Craig's Railroad Pages: Southern Pacific's Modoc line

Southern Pacific's Late, Great Modoc Line

Touring the line before all the tracks were gone, Page 2

July 4, 2003: I took Independence Day off and scouted the entire Modoc line between Klamath Falls OR and Wendel CA. The track has been removed from Bayley southeast (geographically) to Moran, although some ties still remain in place from Madeline to Moran.

Water tank and pumphouse at Madeline (approx. N41 02.915 W120 28.526)

Track removal equipment at Moran (approx. N40 57.627 W120 30.105)

From Moran to Wendel the track is in place, but all rail joiners have been unbolted or torched off, as were the switch rods.

At Ravendale, the tracks cross back to the west side of 395 and begin to climb toward Crest. My DeLorme atlas showed the track splitting into two routes on the steep part of the grade, but the west track has long been removed and the right of way is barely discernable in the sagebrush.

Siding at Crest, looking north (approx. N40 43.670 W120 22.121)

Concrete footings remain in place to mark the location of a water tank which used to stand at the Karlo siding. Also at Karlo, the concrete slab for a motorcar shed and the foundation of what may have been a depot or section house rests in the shade of what seem like the only trees for miles around. I'd love to buy this little plot and put up a small house on the existing station foundation... a place to relax and enjoy the tranquility of the high desert.

Karlo is approx. N40 33.179 W120 18.943

At Viewland, the tracks again cross Highway 395 just before they crest the ridge and drop down into Wendel. On the 4th of July 2003 the crossbucks were still there although the lights and gates had been removed from the crossing signals. We're looking south in the picture above (approx. N40 26.542 W120 16.754).

Looking north at Viewland (at approx. N40 24.939 W120 16.636)

Just before dropping into the Honey Lake Valley, looking south along well-maintained track that is about to be removed.

Descent from Viewland to Wendel. At this point the batteries died in my camera so that's the last shot of the day.

I followed the rutted dirt path along the right of way from Viewland down to about a mile from Wendel before cutting accross to pavement at Wendel Road. If you choose to go that route, make sure you have plenty of ground clearance and low-range four wheel drive because it's pretty strewn with lava rock. When I got home I discovered about a three-inch slice on the inside sidewall of my right front tire.

At Wendel, the wye is stacked with more stored cars. Wendel is the junction of the Union Pacific and the Quincy Railroad's Susanville branch (note, this line has also since been abandoned and removed). From Wendel, the U.P. runs east to Flanigan and Winnemucca, Nevada.

On November 1, 2005, operation of the Klamath Falls to Alturas segment (once known as the Merrill Subdivision), the last remaining part of the northern end of the Modoc line, transfered to the Modoc Northern Railroad. The Modoc Northern's operating, traffic and maintenance employees are based in Tulelake with an engineer based in Alturas. Trains run between Tulelake and Klamath Falls on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and between Tulelake and Alturas on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Saturdays "as needed."

UPDATE: On May 5, 2009, Union Pacific terminated the MNRR's contract and took back over the operation of the Modoc Line from Klamath Falls to Alturas.

Click here to go to the Modoc Northern Railroad page