| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Fernley, Nevada - Westwood, California |
| Dates of operation | 1914–1978 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
The Fernley & Lassen was a rail line of the Southern Pacific Railroad constructed in 1912–14 between Fernley, Nevada and Westwood, California, near Susanville, a distance of approximately 112 miles (180 km). The railroad was constructed to connect the Red River Lumber Company's facilities in Westwood with the Southern Pacific's main line running through Fernley.[1] After the railroad's construction, it was heavily used by other nearby lumber companies; the Fruit Growers Supply Company maintained the longest-lived railroad connection with the Fernley & Lassen, with an active connection present between 1920 and 1953. Due to the Great Depression, which significantly lowered freight volume, and the completion of Western Pacific's competing branch to Westwood, however, the Fernley & Lassen's days were numbered. By 1934, passenger traffic service had been discontinued, with local rail freighting following it in 1956. In 1978, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the Southern Pacific's petition for removal.[2]
- ^ (14 September 1913). First Regular Passenger Train Reaches Susanville Archived 2020-07-27 at the Wayback Machine, Sacramento Union, p. 33, col. 3.
- ^ "A Guide to the Records of Jim Bryant, Collection No. 91-16". Archived from the original on 2010-06-06. Retrieved 2010-03-29.