note: Regards the Diamond and Caldor, both your maps show "Rodwell (Coles)" as a single station point.
This is incorrect. Rodwell, at the 15 mile post (D&C employees used this phrase instead of the normal 'mile post 15'),
is at the head of the grade coming out of the Cosumnes River canyon. Trains were broken up here for decent
into the canyon in groups of ten cars; and conversely, MTy trains were reassembled for the trip to Caldor.
There was a wye and an oil facility. Last time I was there, the entire site was posted.
Coles, at the 21 mile post, had a wye, and a water tank. The importance of Coles is this: once Caldor
was made into a truck reload, most of the trackage was abandoned. Trains coming out of Caldor had the
locomotive in reverse, due to a lack of a wye at that place. Coles was the first station point from Caldor
with a wye. The locomotives were then turned, and were run forward to Diamond Springs. Last time I was there,
the yard track area was still visible, but the wye portion is on private property and the owner wasn't very friendly.
Trading loads for emptys did occur at both Rodwell and Coles, depending on operating situations.
The maps you have shown are to what amounts as to the common carrier portion of the original construction.
The woods trackage covers something like 80 full sections. It extends all the way to highway 88 in the south and
a point called the Five Corners; east to Duncan Corral; north to Camp Webster and Long Canyon. Also, we found a spur
east of Meyer Fire Tank which extends a good ten miles, and we did not find end of track that day.
Dave Braun
1. Shay #4 moves loads around at Diamond Springs,CA.
2. #4 at Diamond Springs,CA in 1953 (Marc Reusser Collection)
3. #4 Under restoration at El Dorado Co. Museum, Placerville,CA
4. El Dorado Western Ry Foundation continues restoration of shay #4. (Steven Karoly image)
11. #8 at Diamond Springs,CA. (Marc Reusser Collection)
12. #8 dumps logs at the Diamond Springs Mill. (Richard Thomas/John Barnhill Collection)
13. Hauling empties back to the woods, #8 crosses Pleasant Valley Rd at Tiger Lily. (Mark Almer Collection)
18. Centercab diesel #1001 at Diamond Springs,CA. (Richard Thomas/John Barnhill Collection)
19. #1001 in a later life, Portland,OR. August 1967. (Tom Moungovan image)
20. Railbus #10 was named Tally Ho. Diamond Springs,CA (Richard Thomas/John Barnhill Collection)
21. After serving Diamond & Caldor, #10 went to the Camino Cable & Northern. Camino,CA 1972. (Chuck Doan image)
22.-23. The railbus and its trailer are under restoration at the El Dorado Co Museum in Placerville,CA.
24.-25. Two more views of Tally Ho in service on the Camino Cable & Northern. July 1966. (Tom Moungovan images)
26. Work continues to restore the railbus to her original configuration.
1. The lead switch for California Door Co/ D & C off the SP Placerville Branch. Located on Missouri Flat Rd.
2. A few years later and the switch along with a few hundred feet of track has been removed.
3. The D & C ran along the south side of the SP depot site. Some rail is still in evidence.
4. This field once was the site of the engine house and car shops along Missouri Flat Rd.
5.-6. The planing mill building still stands. One of the last remaining structures.
7. This view of the sawmill site is taken from close to the same spot as photos above of logs being dumped into the pond.
8. What is left of the log pond. Most of it has been filled and developed.
9. The water tower for the mill still stands as well.
10. The Diamond Springs engine house circa 1951. (Steven Karoly Collection)
11. Triple stub switch leading to the engine house. (Richard Thomas/John Barnhill Collection)
12. Water tower at the Diamond Springs engine house. (John Barnhill Collection)
13. The lineup includes, l to r, #7, #8, #10 and #4. (John Barnhill Collection)
1. Topo map of Bucks Bar area of right of way.
2. The grade xing at Bucks Bar Road. View looking towards Caldor.
3.-4. North and South abutments for the Cosumnes River bridge.
8. Grizzley Flats Rd crosses the main at Diamond RR Grade Pvt Drive near Coles Station.
9. A random right of way shot along Caldor Road. View towards Caldor.
10.-12. A branch crosses Leoni Rd between Grizzley Flats and Caldor.
Caldor
There is not much left to see at Caldor, just a few flat spots in the woods. Image 1 is supposedly where
the mill stood on Dogtown Creek. The fifth image is where the mainline came into Caldor. The last three shots
are along the mainline heading towards Diamond Springs.
