Feather River Route

Feather River Route
Keddie Wye as seen in 2013. Above is the Western Pacific Railroad logo, with the name of the Feather River Route.
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	California Nevada Utah
Termini	Salt Lake City Oakland
Service
System	Western Pacific Railroad (formerly) Union Pacific Railroad
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Old gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Routemap v t e Legend DRGW Salt Lake City Minor settlements Minor settlements Garfield Grants Delle Low Clive Knolls Barro Arinosa Salduro DCRR Wendover Utah Nevada Minor settlements Minor settlements Pilot Proctor Silver Zone Shafter Nevada Northern Railway Hogan's Tunnel elev. 5,901 ft (1,799 m) Minor settlements Minor settlements Jasper Ventrosa Tobar Ruby Boaz Wells Minor settlements Minor settlements Deeth Halleck Pardo Elko Station Hunter Tonka Carlin Tunnel Carlin Palisade First transcontinental railroad E&P Beowawe Dunphy Kampos Nelson Red House Golconda Winnemucca Minor settlements Minor settlements Raglan Pronto Gaskell Venado Jungo Antelope Sulphur Ronda Cholona Trego Ascalon Gerlach USG RR Phil Bronte Reynard Sano Sand Pass Kepler Flanigan F&L Nevada California Calneva Herlong Doyle Omira NCO Reno Junction elev. 5,011 ft (1,527 m) Chilcoot Tunnel below Beckwourth Pass Chilcoot Boca Branch Hawley Portola Western Pacific Railroad Museum Clio Trestle Clio Spring Garden Tunnel Williams Loop Quincy Railroad Marston Keddie Keddie Wye Gateway Subdivision (BNSF) Virgilia Rich Belden Tobin Bridges Merlin Pulga Bridges route change 1957 North Fork Bridge Lake Oroville Feather River Oroville Palermo Tambo SP East Valley Line Sacramento Northern Railway Marysville Yuba River Sacramento Northern Railway Donniston Towbridge Pleasant Grove Sacramento Northern Railway Counsman Sacramento Northern Railway American River SP Cal-P Line Sacramento Minor settlements Minor settlements Cordova Franklin Glannvale Thornton Kingdon Stockton Lathrop Lyoth Carbona Tesla Livermore Pleasanton Niles Canyon Fremont–Niles Hayward San Leandro Melrose 2525 mi 4064 km Oakland motor coach transfer WP Mole 1910– 1949 Oakland Pier 1949– 1958 ferry transfer 2532 mi 4075 km San Francisco

The Feather River Route is a rail line that was built and operated by the Western Pacific Railroad. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909, and connects the cities of Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah. The line was built to compete with the Central Pacific Railroad (and later Southern Pacific Railroad), which at the time held a nearly complete monopoly on Northern California rail service. The route derives its name from its crossing of the Sierra Nevada, where it follows both the North and Middle Forks of the Feather River. The route is famous for its impressive engineering qualities and its considerable scenic value. All of the route is now owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad; however, the Union Pacific has transferred significant portions of the route to other lines. The portion still called the Feather River Route by the Union Pacific runs from the California Central Valley to Winnemucca, Nevada and has been divided into three subdivisions named the Sacramento, Canyon and Winnemucca subdivisions.