does not have any drive shafts on it.  I
> would guess it was being moved somewhere off-line.

It was out of service, but was wheeled out into the open for the excursionists to photograph.