SP West Valley Line from Davis to Tehama
Author: allblack
Date: 03-19-2007 - 08:17
Fenchprof Wrote:
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> A little research shows that the former SP West
> Valley Line from Davis to Tehama is a most
> unlikely alternate during the period that the
> trestle reconstruction.
>
> Once the home of the fast Shasta Daylight and
> Cascade streamliners, both of which were scheduled
> for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to accomplish the
> 110.7 miles from Davis to Tehama in 1954, the line
> now is much slower. Operated by the California
> Northern, a 1994 employee timetable shows a
> maximum operating speed of 40 mph with some 60
> miles of the 110.7 miles limited to 25 mph.
> Since I-5 runs parallel to much of the line, my
> observation from the freeway is that it is
> unlikely that higher speeds are authorized
> currently.
>
> Additionally, track warrants is the train order
> system as opposed to the Direct Traffic Control
> (DTC) during the last few years of SP operation.
>
> One question: was that line been sold or is it
> leased to California Northern?
When did this line stop hosting passenger trains? I see that the Coast Starlight used it in the 1981 timetable. I'm guessing this is the line I rode back when Amtrak still had domes in '79.
By the way, I don't see Track Warrant Control (TWC) being a problem over DTC. It's a matter of preference by the operating railroad and both have advantages or diadvantages.