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The Elko Subdivision is a railway line in Nevada owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad running from Weso (switching point just east of Winnemucca) to the freight yard in Elko. It is part of both the Overland Route and the Central Corridor. [1] The line generally folllows the Humboldt River and has several small tunnels while traversing the Palisade and Carlin Canyons, the longest tunnel is called the Carlin Tunnel.
The Elko subdivision is unique in that the entire subdivision is operated as a dual track main, but each of the two tracks in the main were formerly competing lines, built by different companies and at different times, that were combined with directional running. [2] The westbound track was part of the first transcontinental railroad built in the 1860s by the Central Pacific Railroad, while the eastbound track was built by the Western Pacific Railroad as part of the Feather River Route, between 1906 and 1909. The two tracks generally follow each other, however, the routes are not identical. This results in several oddities in the Elko Subdivision. For example, the community of Battle Mountain is only accessible by westbound trains, as the Western Pacific built track used for eastbound trains is routed several miles to the north of Battle Mountain. The North Valmy Generating Station resides between the two tracks, and the feeders from each track can be used as a crossover for trains to turn around. Also unique, the two tracks have a grade separated crossover near Palisade. As a result, trains in the eastern half of the Elko Subdivision observe right hand traffic, while trains in the western half observe left hand traffic. [3] This shared track arrangement continues east of the Elko freight yards, where the line becomes the Shafter Subdivision until Alazon, Nevada (near Wells). At Alazon, the two lines separate, with the Central Corridor proceeding to Salt Lake City, while the Overland Route proceeds to Ogden, Utah.
The 1939 City of San Francisco derailment occurred along today's Elko Subdivision, near a rail siding called Harney, between Beowawe and Palisade.
In the 1980s both tracks were relocated out of downtown Elko along the banks of the Humboldt River, resulting in Elko having two historical train depots downtown, with neither connected to track today. The Southern Pacific Railroad depot (for westbound passengers) was at 683 Railroad street, while the Western Pacific (eastbound) depot was at the corner of 3rd and Silver streets. [4]
North America's first transcontinental railroad was a 1,912-mile (3,077 km) continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail network at Council Bluffs, Iowa with the Pacific coast at the Oakland Long Wharf on San Francisco Bay. The rail line was built by three private companies over public lands provided by extensive US land grants. Construction was financed by both state and US government subsidy bonds as well as by company issued mortgage bonds. The Western Pacific Railroad Company built 132 mi (212 km) of track from the road's western terminus at Alameda/Oakland to Sacramento, California. The Central Pacific Railroad Company of California (CPRR) constructed 690 mi (1,110 km) eastward from Sacramento to Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) built 1,085 mi (1,746 km) from the road's eastern terminus at the Missouri River settlements of Council Bluffs and Omaha, Nebraska westward to Promontory Summit.
Elko County is a county in the northeastern corner of Nevada, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,818. Its county seat is Elko. The county was established on March 5, 1869, from Lander County.
The California Zephyr was a passenger train that ran between Chicago, Illinois and Oakland, California via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Winnemucca, Oroville and Pleasanton. It was operated by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q), Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) and Western Pacific (WP) railroads, all of which dubbed it "the most talked about train in America" on March 19, 1949, with the first departure the following day. The train was scheduled to pass through the most spectacular scenery on its route in the daylight. The original train ceased operation in 1970, though the D&RGW continued to operate its own passenger service, the Rio Grande Zephyr, between Salt Lake City and Denver, using the original equipment until 1983. In 1983 a second iteration of the California Zephyr, an Amtrak service, was formed. The current version of the California Zephyr operates partially over the route of the original Zephyr and partially over the route of its former rival, the City of San Francisco.
Palisade is located in Eureka County in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada, in the western United States. It is about 10 miles (16 km) south of Carlin, and about 33 miles (53 km) southwest of Elko. Although now a virtual ghost town, it had a rich history following construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. The town takes its name from Palisade Canyon, an important obstacle to the construction and operation of the railroad, which lies to the west.
The Humboldt River is an extensive river drainage system located in north-central Nevada. It extends in a general east-to-west direction from its headwaters in the Jarbidge, Independence, and Ruby Mountains in Elko County, to its terminus in the Humboldt Sink, approximately 225 miles away in northwest Churchill County. Most estimates put the Humboldt River at 290 miles (470 km) long however, due to the extensive meandering nature of the river, its length is more closely estimated at 380 miles (612 km). It is located within the Great Basin Watershed and is the third longest river in the watershed behind the Bear River at 355 miles (570 km) and the Sevier River at 325 miles (523 km). The Humboldt River Basin is the largest sub-basin of the Great Basin encompassing an area of 16,840 square miles (43,615 km2). It is the only major river system wholly contained within the state of Nevada.
