The Tidewater Southern Notebook II

The Tidewater Southern Today

In late April of 2001 your author drove the length of the Tidewater Branch and made notes on the status of the line for use in a slide show for the visiting Western Pacific Historical Society Convention taking place in Modesto on April 28 of that year.
Below are my observations of that trip:

5.2 Manteca Junction: A stub track still exists for about 1000 feet. A spur comes off the stub and into an industry.

6.2 Turner: Still has a passing track and an active team track. Station sign still in place.

12.5 Atlanta: Starts at the corner of French Camp and Tide roads. The station sign is gone and the siding has been pulled up.

14.2 Simms: Still has a passing track. All of the packing sheds have been razed. Also gone is the Ripon Fire Department that once resided in a turquoise-painted building that stands at the junction of Highway 120 and French Camp Road. Today, the building (now painted chocolate brown) is home to VFW Post 1051.

15.4 Carrolton: Named for Carrolton Road. Used to have packing houses and a siding but today everything is gone. All that remains are a couple of concrete foundations.

25.6 McHenry: This is where the current line from Stockton ends. The tracks cross Bangs Road and extend for another 1000 yards or so where the tracks end with a pair of ties forming a bumper.

25.6 to 31.6: The line through Modesto is now abandoned, including the Ninth Street trackage. During 2003 a contractor removed all rails and ties, plus crossing gates and most signal hardware. While the rails are still in place along Ninth Street, they are paved over in many areas.

31.6 Modesto Yard: Now abandoned. The yard office was in use into 2001, but by 2003 the building along with the yard were shut down. Lead and storage tracks are pulled up but tracks are still in use on B Street to maintain a connection with the Modesto & Empire Traction. Yard office is now at Rogers in the town of Ceres..

31.65 Tuolumne River Bridge: This elegant wooden structure crossed the Tuolumne River in downtown Modesto. On June 9, 2001, the bridge burned in an arson fire. UP quickly removed the debris, and today there is virtually nothing left to suggest a 1,815 foot bridge once spanned the river.

32.7. Modesto Junction: The one-time SP crossing near Crows Landing has been converted to a switch-over. One switch connects the old line from Ninth St. to the UP Fresno Sub mainline. The next switch connects the line to Turlock to the UP mainline. The line to Ninth crosses the Tuolumne River Bridge to connect with the M&ET on B Street.

34.5 Rogers: This small holding yard in Ceres is now used as the local tie-up. UP has constructed a chain link fence around the engine storage tracks and installed a small portable building serves as the yard office. In 2001 crews still signed in at the old Modesto yard office then drove to Rogers to go to work.

37.5 Bronco: Spur is still in place but appears to be inactive.

47. Turlock Yard: Active yard.

47.9 Turlock to end of line. Street trackage is still in place along Castor St. and continues along D St. where it eventually ends. The line branches off to the left before D Street where the old Turlock depot still stands. The old Tidewater Southern depot still stands!

	5.2 Manteca Junction: A stub track still exists for about 1000 feet. A spur comes off the stub and into an industry.

	6.2 Turner: Still has a passing track and an active team track. Station sign still in place.

	12.5 Atlanta: Starts at the corner of French Camp and Tide roads. The station sign is gone and the siding has been pulled up.

	14.2 Simms: Still has a passing track. All of the packing sheds have been razed. Also gone is the Ripon Fire Department that once resided in a turquoise-painted building that stands at the junction of Highway 120 and French Camp Road. Today, the building (now painted chocolate brown) is home to VFW Post 1051.

	15.4 Carrolton: Named for Carrolton Road. Used to have packing houses and a siding but today everything is gone. All that remains are a couple of concrete foundations.

	25.6 McHenry: This is where the current line from Stockton ends. The tracks cross Bangs Road and extend for another 1000 yards or so where the tracks end with a pair of ties forming a bumper.

	25.6 to 31.6: The line through Modesto is now abandoned, including the Ninth Street trackage. During 2003 a contractor removed all rails and ties, plus crossing gates and most signal hardware. While the rails are still in place along Ninth Street, they are paved over in many areas.

	31.6 Modesto Yard: Now abandoned. The yard office was in use into 2001, but by 2003 the building along with the yard were shut down. Lead and storage tracks are pulled up but tracks are still in use on B Street to maintain a connection with the Modesto & Empire Traction. Yard office is now at Rogers in the town of Ceres..

	31.65 Tuolumne River Bridge: This elegant wooden structure crossed the Tuolumne River in downtown Modesto. On June 9, 2001, the bridge burned in an arson fire. UP quickly removed the debris, and today there is virtually nothing left to suggest a 1,815 foot bridge once spanned the river.

	32.7. Modesto Junction: The one-time SP crossing near Crows Landing has been converted to a switch-over. One switch connects the old line from Ninth St. to the UP Fresno Sub mainline. The next switch connects the line to Turlock to the UP mainline. The line to Ninth crosses the Tuolumne River Bridge to connect with the M&ET on B Street.

	34.5 Rogers: This small holding yard in Ceres is now used as the local tie-up. UP has constructed a chain link fence around the engine storage tracks and installed a small portable building serves as the yard office. In 2001 crews still signed in at the old Modesto yard office then drove to Rogers to go to work.

	37.5 Bronco: Spur is still in place but appears to be inactive.

	47. Turlock Yard: Active yard.

	47.9 Turlock to end of line. Street trackage is still in place along Castor St. and continues along D St. where it eventually ends. The line branches off to the left before D Street where the old Turlock depot still stands. The old Tidewater Southern depot still stands!