During the last days of electric railroading in California, many fan groups organized trips on the last remaining “juice” lines around the state. This trip took place in the early 1950s in Sacramento, California, on Sacramento Northern Railway’s “Belt Line.” This route was constructed for Northern Electric, a passenger/freight interurban that ran from Chico to Sacramento, in about 1908. Passenger trains could run directly through Sacramento’s downtown streets, but freights were relegated to a circuitous route along the city limits (just inside the city levees) to reach the industries and Sacramento River docks along Front Street. In order to secure street trackage rights, Northern Electric operated local streetcar lines in Sacramento, Chico, and Marysville/Yuba City. NE later combined with a second interurban, Oakland Antioch & Eastern, to create the Sacramento Northern. While its trackage did not rival the massive Pacific Electric, SN had the longest single mainline run of any interurban in the United States, 187 miles from Chico to Oakland, with Sacramento the hub of the system.
SN ceased interurban passenger operation in 1940-1941, and sold its streetcar operation to National City Lines in 1943. From the late 1940s until the mid-1960s, SN slowly de-electrified their line, leaving small islands of electric operation. Third-rail operation north of Sacramento was shut down after a state law (prompted by the death of a child in rural Rio Linda, north of Sacramento) banned exposed third rail on unprotected right-of-way. Sacramento de-electrified in 1953, and the last segment, Marysville/Yuba City, switched off the power in 1965, the last electric freight operation in the state.
Today’s fan trip begins just south of the Tower Bridge, Sacramento’s iconic Art Deco crossing of the Sacramento River. Today’s ride is provided by a double-truck Birney style streetcar, originally built for Fresno Traction and later sold to Central California Traction (another elec
I enjoyed your fantrip, Jetrock. I’ve never been on a real-life fantrip before and I feel like I’ve just been on one. I love the Sacramento Northern Railway. I own five Suydam brass HO scale SN “Niles” Wood Interurban cars. Here’s what I own:
Two (2) SN “Niles” #126 combines
One (1) SN “Niles” #125 “Berry Car”
One (1) SN “Niles” #200 coach (I’m looking to add a few more #200 coaches to my collection)
one (1) SN “Niles” “Bidwell” car
And because I have seen your wonderful layout representing the Sacramento Northern Ry during it’s last days, I am inspired to build a pike representing the Sacramento Northern Ry since I own some Suydam SN equipment. But, I also own around 15 Suydam brass Pacific Electric Wood Interurban cars, including my favorites - the “Tens” and the combines ( that some “Tens” were converted to). I am a bigger fan of the Pacific Electric Railway and someday I will definitely get around to building a pike representing the PERy.
Thanks for inviting me to take a tour of the Sacramento Northern Ry. By the way, the cellphone shots weren’t so bad. I could see the engines, rolling stock and surroundings pretty good. But, next time use a regular digital camera and a little extra lighting. Some of the car’s detail in the shots were hidden in shadows. Were you trying to achieve a twi-night effect? Because if you were, you did a nice job. But, I’m a stickler for detail and I wanted to see them - especially the detail on your SN equipment. But, regardless…I had fun.
No, I really just need to set up some lights for photography and use my digital camera. The final goal is for the setting to show Sacramento in high summer–lots of bright light–although according to prototype practice twilight is just as appropriate, as most freight traffic on the belt line was done at night. I have a ways to go in the lighting department, currently the lights are just a row of rope lights with a few 20w halogens every few feet.
There are some good reference books for Sacramento Northern–the Signature book by Harre Demoro is very comprehensive, and it’s not too hard to find copies of the Ira Swett “Interurbans Special” issues on the SN. But there are plenty of good books about PE!
Once I get wire hung up I’ll be able to better represent the heyday of the SN, but I’ll have to build a new branch line to really do it justice. Unlike the Belt Line, which ran around the perimeter of the city, SN’s passenger route wandered through downtown Sacramento’s business district and in front of California’s state capitol building before crossing the Tower Bridge into rural Yolo County.
PE is a fascinating line just from its sheer quantity and diversity–it really shaped the fabric of southern California.
In either case, it’s easy to start with a little switching layout or a loop; even with interurbans rather than trolleys, a 2x4 or 2x6 layout is quite feasible, and easy to expand into a larger layout later.