xxxxxxTravel to the Yosemite valley has increased annually since its discovery, but has been limited to the summer seasons only, and restricted to the capacity of a long stage journey over mountain roads and dusty plains. It was with a view of handling the immense volume of traffic to and from the Yosemite that the Yosemite Valley Railroad was built. The completion of a rail route from Merced, Cal., to the Yosemite National Park line brings Yosemite into close communication by the best modern transportation facilities. Since the national government has taken charge it is proposed to place it on a par with other national parks, and extensive improvements are now under way on the roads, trails and facilities for the accommodation of visitors. Under these new conditions a greatly increasing travel thither each year is assured.

xxxxxxThe construction of the railroad represents a large outlay of capital, and a difficult piece of engineering. The plan had been canvassed several times by various interests and abandoned, and it remained for a few capitalists of San Francisco to undertake the work of penetrating to the heart of the Sierras through the precipitous Merced river canyon to Yosemite. F. G. Drum, associating with himself Thomas Prather of Oakland and several others of financial standing, placed N. C. Ray in charge as chief engineer and awarded the contract for grading to J. H. O'Brien of San Francisco, and actual work was commenced in September, 1905, and by the first of May, 1907, this scenic line was completed and on May 15 was opened for passenger and freight traffic.

xxxxxxThe city of Merced is its initial point, where connections are made with both the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe. The line extends thence a distance of 78 miles to El Portal, which is the terminus at the Yosemite national park boundary. It crosses the level plains of the San Joaquin valley through a rich farming and fruit growing district, to Merced Falls, where it enters the canyon. The work from this point upward presented great difficulties, the roadbed being virtually blasted out of solid rock the entire distance. It is estimated that 3,000,000 pounds of dynamite and powder, with 285 miles of fuse, were used in this work.

xxxxxxThe precipitous walls make it necessary to cross the canyon three times. These crossings are three Howe truss bridges. The first crossing is at Hopeton, 14 miles from Merced, and consists of two 150-foot spans on steel cylinders with trestle approach at each end. The second crossing is at Pleasant valley and consists of one 125-foot span and two 50-foot deck girders on steel cylinders. The third crossing is near Bagby, 50 miles from Merced, and consists of one 125-foot through span and two 50-foot deck girders on concrete piers. At the North Fork tributary to the Merced river there is also another 125-foot span with trestle approaches. Other bridges and trestles are of the usual 4-post frame bent construction.

xxxxxxThe maximum grade of the first 70 miles is 1 per cent, thence for two miles it is 2 per cent, and the rest of the distance between 1 and 2 per cent. The maximum curvature is 15 degrees, except at the hog back near the Yosemite terminal, where one 18-degree curve is used. The road is standard gauge, laid with 70-pound rails, and the roadbed is on solid rock the greater part of the way. The out parts are being ballasted with rock from the 800-ton crusher erected on the line at Jasper by the Merced Stone Company.

xxxxxxComplete terminal facilities are located in Merced, including a general office building and passenger station, roundhouse, turntable, storehouse and switch yards. The 9-stall roundhouse is designed to include power plant and machine shops, as well as to house the locomotives. The first stall is used as a power plant and equipped with a 121-horsepower Parker water tube boiler, a 100-horsepower Pritchford-Corliss engine, a 75-kilowatt Westinghouse generator and accessories, Franklin air compressor, air reservoir, Starkey water heater, water pumps and injectors. The next two stalls, with about 3,500 square feet of floor space, are fitted out as a machine shop, with all machinery necessary for rebuilding locomotives and cars. The next four stalls are for locomotive use, two of them having drop pits and traveling overhead cranes for handling of light parts of engines. Stall No. 8 is used as a blacksmith and boiler shop and has power-driven rolls, punch and shears and a 600-pound steam hammer. The last stall is used as a paint shop for coaches, and is equipped with compressed air, steam and water. The entire plant is piped for compress air and also with steam for firing up engines and for other purposes.

xxxxxxThe woodworking machinery is in a separate building located between the material yard and the rip tracks, and consists of planing, boring and mortising machinery, cut-off, rip and band saws and a turning lathe; the material coming in from one side passes out in the finished state to the rip tracks on the other side. Fuel oil is taken from cars into a concrete sump by gravity, from which it is pumped into a delivery tank by a Dean triple-stroke pump, the power being furnished by the electric motor. The sump and delivery tanks are lined with coil heaters and the oil is thus kept ready for immediate use. The office and storehouse and oil house are located back of the adjoining machine shop.

xxxxxxThe rolling stock consists of 5 locomotives and 77 cars, passenger and freight. Two 18 by 26 inch 8-wheel passenger locomotives were recently furnished by the American Locomotive Company. The latest addition to the passenger equipment is three 60-foot vestibule cars from the Hicks Locomotive & Car Works, Chicago, a combination coach for baggage and mail, a straight coach, and observation car, all finished with Mexican mahogany and green plush.

xxxxxxThe new line is in charge of practicable, experience railroad men. O. W. Lehmer, for many years connected with the Santa Fe, is superintendent and traffic manager, and has associated with him in the handling of its affairs F. L. Higgins as superintendent of motive power and G. H. Nickerson as chief engineer.

xxxxxxIn addition to the tourist travel which will be handled an extensive freight traffic will be developed, for the line enters one of the earliest settled districts of California, where development has reached the limit possible without railroad transportation facilities and was only awaiting these to take on new life. The adjacent country produces live stock, grain and fruit. There are also large tracts of the best sugar pine forest and various interests are now looking to the marketing of the lumber. In addition to this large quantities of building stone, marble, lime and minerals are distributed along the canyon. Old mines are being reopened and new ones located. Water and electric power plants are being built and stamp mills put in.

xxxxxxThe new route traverses the entire course of the picturesque Merced river canyon, from the foothills to the portal of Yosemite, where the rocks and mountains tower thousands of feet skyward. It is an ideal trip, 80 miles of ever-changing scenery, the river always within a stone's throw of the car window, a most fascinating journey. The great valley has been made accessible the year round and has its winter beauties as well as its summer attractions, and a new era of progress and popularity has been opened for the Yosemite, with its delight for the lover of nature, doubled by extending the opportunity to see it from one season to the next without interruption.

Two photographs by E. A. Cohen.
1. the Bagby Bridge
2. railroad in the Merced Canyon.
* L. E. Danley was assistant to the general manager.