RailNews
Visalia Electric’s 44-ton 502 crosses the rebuilt Birds Landing trestle with the Suisun Marsh in the background. The train returned to the museum grounds after dumping two cars of ballast on the upgraded section of track to Molena on April 20, 2024. Photo by Tom Taylor.
By Tom Taylor
The Western Railway Museum in California is working to expand its reach by installing an additional overhead line.
“Destination Molena” is an active campaign by the Western Railway Museum to extend electric service approximately three-quarters of a mile beyond the current end of service at Platano. Molena was a former siding with a warehouse on the historic Sacramento Northern main line that is part of the museum grounds.
Ties will be replaced, angle iron repaired, historic 90-pound rails replaced as needed, and overhead line connections welded back in place. Historically correct overhead line pylons have been installed and lines have been suspended approximately halfway through the line until the future end of service. The trestle at Birds Landing has been rebuilt so that work trains can now use the tracks south of the trestle to unload ballast. Once completed, electrified service of the museum’s historic streetcars and interurban cars will be extended to over six miles south of the museum along the former Sacramento Northern main line. The museum hopes to open the expansion next year.
For more information, see WRM website.
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