  
Hauling Lumber on an Epic Scale!
The Southern Pacific's (SP's) Modoc Line was built for the sole purpose of providing a shortcut for forest products moving from the lush forests of Oregon to mid-western and eastern markets by way of Ogden, Utah. This remote and virtually unknown line cut across the high desert country of Northeastern California from Klamath Falls, Oregon to Fernley, Nevada, crossing four major summits with a 140-mile helper district. As many as four articulated locomotives in a single train were commonplace. This was mountain railroading at its very best.
Opened in 1929, on the eve of the Great Depression, traffic levels on the Modoc remained relatively low until 1945. Then, as the nation's service men returned home from the war, this sleeping giant came to life to fill the insatiable demand created by the unprecedented levels of housing starts nationwide. This was just what the Modoc had been built for, and, as a result, an ever-increasing volume of Oregon lumber began moving eastward. During the year that followed, as many as seven tonnage trains might move out of Oregon in a single day. Moving by train-order authority (without benefit of CTC or even block signals) and employing worn out steam locomotives that had been cast off from their main line assignments, crews made do with what they had to work with to get over the road.
Finally, in the early 1950s, this obscure line finally gained a bit of notoriety. As diesels gradually displaced steam in its old familiar haunts, rail enthusiasts were suddenly awakened to the fact that there was still a place on the SP where one could go see their beloved cab-forward locomotives doing battle with heavy mountain grades. One after another, the rail enthusiasts made their pilgrimage to the Modoc to witness this (the final!) spectacular stand of steam on a mountain railroad. As late as 1956, tonnage trains, powered by three large cab-forwards, could still be found toiling up heavy grades on the Modoc.
The MODOC book gives you the complete story, from the roots of the narrow-gauge Nevada-California-Oregon Railway in 1880 to the final operation of a through train by Union Pacific on June 30, 1997. They are all here--personal recollections by the workers, train orders, timetables, maps, and a plethora of photos--in this action-packed history of the Modoc Line. Hardbound, 352 pages.
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