Re: NNG? - early, major railroad abandonments?

myork Wrote:
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> How much of the South Pacific Coast was abandoned
> with the San Fransisco Earthquake? Sure, they
> were in the process of converting some of it, but
> was any abandoned that early?

The Sp owned SPC was in the process of converting to standard when the earthquake occurred. And I don't think that earthquake stopped any of the conversion -- it may have slowed it down and put some of it on hold. The line through the Santa Cruz Mountains was converted, but it became a secondary line until it was later abandoned. Part of the SPC alignment is still used daily by Amtrak, etc. between San Jose and Oakland.

Probably the conversion of the SPC was required by changing traffic needs and the Tonopah boom in Nevada. It is reported in the contemporary press that 300 box cars were sent from the SPC to Nevada.

Brian Norden