Re: Some new West Side Lumber pix

Doc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Terrific photos. I've walked nearly the entire
> grade over the past 20 years. My father took me
> to the yards when I was about 5, but have only
> very vague memories. I met Francis Cottle a
> number of years ago, he was a engineer, and later
> owned/operated the Westside and Cherry Valley
> RR/park. He past away about 2 years ago, but was
> sharp as a tack till the end. Last visit to the
> yard site, my son and I walked thru open gates
> into the main yard, only to be escorted out by the
> Indian security guards who stated that the open
> gates were not an open invitation. Unfortunately,
> I didn't have a camera to record the site. Last
> news of the area is the Indian tribe was planning
> in the immediate future to carry out theri plans
> to bulldoze the site and build a golf course and
> condos.
____________________________________________________________

Doc, John, and all:

I've spent a lot of time around the West Side area in Tuolumne and also in the West Side Woods. That railroad once ran pretty close to the Yosemite National Park borders. 70 railroad miles. I met Frank Cottle a number of times; he was an AT&SF engineer who, with the financing of West Side property owner Fibreboard Corp., established the West Side & Cherry Valley tourist railroad in the mid-1970s. Later, Glen Bell (founder of Taco Bell) and an investor syndicate of his friends bought the property, kept Cottle's name for it, and turned it into a theme park. This was not successful. Bell and his friends sold it to another outfit, then a 2nd outfit became the owner, and it finally was liquidated at an auction about 1981 or 1982.

The annual "West Side Reunion", a one day logging modelers' convention, is held every April at the Elks Club in nearby Sonora, CA. I have attended it since 1987. Last April 16, 2010, I visited the site of the Tuolumne mill, its drying yards, and the std. ga. Sierra RR's station and turning wye. Three of my photos taken last April are attached.

Most members of this Forum probably have seen my "Requiem for the West Side" which contains many photos that I took of the same area in May and June of 1959, along with the text of what it was like back then to see such a logging RR for the first time. If anyone wants to check it for comparison to these current photos of mine (The Requiem consists of 5 PDF files so you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it), the link to it is:

[www.pacificng.com]


Remains of the 3 stall car shop from the hill behind it:



The Me-Wuk Tribe's wide road through the premises, looking southwest:


A slightly different view, looking more westerly. Notice the slash burner is still standing behind the cottonwoods in the distant right center; the mill was in the cottonwoods area. Also notice in both photos the secondary streets that are perpendicular to the main road. These all are paved, with curbs and sidewalks:



Best regards, Hart Corbett