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Foothill Rails--Misc.--Feather River Ry
Feather River Railway
(Feather River Pine Mills/Hutchinson Lumber)


Topo map showing the mainline and the main logging line.

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


Panaramic view of the old mill site.

Aerial view and topo map of the Hutchinson Mill site in Oroville. Most if not all the remains on site are from later operations.

Feather Falls
Aerail view and topo map of Feather Falls and the mill site.

1. 2. 3.
1. View of the right of way looking west at the entrance to the drying yards.
2. This is the main line near the log pond.
3. Only a small portion of the log pond remains.
4. 5. 6.
4.-6. Not far from the mill site here is the right of way paralleling Mill Rd.

The Logging Line
Aerail view and topographic map of the Rogerville and surrounding area.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.

Much of La Porte Road north of the Lumpkin Road turn off was once logging line as evidenced by the many spikes that can be found in the road. Also viewable is a nice cut near the road junction.
The photos are numbered and match references on the aerial view above. Images 6 is off the map but continues up La Porte Road.


Check out my Feather River Ry roster.
Also see my Oroville page.

    
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