Built in 1922 under the name Hutchinson Lumber Co, originally this logging line ran from the woods at Mooretown, later called Feather Falls, to a connection on the Western Pacific at Bidwell (now underwater). The Western Pacific hauled the logs from this point to the mill in Oroville, a distance of about seven miles. The company became Feather River Pine Mills in 1927 and soon thereafter a fire burned down the Oroville plant. Several years later in 1938 a new mill was built at Feather Falls. At this time the railroad became the common carrier, Feather River Railway with the logging lines from the mill eastward into the timber still being carried under the name of Feather River Pine Mills. Georgia Pacific eventually bought the entire operation. 1966 saw the end of the trains, mainly due to the building of the Oroville dam.
Hutchison Mill Site, Oroville
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The Swain Hill branch leaves the main near Rogerville and heads back west before turning northward near the intersection of Lumpkin Road and
La Porte Road. Just north of the road junction, the line joins La Porte Road heading towards Swain Hill.
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MemoriesMy brother and I lived in Feather Falls for a couple of years when we were young fellas. Our dad was the saw filer in the mill. We lived in two houses on Madrone Circle from early 1965 to late 1966
when the mill closed. We moved back to Grass Valley where we lived before living in Woodleaf for 4 years before living in Feather Falls. We could hear the FF mill shift change whistle in Woodleaf, coming from across
the canyon long before we lived Feather Falls.
Living in Feather Falls back then for young boys was like living in heaven. We had free roam all through the village and surrounding forest. The mill ran 24 hours/day, at least five days/week, belching
smoke from the three big stacks. The sun was often blotted out behind the clouds of smoke wafting over the village, casting a reddish tint on the ground. Our cars were constantly covered with fallen ash, a constant
complaint from our mothers who’s wash hanging the line was also fouled with the ash.
And of course, we were fascinated with the trains. We’d hear the blast of the horn early in the morning as it left town. Then later in the day, we’d ride our stingray bikes out to the place where the train
climbed into view below the mill yard after hearing the toot of the horn or whistle if the Shays were being used as it crossed Lumpkin Road down the hill on it’s return from Bidwell Bar. We’d then race along side as
the locomotive moved cars around to prepare for the next departure with boxcars loaded with kiln-dried lumber. (There was a crew of men who hand loaded the lumber piece by piece into the cars. We could watch them from the
main road between the school and the area where the store, post office and gas station were).
Ski Burdick was our scout master and train brakeman. He rode on the front corner step on the locomotive while switching cars and occasionally allowed one of us to ride along with him, something would NEVER be allowed today!
We’d wait until the engine finished it’s work and disappeared around the corner the way it came, until it reappeared from around the back of the mill to back into the shed for the night.
There was an old disused oil tank railroad car out at the west edge of the mill grounds along the tracks that we’d climb down through the hatch. One of our little friends, who stared smoking at about 8 years old,
kept his cigarettes and matches inside the tank. It’s a wonder we didn’t blow ourselves to smithereens!
| Number | Type | Builder | Bldr.# | Built | History & Notes | Dispositon |
| Feather River Railway | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Shay 3tr | Lima | #3169 | 1921 | ex Feather River Pine Mills #1, nee Hutchinson Lmbr #1 |
on display Oroville,CA |
| #2 | Shay 3tr | Lima | #3177 | 1922 | ex Feather River Pine Mills #2, nee Hutchinson Lmbr #2 |
to display at Oroville Dam,CA, to Railtown 1897 as Sierra #2 |
| #3 | Shay 3tr | Lima | #3221 | 1923 | ex Feather River Pine Mills #3, nee Hutchinson Lmbr #3 |
to Georgia Pacific #3, to PSRMA,Campo,CA, to Cass Scenic #11 |
| #4 | 0-6-0T | Porter | #3951 | 1907 | ex Feather River Pine Mills #4, ex Hutchinson Lmbr #4, nee Mammoth Copper Mining #4 |
scrapped 1957 |
| #5 | Shay 3tr | Willamette | #9 | 1923 | ex Feather River Pine Mills #5, nee Hutchinson Lmbr #5 |
scrapped 1957 |
| #8 | 50Ton | GE | #30791 | 1951 | ex CD Johnson Lmbr #8 | to Georgia Pacific #8, to Yaquina Pacific RHS |
| #91 | Shay 3tr | Lima | #3322 | 1928 | ex Georgia Pacific #91, ex Rayonier #91, ex Polson Logging #91, nee Hofius Steel & Equip #6 |
for parts only, scrapped |
| #101 | S-3 | ALCo | #78140 | 1950 | ex Oregon Pacific & Eastern #101, ex Georgia Pacific #101, nee Hammond Lmbr #101 |
to Fordyce & Princeton #1, to Fordyce & Princeton #662, to Cadiz #10, to Dardanelle & Russelville #19 |
| #102 | SW900 | EMD | #25504 | 1959 | ex Hammond Lmbr #102 | to Oregon Pacific & Eastern #102, to Ashley Drew & Northern #102, to ADN #907, to Gloster Southern #907, to ADN #907, to Georgia Pacific #907, to Domtar #907 |
| #A | 8ton DLC | Plymouth | #3476 | 1930 | ex Unemployed Exchange Assn, nee Garfield & Co |
to Oregon Pacific & Eastern #9, to OPE #14 1/2, scrapped |
| ?? | 0-4-0T | Porter | #3654 | 1907 | ex Feather River Pine Mills, ex Hutchinson Lmbr, nee Mammoth Copper Mining #2 |
to Modesto & Empire Traction #4, to Atlas-Olympia Gravel #4, to Henry J Kaiser Gravel #104 |
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