Skip to main content

Kerman Branch Railroad (Southern Pacific Railroad)

By
Over this weekend I explored part of the former path of the Kerman Branch Railroad between Caruthers and Raisin City in Fresno County, California.


The photo above is the former Kerman Branch Railroad grade in Raisin City.  The Kerman Branch Railroad was a spur line of the Southern Pacific Railroad which was routed from Kerman southeast to Armona.  The Kerman Branch was part of what was originally the San Pablo & Tulare Railroad of the Central Pacific Railroad which was incorporated in 1871.   The original route of the San Pablo & Tulare Railroad was completed by 1878 between Martinez southeast to Tracy.  In 1885 the Central Pacific Railroad began to be operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad which included the San Pablo & Tulare Railroad.  The extension of the San Joaquin & Tulare Railroad southeast to Kern County was announced in early 1887.  By the time the San Joaquin & Tulare Railroad had been  nearly built southeast to Newman in May of 1888 when the Central Pacific was consolidated into the Southern Pacific Railroad.  This 1891 map of Fresno County published by Atlas Maps shows the San Pablo & Tulare Railroad completed to Armona.


A full version of the 1891 Atlas Map of Fresno County can be viewed below:

1891 Fresno County Map

In 1891 a line between what is now Kerman east to Fresno connected the San Pablo & Tulare Railroad to the Southern Pacific main freight line through San Joaquin Valley.  The route of the San Pablo & Tulare Railroad came to be known in time as the Kerman Branch.  The Kerman Branch was routed through the following sidings headed southeast towards Armona:

-  Kerman to McMullin
-  McMullin to Raisin City
-  Raisin City to Caruthers
-  Caruthers to Cando
-  Cando to Illis
-  Illis over the Kings River into Kings County
-  The Kings River to Hardwick
-  Hardwick to Kimble
-  Kimble to Armona

The Kerman Branch in it's prime can be seen on a 1914 C.F. Weber Company Map of Fresno County.


The full 1914 C.F. Weber Company Map of Fresno County can be seen below:

1914 Fresno County Map

The Kerman Branch can be seen intact one final time on the 1935 California Division of Highways Map of Fresno County.


A full version of the 1935 California Division of Highways Map of Fresno County can be found below.

1935 Fresno County Highway Map

According to abandonedrails.com the Kerman Branch was partially abandoned by the Southern Pacific between Caruthers and Hardwick in 1938.  The remainder of the Kerman Branch was abandoned by the Southern Pacific in 1943.

abandonedrails.com on the Kerman Branch

My approach to Caruthers was via Tahoe Avenue headed northeast into downtown.


The grade of the Kerman Branch was located between Henderson Road and Marsh Avenue.  The third photo below shows where the Kerman Branch would have crossed Tahoe Avenue.





From Mountain View Avenue between Henderson Road and Marsh Avenue the grade of the Kerman Branch is fairly obvious as it is presently used as a garbage alley in Caruthers.



Which is fairly obvious still on modern map images.



The Kerman Branch grade would have been routed east of Henderson Road northwest to Raisin City.  Raisin City is presently signed as 5 miles northwest of Caruthers.





Henderson Road ends in Raisin City and makes a right hand turn over the Kerman Branch grade onto Ormus Avenue.  The shape of the northern extent of Raisin City is still aligned with the grade of the Kerman Branch.  The grade of the Kerman Branch is still used in places in Raisin City as farm access road.   Northwest of Raisin City the Kerman Branch would have passed through McMullin before reaching Kerman.



The grade of the Kerman Branch in Raisin City is still obvious on map images.


Raisin City still bears evidence of being a rail siding as the Raisin City Market is clearly late 19th Century/early 20th Century design.



Comments

Unknown said…
Wonderful Page 'Challenger Tom'! I come from and live in ireland where all roads and fields are random and almost organic in shape. When I visited my son's wife's folks in Caruthers. I was amazed to find that the streets were at 45 Deg instead of the strict grid everywhere else. I asked "Why I there this beautiful strange angled feature of Caruthers?" They told me "It was the along the old railroad direction, long gone." Finally I found via your excellent page that it was indeed the railway and the direction as shown on the old maps was from North-West to South-East and the maps! I will have a look when I return!
Thank you for making an excellent page. I learnt a lot from it.
Valinnewcastleriver:gmail.ocm
3:39 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more