Kings Lake Shore Railroad

The Kings Lake Shore Railroad was a 19.4-mile (31.2 km) common carrier railroad that operated in Kings County, California from 1910 to 1934. The line primarily hauled agricultural products that grew in this region of the San Joaquin Valley. The line originated with a connection with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway at Corcoran and then ran south-southwest to its terminus at Liberty Farms.

Kings Lake Shore Railroad
Overview
HeadquartersHanford, California
LocaleCorcoran, Kings County, California
Dates of operation1910–1934
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

Grading for the railroad commenced in 1910 as the Kings River Railroad. The Kings River Railroad was organized to build from the Santa Fe at Corcoran to Tulare Lake. The Kings River constructed 10.05 miles (16.2 km) of track.

In May 1917, the Kings Lake Shore Railroad was incorporated and took over the Kings River Railroad. The railroad extended the line another 9.4 miles (15.1 km). In 1923, the railroad acquired Santa Fe Railway's #27, a 4-4-0 American-type Schenectady Locomotive Works (Builder No. 2373) steam locomotive. Abandonment of the line was authorized during the Great Depression on January 22, 1934, and the tracks were removed the same year.

Route

edit
 
Northern terminus at Corcoran in 1928
 
El Rico siding in 1928
 
Harvester siding in 1935
 
Southern terminus at Liberty Farms in 1935
  • Corcoran
  • El Rico[1]
  • Harvester [1]
  • Liberty Fields

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Durham, David L. (2001). Durham's Place Names of Central California: Includes Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings & Kern Counties. Word Dancer Press. ISBN 978-1884995330.
  • Fickewirth, Alvin A. (1992). California railroads: an encyclopedia of cable car, common carrier, horsecar, industrial, interurban, logging, monorail, motor road, shortlines, streetcar, switching and terminal railroads in California (1851-1992). San Marino, CA: Golden West Books. ISBN 0-87095-106-8.
  • Robertson, Donald B. (1998). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History - Volume IV - California. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers. ISBN 0-87004-385-4.
  • Walker, Mike (1997). Steam Powered Video's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - California and Nevada (Post Merger ed.). Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom: Steam Powered Publishing. ISBN 1-874745-08-0.