News and Updates
April 14, 2000
The Union Pacific Railroad Company on Apr14 has filed a notice to abandon a 5.62-mile line of railroad over the Tidewater Subdivision from milepost 26.43 near McHenry
to milepost 32.05 in Modesto, CA. -Surface Transportation Board, Rob Carlson
Altamont Newsline 4-15-2000
April 16-22, 2000 Union Pacific's Tidewater Subdivision run down Ninth Street in Modesto was reactivated this week to allow UP to remove the former SP crossing with the M&ET at the intersection of 9th
and B Streets and some other work that prevents their usual interchange via the SP connection. It was reported that the last two trains operated on Apr18 and 19, when in fact, the very last revenue run occurred on Apr20. According
to the crew, there were no railfans out to photograph that one, only one woman ran out of the Taco Bell to snap a photo. -Rob Carlson, Dave Stanley
Altamont Newsline 4-19-2000, Altamont Newsline 5-20-2000
February, 1996 GRAIN GOING TO SP: Union Pacific has begun grading a new connection to the Southern Pacific
Railroad at MP 32.7 at the TS/SP Crossing (Butchertown) in Modesto. A second connection will be made at Lathrop with the SP to allow Tidewater Southern Subdivision grain trains to use the SP between Lathrop and Modesto. Later this will allow
other TS trains to move via SP and eliminate the one mile of street running on 9th Street. The City of Modesto has been working with both SP and UP (previously WP) to come to an agreement about removing the tracks since 1951. In the process of building the connection to the Southern Pacific, the UP will place a pair of switches to the SP to eliminate the crossing. Though the purpose of the move to SP trackage rights is to eliminate streetrunning through
Modesto, some streetrunning will remain to access the interchange with the M&ET. -Rob Carlson, Butchertown Flyer
Altamont Newsline 2-7-1996 and 2-8-1996
February 20, 1996
"Work is progressing fast on the TS/SP Butchertown connection in Modesto. Today I noted the contractor was laying the first section of track for the new connection.
Should essentially be in place by this weekend." -Rob Carlson
Altamont Newsline 2-20-1996
November 4, 1999
Minor freight derailment snarls downtown Modesto, Calif.
Union Pacific's former Tidewater Southern main line runs
down the middle of the busy downtown thoroughfare of Ninth Street in Modesto, Calif., for almost a mile, and UP still runs a twice-a-day local down that way, despite much talk of relocating onto the nearby parallel former Southern Pacific main
line. You can imagine the congestion, then, caused by a minor derailment on November 4 in Ninth Street. Ninth Street did not reopen for more than 5 hours after the derailment, creating havoc during the evening commute. Motorists honked their
horns, flicked open their cell phones to warn others, and rolled their eyes at the massive tail of a 70-car train that was going nowhere. Its engine had stopped at C Street, and the train loaded with grain, bottles, and paper materials
stretched five blocks back to H Street. Police and community service officers erected barricades and directed traffic from H Street to B Street, sending impatient drivers to fan through residential and narrow industrial streets. UP crews
scurried along the tracks with flashlights to investigate the cause of the nine-car derailment. Traffic barricades were lifted at about 8:30 p.m. after railroad crews brought in an engine from Stockton and pulled away the cars that were
blocking Ninth Street.
The incident reignited a long-standing community debate about having trains on a downtown street. Bob McGarvey of the California Department of Transportation said plans to move the trains off Ninth Street have been discussed for nearly 40 years. That's now scheduled to happen next spring, when sidings and connections are completed to allow trains to get onto the former Southern Pacific track that runs between Eighth and Ninth streets.
