Nevada–California–Oregon Railway

{{short description|Former railway line}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox rail |railroad_name = Nevada–California–Oregon Railway |logo = NCO Logo.gif |logo_size = 250 |logo_alt = |system_map = NCO Map.png |map_caption = Original plan for NCO rail network |map_size = 230 |map_alt = |image = Reno NCO Station.jpg |image_size = 230 |image_caption = NCO station in Reno, Nevada |image_alt = |marks = NOCR |locale = [[California]], [[Oregon]], and [[Nevada]] |start_year = {{Start date|1880}} |end_year = {{End date|1925}} |predecessor_line = |successor_line = [[Southern Pacific Company]] |gauge = {{RailGauge|3ft|lk=on}} |length = {{convert|238|mi|abbr=on}} |hq_city = [[Reno, Nevada]] (1880–1918); [[Alturas, California]] (1918–1925) |map = {{Nevada–California–Oregon Railway|inline=y}} }} The '''Nevada–California–Oregon Railway''' {{Reporting mark|NOCR}} was a {{RailGauge|3ft|lk=on}} [[Narrow gauge railways|narrow gauge]] railroad originally planned to connect [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]], [[Nevada]], to the [[Columbia River]]. However, only {{convert|238|mi|abbr=on}} of track were laid so service never extended beyond [[Lakeview, Oregon|Lakeview]], [[Oregon]]. Because of the company’s reputation for mismanagement, it was often called the "Narrow, Crooked & Ornery" railroad.<ref name="HDR"/>

== History == The railroad was organized in Reno in June 1880 as the [[Nevada and Oregon Railroad]]. It was decided that the best plan was to build north to the Columbia River to service cattle ranches and farms in northeastern [[California]] and [[eastern Oregon]]. The northern terminus was to be [[The Dalles, Oregon]], since that city was located on the Columbia River and had no eastern or southern rail connections at that time.<ref name="NCO">[http://www.narrowgauge.net/nco_1.htm "N-C-O RY"], Gauge on the Net—Old Time Narrow Gauge Railroading, Cedar Ridge, California, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927174310/http://www.narrowgauge.net/nco_1.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

The company decided to lay {{RailGauge|3ft}} gauge track because it was cheaper than {{RailGauge|4ft8.5in|allk=on}} construction. Site survey and grading work for the railroad began in December 1880. The first spike was driven in Reno on May 28, 1881.<ref name="TA">Armstrong, Tom, [http://www.urbaneagle.com/nco/index.html "Nevada-California-Oregon Railway"], Slim Rails, 2000.</ref> However, the company was short of money so construction was slow. In addition, the board of directors was plagued by corruption and intrigue. One board meeting actually ended with a gun fight between two members, which killed the corporate secretary and wounded the man who became president.{{sfn|Hilton|1990|p=326}} For a period of time, there were two separate boards of directors trying to run the company.<ref name="HDR">{{cite web |url=http://www.trainweb.org/highdesertrails/nco.html |title=Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827124806/http://www.trainweb.org/highdesertrails/nco.html |archive-date=2007-08-27 |website=High Desert Rails Railroading in Oregon's Outback |publisher=Jeff Moore |date=15 October 2007}}</ref>

The railroad reached Oneida, California, {{convert|30|mi|abbr=on}} north of Reno, on October 2, 1882.<ref name="TA"/> Regular service between the two cities began a month later. However, track construction remained slow, and the company’s business problems continued to grow. The Moran Brothers bank in [[New York, New York|New York]] was the company’s largest investor. In April 1884, the bank took full control of the railroad, purchasing the company at a court ordered auction for just over $372,000. The company spent the next few years improving existing lines and trying to build up local business.<ref name="HDR"/>

On January 1, 1893, the name of the railroad was changed to the Nevada–California–Oregon.{{sfn|Hilton|1990|pp=326–327}}

The next northward extension commenced in 1899. In April 1902, the line reached Madeline, California. The tracks were extended to Likely, California, in October 1907; [[Alturas, California]], in December 1908; and finally, [[Lakeview, Oregon]], on January{{nbsp}}10, 1912.<ref name="TA"/> The company planned to continue north through [[Prineville, Oregon]], to The Dalles, with separate branches running west to [[Klamath Falls, Oregon|Klamath Falls]] and on to the [[Rogue River Valley]], and over the [[Cascade Mountains]] to [[Eugene, Oregon]], in the [[Willamette Valley]]. However, no further construction ever took place.<ref name="HDR"/> [[File:Southern Pacific 65, narrow-gauge stock car at Southern California Railway Museum.jpg|thumb|left|Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #159 (later, Southern Pacific #65), narrow-gauge stock car, at the [[Southern California Railway Museum]]. This car was built in the N-C-O shops in Reno, Nevada in 1912. Sold in 1926 to the Southern Pacific, the SP used it on its former [[Carson & Colorado Railroad]] line between Mina, Nevada and Keeler, California, until 1960, when it was retired.]]

