874:
24:
1139:
1925. Beginning in the 1940s, freight shipments began a steady decline, from 2,355 carloads (1948) to 1,400 carloads (1955), to 1,260 carloads (1960), to 695 (1978), to 195 (1986), to 50 (1989). While productivity of produce in Tulare County was increasing, the decline in freight shipments was initiated by increasing competition from trucks, and accelerated as
Southern Pacific lost interest in meeting the service schedules required for perishable produce. Southern Pacific reduced service to Exeter from six to three days per week in 1984; and retirement of their aging
1011:
Southern
Pacific tracks from Visalia to Exeter were electrified and used as the first leg of the system for passenger service, but freight loads were interchanged with Southern Pacific steam powered freight trains at Exeter. Electric operations began on March 5, 1908 utilizing two combination passenger with baggage section motor cars with pantographs for current pickup from the overhead wire, two passenger only motor cars similarly equipped, two unpowered passenger cars for powered cars to tow, and a 47-ton
310:
1163:
334:
720:
482:
217:
657:
573:
533:
341:
549:
524:
489:
231:
762:
197:
743:
633:
580:
541:
251:
224:
700:
680:
642:
463:
443:
423:
403:
383:
363:
290:
270:
649:
604:
612:
893:'s Mount Whitney Power Company on the Kaweah River, which emerges from the Sierra Nevada Mountains about fifteen miles northeast of Visalia. In June 1899 power began to flow from Hammond, a little over three miles upstream from Three Rivers. Potentially producing 1,800 horsepower (1,300 kW), the power company actually sold 700 horsepower (520 kW).
1027:
1151:
Electric's fixed labor costs discouraged continuation of the low frequency traffic remaining after the produce shippers sought better service. The railroad's employees were non-union with a guaranteed annual wage. The last run on the railroad occurred on
September 6, 1990 and abandonment was requested August 7, 1992.
1046:
Locomotives on the electrified part of the railroad used single-phase, 15-hertz electric current at 3,300 volts drawn from an overhead catenary and converted to DC on board for use by the traction motors. Three-phase, 60-hertz electric current at 35,000 volts was bought from the Mount
Whitney Power
1038:
model GES gas-electric locomotives numbered 401 and 402 built for
Southern Pacific as the third and fourth internal combustion, electric transmission locomotives manufactured in the United States. The line extended 16.4 miles (26.4 km) south, paralleling the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe line,
1018:
The line originated at the
Visalia train station on the southeast corner of Garden and Oak Streets. In 1916 a new depot was built on the block just west, the second block north and the second block east of the center of town (Court and Main Streets). The stations served both the Southern Pacific and
881:
The
Central Pacific line coming south from Fresno reached Goshen in the summer of 1872. In response, The Visalia Railroad Company was incorporated May 19, 1874 and a seven-mile spur from Goshen was completed August 14, 1874. In 1899 the spur was leased to the Southern Pacific Railroad. By
1104:
At its maximum extent the
Visalia Electric Railroad consisted of two main lines. The electrified line went from Visalia east through Exeter, thence north and west to Redbanks, a total distance of 29.0 miles (46.7 km). The line had two major spurs: 1.4 miles (2.3 km) from Citro Junction to
896:
As early as
September 10, 1891 Ben Maddox proposed an electric interurban railroad for Tulare County to make use of the extra generating capacity. Around 1900 John Hays Hammond and Albert G. Wishon propose an electric railroad from Visalia to Three Rivers (about 30 miles). The Visalia Electric
1138:
Passenger revenues peaked in 1912 as the availability of automobiles running on well-paved roads provided a more convenient alternative to the interurban railroad. Passenger service was discontinued on August 31, 1924. The electric overhead from
Visalia to Exeter (10.1 miles) was removed in
1100:
The railroad thrived by transporting produce grown in one of the richest agricultural areas of the nation. Oranges were produced in the greatest quantity; but the line also carried plums, peaches, lemons, grapes, dairy products, and other produce. Visalia Electric originated as many as 44 carloads
1010:
Ground was broken February 14, 1905 on construction of 11 miles (18 km) of track from Exeter to Lemon Cove. Operations began on July 1, 1906 using steam locomotives. On February 22, 1908, the system was first electrified from Visalia to Lime Kiln (Terminus Beach). The existing
1150:
Piece by piece abandonment of the railroad began in 1942 with the abandonment of the line from Strathmore to El Mirador. The segment from El Mirador to Fayette was abandoned in the summer of 1953. Final abandonment of the Strathmore branch occurred in 1973 with the rails removed by June. Visalia
1042:
An isolated segment east of Porterville was built in 1916; it went from Tule Jct (1 mile east of Porterville) to Magnolia with a spur to Sunland. A proposed extension past Porterville to Ducor was never built. On 1919 Aug 01 this line was conveyed to the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad.