-Modesto Bee
Modesto Bee 11-5-1999
February 6, 1996 Someone
took the Tidewater Southern power from the Modesto motor spur for a joy ride on 2/4! This or these individuals ran the engine and caboose back and forth on the Motor Spur, spilling the caboose and damaging the bumper. No other
details, though the GSTST took the caboose back to Stockton for repairs, appeared to have step damage and some on the one side. Two GSTST trains called on 2/5/96, operating about 2 hours apart, tied up the morning commute in
Modesto. The return of the grain train combined the power of both trains, returning with six units with LMS 714 wide cab on the lead. (the rest of the consist 9284/9536/5007/6005/6352) 5 empty cars and the ex-CRIP now UP caboose 25833 damaged
by the joy rider(s)! -John Orr, Rob Carlson
Altamont Newsline 2-6-1996
March 23, 2000 The Union Pacific Railroad plans to abandon 5.62 miles of the Tidewater Subdivision docket No. AB-33 (Sub-No. 145X) from milepost 26.43 at McHenry (Claribel Road) to milepost 32.05 (South of Tuolumne River Bridge) in Modesto. The
"no-business" exemption procedure will be used to abandon the line, pursuant to the abandonment regulations of the Surface Transportation Board at 49 C.F.R. Section 1152.50. No local traffic has moved over the line in at least two
years and any overhead traffic on the rail line segment (which there is none) can be rerouted. A Notice of Exemption will be filled with the STB on or about Mar27. -Tom Messer
Altamont Newsline 3-23-2000
November 27, 1999 Union Pacific Railroad announcement indicate that today will be the last revenue run down
Modesto's Ninth Street trackage.
February 24, 2001 Took a look around Modesto today. Tracks are severed, covered over, from the north end of the Tuolumne River Bridge in south Modesto
to about B or C Street, it was hard to follow them. Yard tracks in the terminal area are heavily overgrown, but the yard office still appears to be in use as evidenced by two newer pick-up trucks with UP tags parked outside. Rails
are still in place from C Street north down the middle of Ninth Street and numerous crossbucks are still standing, some with wooden arms. In Manteca, not a trace of the line could be found south of Yosemite Avenue. All of
the industries have been torn down and built over with new industrial construction.
-Eugene John Vicknair
June 11, 2001 The large wooden trestle that once carried TS trains over the Tuolumne River just south of downtown Modesto burned on Saturday, June 9, in a very fast moving fire. The fire is
suspected to have been deliberately set. A large portion of it collapsed in the blaze. Word is that Union Pacific crews demolished much of the remaining portion of the trestle yesterday. Trains last ran on the line on
April 20, 2000. Reportedly light engines still used the trestle to run to the former TS yard office to tie down until about 8 months ago.
-from a report by Ted Benson
April 22, 2003 Just over 3 years after the abandonment announcement and about 3-1/2 years since the last trains,
the center of the Tidewater Southern line is being removed by Union Pacific forces. The line from just south of McHenry (Claribel Road) through Modesto to Bonniefair (just south of the burned and removed Tuolumne River Bridge) is being
torn out. This includes the famous TS location of Aurora where trains once traded electric power for steam and diesel. The abandonment also includes Ninth Street, but it is unknown when or if the rails will actually be
removed. The section north converted into a bike and pedestrian path. Word is that the Tidewater heritage of the route will be recognized in some manner along the path. The sections of the railroad north and south of
the removed portion remain in operation and do not appear to be in danger of abandonment at this time. This leaves 43.4 miles of TS line still in service.
-from reports by Altamont Press Newsline 4-22-2003, Robert Williams, Eugene John Vicknair
March 24, 2003 Took a sightseeing trip to
Turlock after Winterail with frequent railfan companion Eric Stephens. Highlights included exploring the Turlock line including a photo survey of the Turlock Depot (to appear soon) and investigating the industrial trackage in town.
I am happy to report that we found two cars at the International Wood Products plant that look to have been placed recently. I had received reports that UP trains did not venture past Highway 99, but it appears that the TS line is still
occaisionally used farther into town, including the street running portion just south of downtown. The IWP plant is just a few blocks from the SP interchange and the TS end of track.
-Eugene John Vicknair
November 23, 2002 A team comprised of Wayne Monger, Derick Sturke, Ted Benson, Eugene Vicknair and Doug Morgan
spent the day removing TS crossbucks donated to the Feather River Rail Society by the Union Pacific Railroad from the Ninth Street and Aurora areas. The bucks will one day be restored and some placed on display.
-Eugene John Vicknair