The Yolo Shortline

The Yolo Shortline today is based out of Woodland, California and is owned and operated by the Sierra Railroad (which today also operates other trains such as the Sacramento Railroad Dinner Train and the famous Skunk Train). Along with freight operations, which are mostly derived of agricultural traffic, the Yolo now hosts excursions trains like its sister, the Sierra Railroad. Its most well known tourist train is the Sacramento RiverTrain and it also hosts other excursions across its two ex-Union Pacific branches.

To give a brief history of the Union Pacific, it has been in operation since 1862 when it began building west to meet the Central Pacific and thus opening the country's first transcontinental railroad.

The Union Pacific’s original main line (that is still in use today and quite busy) is the Overland Route, which runs between Ogden, Utah; Omaha, Nebraska; and Chicago. Today’s Union Pacific is much different from the system prior to 1980 as it operates as far north as Seattle, as far west as Los Angeles/Long Beach, as far east as Minneapolis, and as far south as Dallas, Brownsville, and New Orleans (and about every west in between!).

The Union Pacific we know today began to take shape in 1982 when it purchased rival Western Pacific, which granted it access to northern California, and soon after this it would take over the Missouri Pacific to reach Chicago, St. Louis, and Texas. In 1988 the company grew even larger when it purchased the Katy (the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad) and in 1995 did the same with the Chicago & North Western. Finally, just a year later in 1996 the UP purchased the gigantic Southern Pacific, a one-time powerhouse railroad that by the time of its take over by UP was a company that was floundering (so much so that it had been purchased earlier by the much smaller Denver & Rio Grande Western).

The future of the Union Pacific is as wide open as the great western plains where the railroad operates. However, if the company’s past is any measure of what may happen in the years ahead, I think we can safely say that when the merger movement picks up again the Union Pacific and its famous shield logo will continue to flank locomotives during their daily task of moving goods across the country.

Currently the Yolo’s roster is made up primarily of Geeps although it does have a GE and Alco switcher on its roster. Also, on lease to the railroad is a 0-6-0 ex-Southern Pacific Baldwin steam locomotive, which is well worth your time to go visit if you have a chance!

For more reading on shortlines like the Yolo Shortline consider the book American Shortline Railway Guide from author Ed Lewis. The book has gone through several updated editions to keep up with the ever-changing world of the shortline industry. Today, the publication highlights almost 600 shortlines across the country with general background information about each (such as roster information, rail line history, radio frequencies, etc.). If you have any interest in shortlines you will very likely enjoy this book.