Re: Western Ry Museum Molena?
Author: Butler
Date: 12-15-2012 - 14:45
Craig is correct. The museum's web site does spell it as "Molena". I was a bit curious where Montezuma is located as this is where the museum's ownership of the ROW ends, approximately 1.99 miles south of Molena. A little digging into Wikipedia came up with this description for Montezuma: "The railway stop was located approximately a mile and a half northwest of present-day Collinsville, just after the rail line swung due north, from its north-easterly trajectory from the ferry landing at Chipps Island, at the Suisun Bay shoreline."
Looking NORTH of the museum, it appears that "Dozier" is located at Rio Dixon Rd where the line makes a hard turn (about 120 degrees - I bet this is a restricted speed curve!) to the west, eventually connecting with the outside world just south of where Canon Rd intersects with Vanden Rd north of Travis AFB.
North of the museum site and just north of Creed Rd (Station stop Creed?) there appears to be an abandoned wye and ROW running northwest and right into Travis AFB. I am guessing that this line was abandoned when Travis AFB was built.
On this Dozier - Canon Rd line there appears to be another abandoned wye track about midway between Gate Rd and Vanden Rd. This line goes southwest maybe 1200 feet where there appears to be another wye and a connection to the line through Travis that came out of Creed. This line goes generally northwest and there appears to be yet another wye (near Waterworks LN) connecting to a line that appears to run SW to NE. The NE connection at this 3rd wye soon turns die north and appears to have gone to Vacaville. I am guessing that this is where the museum ran their excursions into Vacaville which they referenced as "In the 1960s and 1970s some trips, including trains of Key System bridge units hauled by an SN diesel or using Nevada Copper Belt gasoline motorcar #21, originated at the Museum and operated to Montezuma and Vacaville.". Somebody sure liked wye tracks!
The museum also mentions "operation of its popular "Prairie Train" services that ran to the vernal pools at Jepson Prairie from 1985 - 1994.. A bit more work with google seems to indicate that these vernal pools are in the area near Dozier where the line makes its hard turn to the west.
Corrections or further details are welcomed.