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CENTRAL SIERRA RAILROAD COMPANY

Fast Dependable Freight Service

Meeting The Needs Of The Agriculture, Lumber And Building Materials Industries

This is my current layout, an HO scale rendition of the Southern Pacific's Ione Branch as if it had made it's way into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. My version of the Ione Branch ( pronounced "eye-own" ) originates in Indian Hill and makes its way up to Woodfords, the home of a modest sized lumbermill. This line is jointly owned and operated by the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific but occasional appearances by the Denver, Rio Grande Western is not uncommon. Dimensional lumber and woodchips make up the bulk of CSRR traffic and the woodchips are delivered daily to Sierra Co-Gen in Martell. Building and mineral products are hauled out of Ione for destinations across the U.S. Grain shipments originating in Laurel Creek fill out the remainder of the balance sheet being delivered to industries in the Central Valley of California. 10-12 trains run daily on the Ione Branch. This keeps the operating and maintenance crews busy. The future looks good for this line as it heads into the new century.

Motive power is standard SP and UP locomotives ranginging from SW1500's, GP9E/R's and GP15-1's for yard and local switching and GP30's thru SD40T-2's. B-B class locomotives are the preferred units for service due to the sharp curves on the branch and can be found either on the Valley or Mountain Subdivisions. C-C class locomotives with extended range dynamic brakes are usually sent up the Mountain Sub to bring heavy lumber trains down the hill from the mill at Woodfords. Engine facilities are located at Indian Hill in the east yard.