A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a railroad covering the 62 mi (100 km) stretch between Schellville and Windsor with freight and Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) commuter trains. Formerly, it was a regional railroad that served the entire North Coast of California, with a main line running 271 miles (436 km) from Schellville to Eureka, along with an additional portion of the line running from the Ignacio Wye to the edge of San Rafael. The portion of the NWP main line between the Ignacio Wye in Marin County and the depot in Healdsburg is owned by SMART. The Schellville–Ignacio and Healdsburg–Eureka portions are owned by the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA). Private contractor NWPco operates freight service under NCRA lease. California's 2018 Great Redwood Trail Act repurposes the abandoned railroad right-of-way from Eureka to the San Francisco Bay in Marin County for future use as the "Great Redwood Trail" rail-trail.
The Pequop Mountains are a mountain range located in eastern Elko County, in northeastern Nevada in the western United States. The range runs generally north-south for approximately 51 miles (82 km) The high point of the range is an unnamed peak located at 40°55.46'N and 114°35.38'W.
Interstate 80 (I-80) traverses the northern portion of the U.S. state of Nevada. The freeway serves the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area and passes through the towns of Fernley, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Carlin, Elko, Wells and West Wendover on its way through the state.
State Route 278 is a state highway in Nevada. It runs from U.S. Route 50 near Eureka north to Interstate 80 (I-80) in Carlin.
Elko station is a train station in Elko, Nevada. It is served by Amtrak's California Zephyr.
Reno station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Reno, Nevada, served by the California Zephyr train. It is also served by Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach routes to Sacramento.
The Feather River Route is a rail line that was built and operated by the Western Pacific Railroad. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909, and connects the cities of Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah. The line was built to compete with the Central Pacific Railroad, which at the time held a nearly complete monopoly on Northern California rail service. The route derives its name from its crossing of the Sierra Nevada, where it follows both the North and Middle Forks of the Feather River. The route is famous for its impressive engineering qualities and its considerable scenic value. All of the route is now owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad; however, the Union Pacific has transferred significant portions of the route to other lines. The portion still called the Feather River Route by the Union Pacific runs from the California Central Valley to Winnemucca, Nevada and has been divided into three subdivisions named the Sacramento, Canyon and Winnemucca subdivisions.
The Carlin Tunnel is a collective name for a set of four tunnel bores in the Humboldt River's Carlin Canyon, east of Carlin in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The two railroad bores were constructed for different purposes at different times, while the two highway bores were constructed concurrently, all with the goal of bypassing a sharp bend in the river. Currently, two of the bores carry Interstate 80, while the other two bores carry Union Pacific Railroad's Overland Route and Central Corridor. Bridges over the Humboldt River are adjacent to both portals of three tubes, including the two freeway bores and one of the railroad bores.
The Overland Route was a train route operated jointly by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad / Southern Pacific Railroad, between Council Bluffs, Iowa / Omaha, Nebraska, and San Francisco, California over the grade of the first transcontinental railroad which had been opened on May 10, 1869. Passenger trains that operated over the line included the Overland Flyer, later renamed the Overland Limited, which also included a connection to Chicago. Although these passenger rail trains are no longer in operation, the Overland Route remains a common name for the line from Northern California to Chicago, now owned entirely by the Union Pacific.
The Central Corridor is a rail line operated by the Union Pacific Railroad from near Winnemucca, Nevada to Denver, Colorado in the western United States. The line was created after the merger with the Southern Pacific Transportation Company by combining portions of lines built by former competitors. No portion of the line was originally built by the Union Pacific; in fact, some portions were built specifically to compete with the Union Pacific's Overland Route. The line is known for significant feats of engineering while crossing the Wasatch Mountains of Utah and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The line features numerous tunnels, the longest and highest of these is the Moffat Tunnel.
The Shafter Subdivision is a rail line owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad as part of the Central Corridor in the U.S. states of Nevada and Utah. The line begins as a continuation of the Elko Subdivision at the Elko freight yards, and travels east to the junction with the Lynndyl Subdivision of the former Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, adjacent to the Kennecott Smokestack. The line was formerly part of the Western Pacific Railroad. Shafter is the name of the rail siding at the junction between this line and the Nevada Northern Railway.
On August 12, 1939, the City of San Francisco train derailed outside of Harney, Nevada, killing 24 and injuring 121 passengers and crew. The derailment was caused by sabotage of the tracks. Despite a manhunt, reward offers, and years of investigation by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), the case remains unsolved.
Alazon is an extinct town in Elko County, in the U.S. state of Nevada.
The California Zephyr is a passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno. At 2,438 miles (3,924 km), it is Amtrak's longest daily route, and second-longest overall after the Texas Eagle's triweekly continuation from San Antonio to Los Angeles, with travel time between the termini taking approximately 511⁄2 hours. Amtrak claims the route as one of its most scenic, with views of the upper Colorado River valley in the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada. The modern train is the second iteration of a train named California Zephyr; the original train was privately operated and ran on a different route through Nevada and California.