1022:
In 1907 and 1908, offices, the main substation, a carbarn, and a rail yard were built in Exeter to serve as the operations center of the railroad. In 1909 the line was extended from Citro Junction, just north of Lemon Cove, west through what became Woodlake to Redbanks with a spur north to
1065:
March 10, 1908 marked the official start of electric operation. Steam locomotives had been used previously. On November 11, 1944 all electric propulsion ended: flashovers and deterioration of equipment made gas-electric and diesel-electric a better choice for propulsion. The
1057:-inch (11 mm) steel messenger was suspended 22 feet (6.7 m) above the rail on poles 120 feet (37 m) apart, supporting 3/0 trolley wire. The locomotives used sliding shoe-type pantograph trolley exerting an upward force of ten pounds on the wire.
860:
on the cars for pickup. Parent SP intended this as a test bed for main line, long distance electrification of its own lines in the area, a project that never came to fruition. For a short time in 1950–1951 the Visalia Electric briefly interchanged with the
1105:
Terminus and 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from Woodlake Junction to Elderwood. The second main line, non-electrified, extended south 17.877 miles (28.770 km) from Exeter to Strathmore.
1130:
ran 3.5 miles (5.6 km) in the City of Fresno from December 1, 1934 to 1938. It ran through a residential neighborhood and was shut down as a consequence of noise complaints.
865:
due to the bridge over the Kaweah River being washed out. The ATSF was seen by the SP as a rival, so for most of the life of the Visalia Electric only interchanged with its parent SP.
1446:
834:. The railroad was incorporated on April 22, 1904. Passenger service was discontinued in 1924, and the electrification was removed in 1944. Subsequent operation was by
168:
1461:
1116:
The Chowchilla Pacific Railway operated a line that ran 10 miles from Chowchilla southwest to Dairyland from 1924 to 1928. It was sold to the Southern Pacific in 1936.
1015:
box cab freight locomotive. Motor powered equipment carried on-board transformers and rectifiers to convert the 3300-volt AC to the DC required by the traction motors.
1441:
1456:
1451:
1471:
1436:
1034:
The line was extended from Exeter to Strathmore in 1916–1918. This part of the line was not electrified, but used two 64-ton, 350 hp (260 kW)
882:
November 29, 1898 the rails had been extended southeastward from Visalia to Southern Pacific's East Side Line at Exeter, a distance of ten miles.
1012:
1431:
1023:
Elderwood. This rail termination was the gateway to Sequoia National Park. By 1912 the timetable included 23 daily passenger trains through Exeter.
970:
1082:
and numbered 501 and 502 began handling the freight trains in September 1945. The GE locomotives were replaced by a variety of Southern Pacific
1426:
1379:
862:
23:
873:
1123:, which consisted mainly of spur lines to Bascome, Linda Vista, & Berryessa. The Visalia Electric operated it from 1934 to 1938.
154:
1406:
1351:
1120:
161:
1466:
178:
558:
1371:
1361:
809:
92:
59:
931:
1127:
813:
104:
1339:
1113:
The Visalia Electric Railroad also operated three fragmentary lines in the early Twentieth Century:
845:
666:
588:
117:
49:
1075:
974:
33:
1402:
1385:
1375:
1347:
890:
857:
835:
309:
1343:
1140:
1035:
729:
1168:
939:
886:
1420:
853:
823:
1144:
1071:
319:
1210:
Report of the Railroad Commission of California from July 1, 1920 to June 30, 1921
1119:
The San Jose District of the Visalia Electric Railroad was formerly part of the
1158:
831:
827:
816:
1286:
1090:
1389:
1365:
1086:
819:
1094:
1047:
Company and converted at Exeter. A single bracket-type catenary using
1026:
146:
889:) of the Visalia Daily Times began promoting hydroelectric power from
498:
1067:
1025:
988:
936:
849:
842:
114:
110:
1143:
fleet left them unable to meet shipping demand for the 1984–1985
1083:
1093:
numbered 1196 and 1197 took over in 1980, and were replaced by
1078:
in Southern Pacific's tiger-stripe paint scheme lettered
977:
roundhouse switcher from 1898 to 1901; scrapped in 1919
897:
Railroad Company was incorporated April 22, 1904.
