Re: Dixie Summit

Dan, thanks that was fun.
You know it seems like when somebody states something about the NG rr's we all love there is always a "but... or in other words an exception to what is generally given as fact. It is a fact that SVRy abandoned the line to Prarrie in 1933, but not from Bates, but rather from a point farther up Bridge Crk. I think it was at least as far up as Hobbs siding or maybe to the Cavenaugh mill site which is about where the Hwy. just up the road from the Austin House joins along side of Bridge Crk. I ran into something in the AFE material to back this up, but would have to do some research to cite it. The other thing of interest with regard to the abandonment of the line to Prarrie is that the track was left in place at least to Dixie Summit for the use of OLC. This is from SVRy historian Ron Harr. Ron talked like he thought they may have left the line over the summit and down past the switchbacks for a time to facilitate logging, but I don't have any idea of a timeline and I think this is less certain than leaving the line as far as the summit for a few additional years.