Locomotives were converted from wood fuel to oil-burners by 1910. Financially, the railroad's best year was 1913, but decline followed quickly<ref name="NCO"/> as traffic shifted to the recently completed standard-gauge [[Western Pacific Railroad]] and Southern Pacific branch to Susanville. The railroad's last rolling stock purchase was in 1915 when two locomotives, three [[Passenger car (rail)|passenger cars]], two [[mail car]]s, and 78 [[freight car]]s from the dismantled [[Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad]] were obtained for the bargain price of $22,750.<ref name=dmy>{{cite journal |last=Myrick |first=David |year=1955 |title=Nevada-California-Oregon Railway |journal=The Western Railroader |volume=18 |issue=188 |pages=5, 14,15&19 |publisher=Francis A. Guido |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_western-railroader-the-western-railfan_1955-06_18_8 }}</ref> In 1917, the company began selling branch lines in California. The next year, the Reno station was closed, and the company headquarters and maintenance shop were relocated to Alturas. By 1922, the railroad was in serious financial trouble, and the Moran Bank wanted out of the business. On April{{nbsp}}30, 1925, the [[Southern Pacific Company]] purchased the company. The line between Reno Junction and Reno was purchased by the [[Western Pacific Railroad]] while the segment between Reno Junction and Wendel was torn up.<ref name=REG1927>{{cite news |title=N.-C.-O. Reconstruction As Broad Gauge Line To Begin Immediately |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/reno-gazette-journal-n-c-o-reconstruc/188296664/ |access-date=6 January 2026 |newspaper=Reno Evening Gazette |date=June 14, 1927 |location=Reno, Nevada |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Southern Pacific used the remaining line, as well as the [[Fernley and Lassen Railway]] and a new railway from Klamath Falls, to assemble its new Modoc Branch. This was intended to shut out any potential competition from the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]] [[Oregon Trunk Line]].{{sfn|Hofsommer|1986|p=95–96}} By 1928, Southern Pacific had [[Track gauge conversion|converted]] all the remaining Nevada–California–Oregon track to {{RailGauge|4ft8.5in|allk=on}} and sold its {{RailGauge|3ft}} gauge equipment.<ref name="HDR"/><ref name="TA"/> Several locomotives subsequently ran on the former [[Carson and Colorado Railroad]].{{sfn|Turner|1974|p=46}} One was sold to the [[Pacific Coast Railway]], and later passed to the [[Oahu Railway and Land Company]] during World War II.{{sfn|Chiddix|Simpson|2004|p=323}}

On October{{nbsp}}20, 1985, Southern Pacific abandoned the {{convert|54.45|mi|adj=on}} section between [[Lakeview, Oregon]] and [[Alturas, California]], which is now operated by Lake County Oregon as the [[Lake County Railroad]], running about 20 cars per week in two trips per week. At Alturas it joins with [[Union Pacific]].

The line from south of Alturas to [[Wendel, California]] has been converted into the '''Modoc Line Rail Trail'''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.traillink.com/trail/modoc-line-rail-trail/ | title=Modoc Line Rail Trail | California Trails | TrailLink }}</ref>

== Stations == [[File:Lakeview Railroad Depot, 1915.jpg|thumb|right|Lakeview station photographed in 1915]] [[File:Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Co. General Office Building 2.jpg|thumb|General Office Building]] [[File:Nevada California Oregon Railroad Depot.jpg|thumb|Reno Depot]] The Nevada–California–Oregon Railroad built classic brick [[train station|depots]] in [[Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot|Reno]] and Lakeview. A smaller stone masonry station was constructed in Alturas.<ref name="NCO"/> All three passenger depots still exist, and are listed on the United States [[National Register of Historic Places]] along with the [[Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Locomotive House and Machine Shop|locomotive house and machine shop]] in Reno.<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm National Register of Historic Places], National Park Service, Washington, DC, December 5, 2007.</ref> The [[Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Co. General Office Building|N-C-O railway office]] in Alturas and [[Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Passenger Station|the depot at Lakeview]] are examples of the 1880s style of architecture known as Mission Revival. The features include solid massive walls with buttressing, broad unadorned wall surfaces, wide projecting eaves, low-pitched tile roofs, corridors with Roman aqueduct-like arches, terraced bell towers and mission belfry facades. (See The Journal of the Modoc County Historical Society, No. 11, 1989.) The style showed up at Stanford University, the Southern Pacific depot in Santa Barbara and the Mission Inn in Riverside. The architect for many N-C-O buildings was Carl Werner of San Francisco. However, he did not design the railroad's three main depots. * [[Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot|Reno depot]]: The architect for the Reno depot was Frederick DeLongchamps. * [[Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Co. General Office Building|Alturas depot]]: The Alturas depot was built by Martin and Diamond, no architect is listed on the NRHP. * [[Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Passenger Station|Lakeview depot]]: The Lakeview depot was designed by Frederick DeLongchamps.