1070:
wires were immediately removed and salvaged to meet
841:The Visalia Electric used the unusual choice of 15
123:
103:
98:
88:
65:
55:
45:
40:
885:In July 1881 Editor-Publisher Ben M. Maddox (see
1212:. Sacramento: California State Printing Office.
1301:Best, Gerald M. (1966). "Visalia Railroads".
162:
8:
656:
648:
641:
16:
1447:Transportation in Tulare County, California
1367:The Electric Interurban Railways in America
1241:
1239:
1237:
1235:
1233:
1231:
1208:Railroad Commission of California (1921).
186:
169:
155:
132:
22:
1195:
1462:Railway companies disestablished in 1992
904:
872:
1284:Bowen, Don (1991). "Visalia Electric".
1176:
540:
532:
134:
1442:Southern Pacific Railroad subsidiaries
1222:
1183:
15:
1457:Railway companies established in 1904
1279:
1277:
1275:
1273:
1271:
1269:
1267:
1265:
1256:
1245:
877:Visalia Electric Railroad train, 1910
7:
1452:History of Tulare County, California
1097:for the final few years of service.
1089:from 1971 to 1980. Southern Pacific
838:. The railroad was closed in 1992.
808:, a wholly owned subsidiary of the
901:Visalia Railroad steam locomotives
14:
1472:3300 V AC railway electrification
1437:Interurban railways in California
1290:(175). HyRail Productions: 44–49.
611:
603:
340:
333:
1161:
760:
741:
719:
718:
698:
678:
655:
647:
640:
631:
610:
602:
578:
571:
548:
547:
539:
531:
523:
522:
488:
487:
481:
480:
461:
441:
421:
401:
381:
361:
339:
332:
308:
288:
268:
249:
230:
229:
222:
216:
215:
195:
1432:Electric railways in California
1401:. Wilton, CA: Signature Press.
1364:; Due, John Fitzgerald (1960).
1101:daily during the harvest peak.
761:
572:
559:ATSF Porterville-Orosi District
196:
1336:California's Electric Railways
742:
632:
579:
250:
223:
29:
1:
1399:The Visalia Electric Railroad
699:
679:
462:
442:
422:
402:
382:
362:
289:
269:
1427:Defunct California railroads
1319:Missouri Pacific Lines, 1931
1030:Rail terminus for Sequoia NP
1397:Kauke, Phillips C. (2004).
1309:(312). Francis A. Guido: 6.
1488:
1372:Stanford University Press
1334:Demoro, Harre W. (1986).
985:Baldwin Locomotive Works
957:Baldwin Locomotive Works
810:Southern Pacific Railroad
806:Visalia Electric Railroad
769:
754:
750:
735:
727:
712:
707:
692:
687:
672:
665:
625:
620:
594:
587:
565:
556:
516:
496:
474:
470:
455:
450:
435:
430:
415:
410:
395:
390:
375:
370:
355:
348:
326:
317:
302:
297:
282:
277:
262:
258:
243:
238:
209:
204:
189:
131:
93:Southern Pacific Railroad
60:Tulare County, California
21:
17:Visalia Electric Railroad
932:Baldwin Locomotive Works
1128:Fresno Traction Company
973:#1204>#1009 used as
1303:The Western Railroader
1031:
1019:the Visalia Electric.
960:2-4-4 tank locomotive
878:
127:68 miles (109 km)
1196:Hilton & Due 1960
1029:
876:
1340:Glendale, California
1074:copper demands. Two
1013:Baldwin-Westinghouse
1467:Visalia, California
1076:GE 44-ton switchers
50:Visalia, California
18:
1198:, pp. 404–405
1121:Peninsular Railway
1032:
975:Fresno, California
879:
812:(SP), began as an
66:Dates of operation
34:GE 44-ton switcher
1381:978-0-8047-4014-2
1362:Hilton, George W.
