The Sacramento Valley Electric Railroad, later known as the Dixon Branch, was a short-lived electric interurban railway in the U.S. state of California.[1][page needed] It began operation on October 10, 1914, and ran for 11.8 miles (19.0 km) between Dixon and Rio Junction (or Dixon Junction); it ran from a point on the main line known as Olcott (or Dixon Junction), that was located in Solano County between Sacramento and Rio Vista Junction.[2][3] The line was run by the Oakland, Antioch, & Eastern Railway, and was abandoned on August 9, 1917, after decreasing revenue.
History
editThe railway was incorporated on May 4, 1912, by Melville Dozier Jr to construct a railway line between Redding and Rio Junction (The Oakland, Antioch, & Eastern Railway interchange), via Dixon, Woodland, Marysville, Colusa, Hamilton City, and Red Bluff. Construction began somewhere around 1913 after surveying was completed between Red Bluff and Rio Junction for the Sacramento Valley West Side Electric Railway, who later reorganized into the Sacramento Valley Electric Railroad after failed attempts to encourage investment. Originally, the line would have interchanged with the Vallejo & Northern (who intended to build a line between Napa and Sacramento) at Dixon.[4] Equipment and tracks was provided by the Oakland, Antioch, & Eastern Railway, who held a large share in the Sacramento Valley Electric Railroad's shares.[4]
Of the planned 193 mile long route, only 11.8 miles were built between Rio Junction (later renamed Olcott) and Dixon. The Sacramento Valley Electric Railroad leased the service to the Oakland, Antioch, & Eastern Railway, and gave forth portions of their monthly revenue to the other line. The railway began service on October 10, 1914,[5][6] with the first official train being led by company officials. It was originally intended by its planner, Melville Dozier, to be operated as Vallejo and Northern and would run up the west side of the Sacramento Vallejo from Dixon Junction, through Dixon and then continue north to Woodland and terminate in Marysville. Only the track portion from Dixon Junction to Dixon was ever built. From the start, the line was unprofitable as it traversed flat unpopulated land. Between March 1 and June 8, 1915, there were only 56 passengers recorded who actually travelled the line. Operating expenses were quite high, while revenue was very low.[7]
The Oakland, Antioch, & Eastern Railway applied to the Railroad Commission to abandon the line on July 23, 1917; permission was granted to abandon the line in the same month.[8] It last ran on August 9, before it was torn up and partially salvaged by the Tidewater Southern Railway for its electrified line.[9]
The station agent at Dixon regularly had to send mail reminding Oakland, Antioch, & Eastern officials to pay him, as the company often avoided this due to the unprofitable nature of the line.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Hilton, George W.; Due, John Fitzgerald (1960). The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-4014-2. OCLC 237973.
- ^ "Sacramento Northern Railway". Western Railway Museum. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ Groff, Garth G. (May 8, 2007). "A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SACRAMENTO NORTHERN". SN On-line. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008.
- ^ a b Demoro, Harre (2003). Sacramento Northern. California: Signature Press.
- ^ Swett, Ira L.; Sappers, Vernon J. (1981). Sacramento Northern: Through the Sacramento Valley. Interurban Press. p. 153. ISBN 9780916374471.
- ^ "Unit of Electric Line Opened". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. October 10, 1914. p. 17. Retrieved 23 May 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Swett, Ira (1981). Sacramento Northern: Through The Valley. Glendale, California: Interurban Press.
- ^ "Dixon Junction Line Soon to Discontinue". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. July 25, 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 23 May 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tears Up Rails to Satisfy $60,000 Judgement". The Solano-Napa News Chronicle. Vallejo, California. September 11, 1917. p. 2. Retrieved 23 May 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