{{-}} ==Locomotives== {|class="wikitable" !Number !Builder !Type !Date !Works number !Notes<ref name=dmy/> |- |''Santa Cruz'' |[[H.K. Porter, Inc.]] |{{whyte|0-6-0}} |1875 | |Built for the [[Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway|Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad]]; purchased in 1881 for use during construction; sold to [[Lake Valley Railroad]] in 1884 |- |1 |[[Baldwin Locomotive Works]] |{{whyte|4-4-0}} |December 1884 |7527 |purchased new; retired 1915 |- |2 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-4-0}} |December 1884 |7528 |purchased new; retired 1918 |- |3 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-4-0}} |August 1887 |8791 |purchased new as ''Erasmus Gest''; moved to SP's [[Carson and Colorado Railway]] (C&C) in 1928. Not used by SP. Tender to SP #14. |- |1st #4 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|2-8-0}} |September 1888 |9518 |purchased new as ''Charles Moran''; sold to [[Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad|Tonopah Railroad]] in 1904 |- |2nd #4 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |October 1899 |17124 |purchased new as #6 ''Camya''; renumbered in 1904; moved to C&C in 1928; not used by SP; tender to SP #14. |- |5 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |November 1899 |17123 |purchased new as ''Amedee''; rebuilt 1925; moved to C&C in 1928 |- |2nd #6 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |April 1903 |22020 |purchased new as #8; renumbered in 1904; moved to C&C in 1928 |- |7 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |April 1903 |22012 |purchased new; moved to C&C in 1928. Not used by SP. Tender to SP #17. |- |8 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |August 1907 |31445 |purchased new; moved to C&C in 1928 |- |9 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |November 1909 |34036 |purchased new; moved to C&C in 1928 |- |10 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |1910 |34528 |purchased new; became [[Pacific Coast Railway]] #110 in 1929 |- |11 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |December 1911 |37398 |purchased new; became Pacific Coast Railway #111 in 1929 |- |12 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |December 1911 |37394 |purchased new; moved to C&C in 1928; renumbered SP #18 |- |14 |Baldwin Locomotive Works |{{whyte|2-8-0}} |April 1914 |41300 |purchased new; moved to C&C in 1928; renumbered SP #1; to Nevada County Narrow Gauge #9 in 1933. |- |22 |[[Schenectady Locomotive Works]] |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |November 1899 |5399 |built as [[Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad]] #22; purchased 1915; moved to C&C in 1929 |- |23 |Schenectady Locomotive Works |{{whyte|4-6-0}} |January 1900 |5420 |built as Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad #23; purchased 1915; retired 1921 |}

== References == {{Reflist|2}}

===Bibliography=== * {{Cite book | title=Next Stop Honolulu!| last1=Chiddix| first1=Jim| last2=Simpson| first2=MacKinnon| publisher=Sugar Cane Press| year=2004| location=Honolulu, Hawaii| isbn=0-9706213-1-0 }} * {{Hilton Narrow Gauge}} * {{cite book |last1=Hofsommer |first1=Donovan L. |title=The Southern Pacific, 1901-1985 |date=1986 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |location=College Station, TX |isbn=0-89096-246-4 |ol=OL2974063W }} * {{cite book| title=Slim Rails through the Sand |last=Turner |first=George |publisher=Trans-Anglo Books |year=1974 |isbn=0-87046-016-1 |edition=3rd }}

==Further reading== * Myrick, David. ''Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California (Vol. 1)''. Howell-North Books, 1962.

== External links == {{Commons category}} *[http://www.trainweb.org/highdesertrails/index.html High Desert Rails] *[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2JNP Lakeview Railroad Passenger Station] *[https://lassenlandandtrailstrust.org/modoc-line-rail-trail Modoc Line Rail Trail]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nevada California Oregon Railway}} [[Category:Defunct California railroads]] [[Category:Defunct Nevada railroads]] [[Category:Defunct Oregon railroads]] [[Category:Predecessors of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company]] [[Category:3 ft gauge railways in the United States]] [[Category:Narrow-gauge railroads in California]] [[Category:Narrow-gauge railroads in Nevada]] [[Category:Narrow-gauge railroads in Oregon]] [[Category:Railway companies established in 1888]] [[Category:Railway companies disestablished in 1925]]  [[Category:1888 establishments in California]] [[Category:1925 disestablishments in California]] [[Category:1888 establishments in Nevada]] [[Category:1925 disestablishments in Nevada]] [[Category:History of Modoc County, California]] [[Category:History of Washoe County, Nevada]] [[Category:History of Reno, Nevada]] [[Category:1925 mergers and acquisitions]]