Question on Lake Tahoe

[Sigarms]

Oh man this thread brings back so many memories! Thanks Sigarms and everyone for the beautiful photos, and descriptions.

The region is my 'back yard', like I see for the other contributors.

The one landmark missing from the thread is Rainbow Bridge, halfway down Donner Pass Road (pre 60's US-40 transcontinental highway) between the summit and Donner Lake. In the near-impassable steep portion that trapped the Donner party.

This bridge built in the 1920's was unique at the time. Curved as it goes uphill, with the road radius curve at each end twice as sharp as the curve in the arched part. It bridges a gap where the terrain is impossibly steep to replace the previous 18 degree roadway grade. Link, detailed description.

Post #39 is where that pic was taken from

What I really wanted to do, but I didn't have the shoes to do it in nor was it the weather to try and do it, was walk in those snow sheds for the train (I guess snow shed it the right term?). Taken off of what I guess is Rainbow bridge as well where I hiked just a little up the hill off the park area just left of the bridge in your pic.

Reading up on California's history, I've been amazed at how much the Chinese accomplished. Ironically enough IMO, there area similarities between the Chinese in the late 1800's as well as the "American" coal miners on the east coast.

Say what you will about todays society, but when you read up on history, we really have come a long way even with all the crap going on in the world today.

 

[California]

Reading up on California's history, I've been amazed at how much the Chinese accomplished. Ironically enough IMO, there area similarities between the Chinese in the late 1800's as well as the "American" coal miners on the east coast.

At our gold mining claim in Plumas county (north of Tahoe) there are traces of the Chinese miners who scattered after the transcontinental railroad was completed, and after the Gold Rush had settled down to commercial operations where hand labor wasn't profitable.

On the land, there are artificial water channels with stone-fence walls that follow a ledge of bedrock - where gold would have settled out. Confirming Chinese, we found a pottery fragment with characters that a museum translated for us ... Soy Sauce. These walled channels are found throughout the Mother Lode region, attributed to the Chinese miners.

And not too far off-topic: At the state Railroad Museum in Sacramento, the last cab-forward locomotive designed specifically for those snow sheds is restored and on permanent display. It's a monster, 4-8-8-2 articulated between the front and rear sets of drive wheels like a double locomotive sharing a huge boiler. Weight and pulling power is nearly as great as Big Boy. It was used primarily to cross the Sierras.

The reason for cab forward was so in the snow sheds the crew had fresh air and more important, could see ahead to halt if they discovered an avalanche had caved in the shed or damaged the tracks.

 

[ultrarunner]

I always enjoy my visits to the railway museum and Old Sac...

 

[ultrarunner]

This is also good for a visit should anyone here be interested in tractors

California Agriculture Museum & Event Center
(530) 666-9700

California Agriculture Museum & Event Center - Google Search

 

[California]

This is also good for a visit should anyone here be interested in tractors

California Agriculture Museum & Event Center
(530) 666-9700

California Agriculture Museum & Event Center - Google Search

That link wouldn't work for me so I tried the name alone. Let's see if this works:

Heidrick Ag History Agriculture and Tractor Museum Collection

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep… same place with better link…

I’ve only visited once but found it worthwhile.

We also have the rail car museum with rolling stock…

At one time you could travel far and wide by city street cars that stretched 50, 75 and I miles from Oakland.

Historic Train Exhibits Vintage Streetcar - Western Railway Museum

The Museum features historic railway exhibits, vintage streetcar and interurban train rides, a large shaded picnic grounds, store, library archives, and cafe.

www.wrm.org

 

[California]

At one time you could travel far and wide by city street cars that stretched 50, 75 and I miles from Oakland.

Oakland to Chico via Sacramento, pre-war, on electric streetcars.

A few of their electric poles are still up. They are box shaped with diagonal straps between angle iron corners. There are still some of those poles in the vicinity of Bay Bridge.



Added: That rail museum's description of the Chico Line. They bought a portion of the route when operation ended, and now operate museum cars over it.

Sacramento Northern Railway History Info - Western Railway Museum

The Sacramento Northern Railway is a scenic and colorful interurban with passenger and freight operations, between San Francisco and the Sacramento valley.

www.wrm.org

 

[RobertN]

The region is my 'back yard', like I see for the other contributors.

The one landmark missing from the thread is Rainbow Bridge, halfway down Donner Pass Road (pre 60's US-40 transcontinental highway) between the summit and Donner Lake. In the near-impassable steep portion that trapped the Donner party.

Seems there are a number of Rainbow bridges. The one in Folsom over the American River/Lake Natomas is the same, but straight, not curved. From about the same timeframe as the old US-40 bridge.

 

[California]

Seems there are a number of Rainbow bridges. The one in Folsom over the American River/Lake Natomas is the same, but straight, not curved. From about the same timeframe as the old US-40 bridge.

Another from the same time period: Bixby Creek Bridge.

Coastal Highway, SR-1, 100 miles south of San Francisco on the way down to Big Sur.

Highest bridge of its type, when built.

 

[RobertN]

Another from the same time period: Bixby Creek Bridge.

Coastal Highway, SR-1, 100 miles south of San Francisco on the way down to Big Sur.

Highest bridge of its type, when built.

Foresthill Bridge has had that honor since 1973. Not as picturesque as the "Rainbow" bridges though. Remember seeing that bridge rise out of the canyon during our family camping and 4-wheeling trips in the late 1960's and early 1970's. It was built for the canceled Auburn Dam which would have flooded the Middle and North Fork American River canyons.