Steam & Excursion > Some Construction Projects Had To Accommodate The Railroad!

The construction of dams along a railroad right of way had big impacts on the railroads in the area.  First, the railroad would gain enormous freight traffic from the construction project itself which helped the bottom line.  However, when the dam project was completed, it usually mean that many miles of the railroad had to be relocated due to the new lake the would fill the roadbed that had originally had been built along the river being dammed up.

Here we see the last train on the Yosemite Valley Railroad on the original right-of-way along the Merced River in California.  The newly built Exchequer Dam is nearly completed and after this final train passes through the tunnel built in the dam during construction that tunnel will be filled in.  This means that the next YV train will have to take the new alignment that had been built in the months that the dam project was underway.

While the Exchequer Dam is still in place, sadly the YV is long gone.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/21 03:25 by LoggerHogger.

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Can the location of the former tunnel still be seen in the dam face?

You’d need diving gear to find out. The original dam topped out at 326 feet high, in 1967 the Merced Irrigation District completed the 879-foot tall New Exchequer Dam immediately in front of the older structure.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mercedcountytimes.com/amp/a-look-back-at-mids-new-old-exchequer-dam/

The new dam inundated a lot of the old YVRR grade, including the bypass around the original dam.

https://www.yosemitevalleyrr.com/prototype/tracing

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

Lake McClure (behind Exchequer Dam) is currently below the 700 ft. level, so the old Barrett Bridge piers are likely visible.
https://www.lakelevels.info/USA/California/

Oliver Barrett
 

Jeff,

Thanks for the additional info!


JDLX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You’d need diving gear to find out. The
> original dam topped out at 326 feet high, in 1967
> the Merced Irrigation District completed the
> 879-foot tall New Exchequer Dam immediately in
> front of the older structure.
>
> https://www.google.com/amp/s/mercedcountytimes.com
> /amp/a-look-back-at-mids-new-old-exchequer-dam/
>
> The new dam inundated a lot of the old YVRR grade,
> including the bypass around the original dam.
>
> https://www.yosemitevalleyrr.com/prototype/tracin
> g
>
> Jeff Moore
> Elko, NV
>
> Posted from iPhone

Over the years you've been able to look down from Hwy 49 and see the Danby station location at times. Would
think a good sized piece of ROW would be above water by now.

Out 

What a great post!  Interesting story and follow up, and an exceptional photo.
I don't think I have ever seen a track switch like the one in that picture.
Many thanks for posting, Martin.

Rich