As for the Bourland remark...it was a joke. Would be nice though...but you don't see massive wooden trestles constructed these days. The Kinzua Viaduct, which WAS in use, hasn't been repaired so don't expect anything like that. On a seperate note (from another railroad from the former West Side operator) Glen Bell's Bell Gardens Farm is having its 15" gauge railway taken up, or it already has happened, so I heard. Some of that equipment was/is owned by the Norred estate. Maybe 5 or 6 years ago on a plane back from LA on the Southwest booth seating arrangement, I got into a conversation with a woman who lived in Tuolumne County and she brought up the West Side & Cherry Valley and said that in the 80s they had planned to make it into some sort of theme park. No idea what that was about. A good friend of ours in Sonora used to tell me about "guys with their little trains at the lumber mill" back when this all started, then the WS Restoration site went online and I saw what she was talking about.
According to the WS restoration site, there is about 2 miles of track still in place. I believe it said 7 would be used in their proposed restoration. Curious what these other three steam locomotives, are, this was previous to the Shay acquisition.
"A few WS Supporters have formed a musuem to save the historic site. They have purchased 2- 5ton gas switchers, a 12 ton diesel, and 3 steam locomotives to operate there, under 7 miles of 3' track, from the mill to river bridge, where they will use the turntable that is still intact.
The engine house, car shops and other buildings have electricity, water and a phone line.
The mill will not be rebuilt. Instead a golf course and homes is being built over the land. However the mill pond, wood burner and the dam itself will remain as they are now historic sites, which were built back in 1897. Also some other old buildings will stay with some track.
Track that had been layed around the mill site by Glen Bell for a tourist operation has been pulled up. The yard tracks are know in the process of being pulled up also. And then the "Y" trackage will also be taken up. This track will be used to fill in a number of missing sections between the mill and river bridge. There are also several steam donkeys left on the mill site. All in which have been vadalised in some way. One has bullet holes shot in the boiler, which makes it useless, and others have parts stolen from them. Most of the buildings that Glen Bell had built have been taken down."
Just a warning to area residents watch out with this whole Indian casino deal. It sounds enticing to some, but just looking at what happened over here in Connecticut and then what they are trying to happen on Long Island...watch out. I've heard similar casino plans for the Molate Beach site of the Castro Point Railway, as well as somewhere in Sonoma.
-Ed Kelley
