Within Vol #3 of David Myrick's Railroads of Nevada & Eastern California, there is a small amount of info for this lumber company and its small shortline near Challenge,CA. It is said basically that this was two very small lines, a few miles long with one loco known and served the mill and flume at Challenge. A small map is included in the book. It is suggested that according to modern maps, Peterson Ridge Rd appears to follow the old row. After hiking part of the "row" today, I encountered a "old-timer" and we got to talkin. According to this fella, this section is just a small section of the old railroad. Supposedly it used to run from somewhere northeast of Challenge to a place called Ramirez Station. Supposedly this section at Challenge is the only portion still viewable. Well needless to say, this raised a question or two in my mind. Where is this Ramirez Station? Honcut on the SP? Somewhere on the WP? The flume is said to have gone to the finishing mill at Honcut but this fella insisted the railroad also went a lot further than what is generally known. Anybody got any possible further info on the A.M.Leach?? I'm sure David Myrick has only represented what he has found and with every topic he covers in his books, probably hasn't researched this very out of the way minute road in super depth. Perhaps there is more to the story?? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and I will have a blog coming and pics in an update soon.
Ok, I just picked up a copy of the 7.5min topo map of Challenge. This has confused the issue even more. I'm just not getting the vibe that Peterson Ridge Rd is the old right of way. In Myricks book, the map is just a basic line drawing showing an approximate shape of the line. This matches up pretty decently with Peterson Ridge Rd on most the maps I have. However, there is another road just up the hill that also resembles Myricks map fairly well too. It also appears to make more sense for it to be the old right of way. Problem with this is, I've inspected the first few hundred yards of this higher road at its intersection with La Porte Rd (the main road through Challenge). It appears to be of newer construction and has recently received a new layer of gravel. I am now awaiting a return call from the archeologist from the Plumas National Forest and hopefully she can shed some more light on the subject. You gotta love a good mystery!
Well, no dice with the archeologist. Apparently I will not be getting a call. Oh well, after exploring yet another abandoned right of way today, I am really thinking that Peterson Ridge Rd is not the old right of way. However, I will be looking into this at some point in the future.
John, a couple of things. I do not know the region, but as an archaeologist I have encountered many an abandoned ROW. It may be possible to search out this line on what are called GLO maps which MAY be online for that region, or the local state or federal agency may have them (on micro-fisch). DO NOT rely on current 7.5' maps as they represent what was there when the map was made (most were done in the 60s with a photo-revision in the 80s or 90s). Also, remember that old RR ROWs are frequently the location of MODERN gravel roads...thus no sign of the old ROW may be evident UNLESS you wander to either side of the ROW where the railroad may curve, take a tangent etc. as roads tend to be "straightened" out from RR lines. Older 15' minute maps may have the route BUT if this was a "temporary" route (i.e. less than 30 years) it likely will not occur on ANY map. I ran into this with logging roads in Michigan and Wisconsin. Perhaps the records of the Company? It is also possible that the author was RIGHT and if you can scan the map and load it into an Archview GIS program (or similar product) you can overlay the author's map on a topo and it will be very close to the actual route. Wish I was there, sounds like it would make a great field trip!!
Oh yeah, I'll be heading back up that way sometime this summer. Got so many abandoned right of ways to explore around here! The thing is, I've even followed them through modern housing developments and they still just seem to tell me "hey, I'm an old railroad right of way". This road I walked didn't say that to me. With all the others I've explored lately, they just jump out at ya as an old railroad. We are talking late 1800's stuff here too. I just have to get up there some more and make it make sense. Thanks for the tip on the GLO maps though, hadn't heard of them. Oh, and I always try and find the oldest topo maps I can get. They seem to be alot better for this sort of thing. Google Earth and similar programs have also been most helpful.
