The West Side Rail Trail - Abandoned Narrow Gauge Logging Tracks

The West Side Rail Trail in the Stanislaus National Forest near Toulumne, California affords a very rare opportunity to hike on a turn of the century, abandoned narrow gauge logging railroad track.
Tag along with me as I explore the final mile of this track...
History: The West Side Lumber Company was a logging railroad that operated in the American west. The company was based in Tuolumne, California, east of Jamestown. The company was the last narrow-gauge logging railroad operating in the American west.
The West Side Lumber Company was formed in May 1898. The company had connections with the Sierra Railroad. The West Side Lumber Company No. 7 was a 3-truck Shay locomotive built in 1911 by the Lima Locomotive Works.

[@davefontes8532]

West Side Lumber shutdown rail logging, to truck logging in the early 60's(?). The was a strike, and it was though the lumber company would go back to rail logging, so the stikers took some dynamite, and blasted and area called Big Cut. This was a few miles from Flume, were the railroad tips over into the Tuolumne canyon. Fast forward 5-10 years, and the scrapers come in. Starting and Camp 45, using small tactors, they would drag long sections of rail to a point. The long sections would be broken down to single rail lengths, then loaded on a flat car, and pushed to a reload site onto trucks. When they got to River bridge, they didn't want to drive on the railroad bridge. There was no access to the railroad until you got the flume. So they started at Flume, and worked the way to the Big Cut, which is now blocked with tons of rock. It would cost too much for the scrappers to remove the rock from the cut, so they just left it. From Big Cut to River bridge was left in tack since the 1890"s when the railroad was constructed. Few years latter, a gentleman by the name of Frank Cottle, decided to start a tourist railroad. He re-laid the tracks from Tuolumne to the Big Cut, then He removed the material at Big Cut. From Big Cut down to the river, he just had to replace some ties, and a few washouts. I don't know if it was Frank or the next gentleman to run the railroad, Glen Bell of Taco Bell, who would build a railbus to make trips down to River Bridge. The turntable was for the railbus to turn around, not steam engines. The siding was original to the West Side Lumber. When Cottle took over, it was a runaround track for the steam engine to pull the train back to town. The railbus is still in operation at the Nevada County Railroad Museum, in Nevada City CA. They have many West side railroad cars that have been fully restored.

[@Two_Bears]

Memories. I have hiked many of the old camps of the West Side. Many of these camps were only recently abandoned in the mid 60’s when I hiked them. I hiked to a camp, in which the spur was abandoned in the 1910’s, which had a rich amount of physical history laying around. Everything from a spar tree, to cabins and cabling. The only problem getting there was the Manzanita!!! Cut my legs to crap! Found many old bottles and stuff!!

[@gregsylvester9079]

My friend, west side in early 80'S that was bought by the owner of toco bell had small truck rail cars that ran back and forth to river Bridge after the Bridge was blown up for a movie. That ride stopped 4 years later. I still look for spots of west side camps all up in the area where there hard to find.

[@jimfarrell6670]

Rode these tracks in 1980 on a 22 seater rail car, Took the trip to the beautiful River Bridge about 8 miles from Westside and Cherry Valley train Park.. If my memory of this trip is still good, I think they turned the railcar on that turn table you pictured.. Great Video with good memories! Think the railcar was #97.

[@jameshudkins2210]

This railroad started in Tuolumne City. You can still see the narrow gauge track leaving the mill and crossing the highway leading to Tuolumne from Sonora. You can also see track near the Black Oak Casino. Just beyond the turntable was a large wooden trestle called River Bridge. The West Side had 4 big ones. You can still see the one at Bourland and can drive right to it. In east Sonora near Highway 108 is the Sullivan Creek trestle. It shows what they were like. The track was at its longest at Cherry Lake 70 miles by rail from Tuolumne. The short track at right angle to the track was a speeder turnout. Small vehicles could out of the way on those when something else came along. There was a siding near the bridge. There were sidings every few miles. They needed to meet and get past other trains as well as to store cars. The platform near the bridge was for a tenders cabin. There were on fire watch.