1109:Fragmentary lines
1003:
1002:
891:John Hays Hammond
836:diesel locomotive
802:
801:
798:
797:
794:
793:
790:
789:
511:
510:
28:Visalia Electric
1479:
1412:
1393:
1370:. Stanford, CA:
1357:
1344:Interurban Press
1320:
1317:
1311:
1310:
1298:
1292:
1291:
1281:
1260:
1254:
1248:
1243:
1226:
1220:
1214:
1213:
1205:
1199:
1193:
1187:
1181:
1171:
1166:
1165:
1164:
1141:refrigerator car
1080:Visalia Electric
1056:
1055:
1051:
1036:General Electric
991:tank locomotive
971:Southern Pacific
905:
764:
763:
745:
744:
730:Visalia District
722:
721:
702:
701:
682:
681:
659:
658:
651:
650:
644:
643:
635:
634:
614:
613:
606:
605:
582:
581:
575:
574:
551:
550:
543:
542:
535:
534:
526:
525:
499:
491:
490:
484:
483:
465:
464:
445:
444:
425:
424:
405:
404:
385:
384:
365:
364:
343:
342:
336:
335:
312:
292:
291:
272:
271:
253:
252:
233:
232:
226:
225:
219:
218:
199:
198:
187:
171:
164:
157:
147:
133:
84:
82:
76:
74:
31:
26:
19:
1487:
1486:
1482:
1481:
1480:
1478:
1477:
1476:
1417:
1416:
1415:
1409:
1396:
1382:
1360:
1354:
1333:
1329:
1324:
1323:
1318:
1314:
1300:
1299:
1295:
1283:
1282:
1263:
1255:
1251:
1244:
1229:
1221:
1217:
1207:
1206:
1202:
1194:
1190:
1182:
1178:
1169:Railways portal
1167:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1136:
1134:Decline and end
1111:
1063:
1053:
1049:
1048:
1039:to Strathmore.
1008:
940:tank locomotive
903:
871:
765:
746:
723:
703:
683:
661:
660:
653:
652:
645:
636:
616:
615:
608:
607:
583:
576:
561:
552:
545:
544:
537:
536:
527:
492:
485:
466:
446:
426:
406:
386:
366:
351:
344:
337:
322:
313:
293:
273:
254:
234:
227:
220:
200:
181:
176:
175:
138:
105:Electrification
80:
78:
72:
70:
36:
12:
11:
5:
1485:
1483:
1475:
1474:
1469:
1464:
1459:
1454:
1449:
1444:
1439:
1434:
1429:
1419:
1418:
1414:
1413:
1407:
1394:
1380:
1358:
1352:
1330:
1328:
1325:
1322:
1321:
1312:
1293:
1261:
1249:
1227:
1215:
1200:
1188:
1175:
1174:
1173:
1172:
1156:
1153:
1135:
1132:
1110:
1107:
1062:
1059:
1007:
1004:
1001:
1000:
998:
995:
992:
986:
983:
979:
978:
967:
964:
961:
958:
955:
951:
950:
948:
945:
942:
934:
929:
925:
924:
921:
918:
915:
912:
909:
902:
899:
887:Ben Maddox Way
870:
867:
800:
799:
796:
795:
792:
791:
788:
787:
785:
783:
781:
779:
777:
775:
772:
771:
768:
766:
759:
757:
755:
752:
751:
749:
747:
740:
738:
736:
733:
732:
726:
724:
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713:
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709:
706:
704:
697:
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689:
686:
684:
677:
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673:
670:
669:
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662:
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638:
637:
630:
628:
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623:
622:
619:
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609:
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591:
586:
584:
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568:
566:
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538:
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519:
517:
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493:
486:
479:
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472:
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469:
467:
460:
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453:
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449:
447:
440:
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429:
427:
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331:
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287:
285:
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260:
259:
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248:
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241:
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228:
221:
214:
