AN ARTICLE FROM ABANDONED RAILS WEBSITE:

(CURRENT PHOTO TAKEN 11/06/2008)

Placerville Branch
Quick Info:
States: California
Railroads: SP
Thanks to Mike Palmer for providing the information for this article.

The remnants of the wye that connected the Southern Pacific's Folsom Branch to its Placerville Branch. (March 2005)



This line connected to the SP Folsom branch with a wye at Natoma, a few miles west of Folsom. The line had a windy route through the foothills to the town of Placerville. The eastern end of the branch connected with the shortline Camino Placerville & Lake Tahoe, which extended east from Placerville to Camino.
The line was used to haul forest products, and was in service until approximately the 1980s. Much of the western line is still intact, though it is no longer connected to the national rail network.

While not technically and officially "abandoned" due to Rail Banking, the current route is under the contract with the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad, who is in the process of restoring the line on which to run excursions using equipment from the California State Railroad Museum. More information can be found at the link below.
Other Sites and Information
Restoration efforts of the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad