Central California - Recipes from Historic California - page 168

SIERRA RAILROAD

DINNER TRAIN

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Like so many other historical sites in California, the Sierra Railroad was born from the great influx
of settlers looking to get rich in the gold fields. Formed in 1897 to connect the San Joaquin Valley
to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Sierra Railroad is the third oldest railroad in
North America.
An early railroad pioneer, Thomas S. Bullock, determined that a railroad to the Sierra Nevada
foothills was sorely needed and economically feasible. The railroad would carry passengers, freight,
supplies, ore, lumber, and cattle. Bullock convinced Prince Andre Poniatowski, a descendant of the
king of Poland, of the value of this project. Poniatowski went to William H. Crocker for financing.
William was the son of Charles Crocker, one the Big Four businessmen who are credited with
the economic revival of San Francisco after the Great Earthquake and fires that almost destroyed
the city in 1906. William was the founder and president of Crocker National Bank and agreed to
fund the project. On February 1, 1897, the three formally incorporated the Sierra Railway Company
of California.
The railroad started in Oakdale and regular gauge track was built eastward to the foothills in
Jamestown. Bullock provided most of the equipment and rail from his defunct railroad in Arizona
that became unprofitable when Santa Fe built a track parallel to it. The Sierra's first passenger train
arrived at the Jamestown depot and roundhouse on November 8, 1897.
As operations expanded, the railroad's terminus was later moved to Sonora. While the Sierra
trains continued to move goods between the valley and the foothills, they also built branches to sur-
rounding areas. One went deep into Yosemite National Park.
However, as the nation became more mechanized and built many roads and highways, rail-
roads like the Sierra were struggling to survive. Fortunately for the Sierra, it was discovered by
Hollywood. With the growth of the motion picture industry, a new era began as the Sierra became
commonly known as The Movie Railroad.
With its unparalleled scenery, this railroad has been singled out by movie producers from
around the world as a preferred location for filming. Featured in more than 300 motion pictures,
television programs, and commercials, the Sierra has been immortalized on the silver screen.
The first film was a silent movie made in 1919, The Red Glove . Then came the first talkie filmed
on the railroad, The Virginian (1927). Other famous films include Dodge City (1939), High Noon