Southern Pacific #9, a 1909 Baldwin 4-6-0, was
donated to the County of Inyo and City of Bishop after her last ceremonial run from Keeler, California to Laws, California (Now Laws Railroad Museum) in April 1960. She was the last steam locomotive in service to the last Western narrow-gauge railroad common carrier.
The construction of the Carson and Colorado Railroad commenced slowly. The initial three miles of what would eventually become a 328-mile track took six months to complete. By the ten-month point, only 70 miles of track had been laid. The challenges were not with the terrain but with labor and materials. Chinese workers, who were skilled railroad builders, were paid $1.00 per day for a 26-day work month, with $15.00 deducted monthly for provisions. Further complications arose from the availability of materials, as rails were imported from Europe and could be delayed by up to six months.
As is typical, boom towns sprung up along the RR route. But the only one of any size remaining today is Hawthorne, its location reached in the spring of 1881. Perhaps the most challenging terrain on the route was Montgomery Pass. At over 7,100 ft in elevation, it was higher than the Donner Pass crossing by the Central Pacific, boasted descent gradients of more than three percent on the California side, and required a 247 ft tunnel.
Owens Valley residents were excited about the anticipated rail service, and understandably disappointed to have the existing towns bypassed in favor of proximity to the mines of the Eastern Sierra.
Keeler, seventy miles south of Bishop, was on the Carson and Colorado RR route because of the Cerro Gordo mine. At over 9,200 ft elevation, Cerro Gordo was such a rich producer of silver, that it was credited with the successful growth of Los Angeles. Although it was because of Cerro Gordo that the RR built track to Keeler, by the time those tracks were laid, Carson and Colorado RR profits had plummeted, and Keeler became the end of the line. By 1900, most mines along the route had passed their peak, and the Carson and Colorado RR was happy to sell its road to the Southern Pacific RR for $2,750,000.
Southern Pacific might have lived to regret their purchase, but only two months later, a silver outcropping in what became Tonopah was discovered. Southern Pacific soon made good return on its investment, and once gold was discovered in what became Goldfield, returns were even better.
Copyright © 2020 Beverly Schroeder - All Rights Reserved.
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.