MINARETS & WESTERN RAILROAD
IN 1923 'THE FINEST LOGGING RAILROAD EVER BUILT WAS COMPLETED RUNNING
FROM CENTRAL CAMP TO PINEDALE. IT CONSISTED OF TWO SEPARATE R/R LINES,
BOTH WHOLLY OWNED BY THE SUGAR PINE LUMBER COMPANY. THE "COMPANY" R/R
RAN SOUTH FROM CENTRAL CAMP 11 MILES, ACROSS BASS LAKE DAM, ENDING HERE
AT THE WISHON SWITCH YARD. FROM HERE, THE MINARETS & WESTERN R/R RAN
SOUTH 53 MILES TO THE MILL IN PINEDALE. THE R/R HAULED AN AMAZING 800
"MILLION" BOARD FT. IN 8 YEARS, BUT OVERBUILT AT A COST OF 6 MILLION
DOLLARS, NEVER MADE A PROFIT. IT WENT BANKRUPT IN 1933.
DEDICATED SEPTEMBER 21, 1996
GRUB GULCH CHAPTER E CLAMPUS VITUS 41-49
BASS LAKE, CALIFORNIA

LOCATED AT THE DAM ON BASS LAKE, THE R.R RAN FROM JUST ABOVE THERE DOWN TO FRESNO, TAKING LUMBER TO BE MILLED. THE EXPENSES WERE HIGH COMPARED TO THE LOW UPKEEP OF THE SUGAR PINE FLUME WHICH HANDLED MOST OF THE LUMBER SENT DOWN TO THE MILLS. IT CLOSED JUST 8 YEARS LATER AT A TERRIBLE LOSS.
Enter the public boat launch to view it.

GPS Locator:
N37° 17.826'
W119° 32.024'