[@johnrogers1661]

Thank you so much for going out there and showing us some really cool history! Watch out for those Bigfoot!

[@ravenzbot]

I wonder how much it would cost to clear and repair the whole stretch until at least the turn table?

[@SierraRailway]

FYI, Tuolumne is pronounced Two-All-Um-Me.

[@aaronbatt1282]

Hey Tim, I know you’re into railways but I can show you some amazing hidden roads from the gold rush days with old mining equipment on the way

[@TimAlcoser]

I bet there is all kinds of hidden gems and secrets in the Sierra's.

[@jameshudkins2210]

Try Virginia City, NV on the old railroad.

[@jameshudkins2210]

@@TimAlcoser Yes, try Jamestown at the railroad museum, Nevada City, CA, Carson City, NV.

[@TimAlcoser]

@@jameshudkins2210 Only one from this list I have not been to yet is Carson. 👍

[@jameshudkins2210]

@@TimAlcoser To the south of Carson City, by Highway 395 is the Nevada State Rail Road Museum. They have displays and exhibits. It is very nice. East of Carson City on Highway 50 as you near Mound House is the rebuilt Virginia & Truckee Railroad. It is open for tourist rides. It goes over the Highway and soon on the original roadbed and up to Virginia City. Some years ago I drove and walked along the grade. It was very interesting. If you told me then I would someday ride the train up to Virginia city I would have responded, "Only in Dreams." Then there I was riding it and watching Wild Horses.

[@CBeard849]

That is so cool!!

[@timeforbeans]

Awesome video, I really enjoyed learning something new. Hopefully I can make it out there to check out the tracks one day. Anyway you can drop a pin or location for this trail head?

[@marshaezell1546]

You can get to it from the top too - on left before you drop down into canyon.

[@lorenzolujan3999]

We rode our mountain bikes on trail. You started from the end of the not the beginning

[@TimAlcoser]

It was my intention to hike the whole thing, but I didn't have time that day. Definitely want to return and likely bike it.

[@CR-rb5hl]

It's called a switch back

[@michaelsmiley15]

I just followed on maps the right of way was based in Tuolumne From the log camp was narrow gage it went west to Sonora the to james town then all the way west to Oakdale Glen Williams bell actually had the heritage railroad running until 1980 He sold the land to the me wok and they sold all the rolling stock They actually have the Sonora engine at roaring camp Out of all the logging rail in the Sierra The Sierra railroad is the only one that still exists today One of 2 ways You can take the dinner train from Oakdale or go up to Jamestown and take the steam train

[@rottenroads1982]

I have an Idea. Why doesn’t California invest in those Abandoned Logging lines, and turn them into Tourist opportunities. I tell you, many people would love to ride on those logging trains.

[@jameshudkins2210]

At Fish Camp, CA near the southern entrance into Yosemite National Park is a really great narrow gauge railroad to tourists. Is uses some West Side gear. It is probably the nearest thing to the West Side. There is also a narrow gauge steam train for tourist at Roaring Camp at Felton near Santa Cruz, CA. It also has a standard gauge train which rides through the Redwoods to the Beach Boardwalk at Santa Cruz at the ocean. Another one is on the other side of the country at Cass, West Virginia.

[@steverontti4199]

@ 13:22, I believe that turntable was for their snowplow

[@TimAlcoser]

Very cool and that makes sense. So the engines ran in reverse on the way down.

[@SierraRailway]

No, that was put there by Frank Cottle in the early 70s for turning the railbus.

[@rcmadness247]

"Im nervous about uploading" then proceeds to tell the location

[@Sugarmountaincondo]

You obviously don't know diddly squat about railroads.

[@TimAlcoser]

To be fair, I bet you I have more time operating and conducting railroads than you do... 😉