As stated, Loyalton branch is still intact, though no traffic has moved to or from Loyalton since Sierra Pacific shuttered their sawmill there in the early 2000s. UP has only used it for storing cars from time to time, it would be interesting to know why they haven't salvaged it...my guess is something to do with either environmental remediation, or potential right-of-way issues.

The "Almanor Branch" was not a branchline, but the independent shortline Almanor Railroad, owned by Collins Pine Company. Collins operates the large sawmill in Chester and was Almanor's only shipper. The line was in decent shape, but had fairly significant weight limitations due to light rail. The beginning of the end for the Almanor came in the early 2000s when Collins imported some logs from southern California that arrived by rail, but instead of trying to bring them into Chester Collins built a rail to truck reload at Almanor Junction to unload the logs there. BNSF shortly thereafter offered Collins a much better rate to load lumber at that reload rather than continue to divide revenues with the Almanor, and that was the end of the shortline. BNSF still switches the reload at what once was the Almanor interchange, the rest of the grade is slowly being turned into a trail.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV