I am modeling the “wye” from SP mainline in Fresno to Kerman pre-merger. I know it was SJVRR and now RAILAMERICA. I am confused over the section from Fresno Y to Kerman. I know the Biola Branch went from Biola Jct. to Kerman. Where in Kerman did it tie back into the Wye to Kerman trackage and where did the Fresno Y to Kerman line go west? I am starting to think of this as a big square, Fresno to Biola, Biola to Kerman, Kerman to Fresno and Fresno Y to Biola Jct. ?
The wye by the 99/180 interchange is where the West Side Line meets the Fresno Line. The West Side Line went to Tracy, where it connected with the Tracy Line. The section from Oxalis (northwest of Firebaugh) to the north side of Los Banos has been removed.
The Biola Branch (which has been torn out for decades, not in a 1987 timetable) connected with the Fresno Line north of the train yard. The Freeway 99 overpass over the branch is still extant. I am not sure where exactly it connected with the West Side Line. I did find a 1978 topographic map that shows an “Old Railroad” heading north from just east of Kerman. So, it looks like the west end of the branch was gone by then. The section from from Fresno to Biola might have still existed.
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=13&Z=10&X=478&Y=2543&W=3&qs=|Kerman|CA|
Thank you Eric!
