Greeting family, friends and train buddies! Several unsuccessful attempts were made over nearly 20 years to establish the historic West Side Railroad in Tuolumne, CA as a railroad themed amusement park including a 10 million dollar investment by the founder of Taco Bell. I hope that you enjoy this brief backstory of the WS&CVR inspired by a 50 year old postcard.....Bill
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RAILROAD POSTCARDS OF THE PAST
WEST SIDE & CHERRY VALLEY RAILWAY
Tuolumne, Calif.
Relive a part of authentic lumbering history. Ride behind the old Shay over our narrow gauge railway, that was built in 1899. Roundhouse, Corliss Engine, Museum, Motion Pictures, Gift Shop, Worlds largest steam display.
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The first attempt to revive the West Side Railroad and establish it as a destination tourist railroad was in 1968, seven years after the lumber companies closure and the removal of most of the track. The new West Side & Cherry Valley Railway operated short excursions for rail fans behind West Side Shay #15 on a two mile section of surviving trackage between the Tuolumne yards and Baxter Siding. Additional rail was laid in 1970 connecting the fledgling operation to another surviving section track that ran to River Bridge, creating a 6-1/2 mile tourist steam operation down the steep scenic canyon. Unable to draw crowds to the fairly remote location with only seasonal steam operations and modest railroad and lumbering displays, the West Side & Cherry Valley Railway hung on until 1973 and once again the canyon went silent. In 1978 Glenn Bell purchased the entire 340 acre site of the former West Side Lumber Company for his short lived ten million dollar railroad themed amusement park that only operated for just a single season. Frank Cottle tried operating the railroad under Pickering Corp. ownership but ended up selling much of the surviving equipment to other tourist railroads. The remaining WS&CVRR rails were pulled up in 1986 ending a nearly two decade attempt to permanently restore the iconic West Side Railroad.
Circa 1970 postcard from the collection of Bill Ralph
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