212:
210:
207:
206:
203:
201:
194:
192:
190:
183:
182:
177:
174:
173:
166:
159:
151:
150:
140:
139:
136:
129:
128:
125:
121:
120:
107:
101:
100:
96:
95:
90:
86:
85:
67:
63:
62:
57:
53:
52:
47:
43:
42:
38:
37:
27:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1484:
1473:
1470:
1468:
1465:
1463:
1460:
1458:
1455:
1453:
1450:
1448:
1445:
1443:
1440:
1438:
1435:
1433:
1430:
1428:
1425:
1424:
1422:
1410:
1408:1-930013-15-9
1404:
1400:
1395:
1391:
1387:
1383:
1377:
1373:
1369:
1368:
1363:
1359:
1355:
1353:0-916374-74-2
1349:
1345:
1341:
1337:
1332:
1331:
1326:
1316:
1313:
1308:
1304:
1297:
1294:
1289:
1288:
1280:
1278:
1276:
1274:
1272:
1270:
1268:
1266:
1262:
1259:, p. 115
1258:
1253:
1250:
1247:
1242:
1240:
1238:
1236:
1234:
1232:
1228:
1224:
1219:
1216:
1211:
1204:
1201:
1197:
1192:
1189:
1186:, p. 201
1185:
1180:
1177:
1170:
1159:
1154:
1152:
1148:
1146:
1142:
1133:
1131:
1129:
1124:
1122:
1117:
1114:
1108:
1106:
1102:
1098:
1096:
1092:
1088:
1085:
1081:
1077:
1073:
1069:
1060:
1058:
1044:
1040:
1037:
1028:
1024:
1020:
1016:
1014:
1005:
999:
996:
993:
990:
987:
984:
981:
980:
976:
972:
968:
965:
962:
959:
956:
953:
952:
949:
946:
943:
941:
938:
935:
933:
930:
927:
926:
922:
920:Works number
919:
916:
913:
910:
907:
906:
900:
898:
894:
892:
888:
883:
875:
868:
866:
864:
859:
855:
854:overhead wire
851:
847:
844:
839:
837:
833:
829:
825:
824:Tulare County
821:
818:
815:
811:
807:
786:
784:
782:
780:
778:
776:
774:
773:
767:
758:
756:
753:
748:
739:
737:
734:
731:
725:
716:
714:
711:
708:Farmersville
705:
696:
694:
691:
685:
676:
674:
671:
668:
667:Exeter Branch
663:
629:
627:
624:
618:
598:
596:
593:
590:
589:Exeter Branch
585:
569:
567:
564:
560:
554:
520:
518:
515:
507:to Strathmore
506:
505:
501:
500:
494:
478:
476:
473:
468:
459:
457:
454:
448:
439:
437:
434:
428:
419:
417:
414:
408:
399:
397:
394:
388:
379:
377:
374:
368:
359:
357:
354:
346:
330:
328:
325:
321:
315:
311:
306:
304:
301:
295:
286:
284:
281:
275:
266:
264:
261:
256:
247:
245:
242:
236:
213:
211:
208:
202:
193:
191:
188:
185:
184:
180:
172:
167:
165:
160:
158:
153:
152:
149:
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68:
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39:
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25:
20:
1398:
1366:
1335:
1327:Bibliography
1315:
1306:
1302:
1296:
1285:
1252:
1225:, p. 15
1218:
1209:
1203:
1191:
1179:
1149:
1145:navel orange
1137:
1125:
1118:
1115:
1112:
1103:
1099:
1079:
1064:
1045:
1041:
1033:
1021:
1017:
1009:
1006:Construction
895:
884:
880:
840:
805:
803:
320:Kaweah River
143:
46:Headquarters
1223:Demoro 1986
1184:Demoro 1986
858:pantographs
852:carried by
728:Ambler
391:Lemon Cove
77:–1992
1421:Categories
1257:Kauke 2004
1246:Kauke 2004
1155:References
1091:EMD SW900s
832:California
828:U.S. State
817:interurban
688:Giant Oak
502:Rocky Hill
371:Citro Jct
239:Elderwood
1287:CTC Board
1147:harvest.
1087:switchers
1061:Operation
848:at 3,300
826:, in the
451:Merryman
411:Levinson
278:Woodlake
205:Hillmaid
137:Route map
99:Technical
89:Successor
1095:EMD GP9s
911:Builder
820:railroad
814:electric
770:Visalia
350:Terminus
298:Naranjo
41:Overview
1072:wartime
1052:⁄
969:became
908:Number
856:, with
621:Exeter
431:Yokohl
79: (
71: (
1405:
1390:237973
1388:
1378:
1350:
1068:copper
923:Notes
869:Origin
512:
179:Legend
144:
124:Length
109:3,300
56:Locale
997:8251
994:1886
989:0-4-4
966:4226
963:1877
947:4102
944:1877
937:2-4-4
917:Date
914:Type
850:Volts
497:
1403:ISBN
1386:OCLC
1376:ISBN
1348:ISBN
1126:The
1084:ALCO
863:ATSF
804:The
81:1992
73:1904
69:1904
32:502
830:of
822:in
113:15
30:No.
1423::
1384:.
1374:.
1346:.
1342::
1338:.
1307:29
1305:.
1264:^
1230:^
1054:16
982:3
954:2
928:1
846:AC
843:Hz
118:AC
115:Hz
1411:.
1392:.
1356:.
1050:7
170:e
163:t
156:v
111:V
83:)
75:)
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