THE SIERRA WESTERN
& SANTA FE RR

NEW CHICO YARD

• This yard was built in 1961 when Santa Fe outgrew the original yard 3 miles to the north in central Chico. This yard serves as a crew change point and includes a medium sized classification yard
  
• Most trains are reblocked here by consolidating much of the Valley and Richmond traffic into trains headed north, and vice-a-versa
  
• Cars destined for local shipment and cars interchanging with the Sacramento Northern and the Southern Pacific are also handled here
  
• The yard boundaries are the Durham Highway grade crossing (south of Chico Wye Tower) and the abandoned 8th Avenue Tower (at the bridge over 8th & 9th avenues/Little Chico Creek)
  
• The yard limits include:
  
  • a 4-track bi-directional receiving and departure yard with access to the north main at each end
    
  • an 8-track classification yard served by three yard leads. The yard leads on the south end are called South One (closest to the main) and South Two. They extend parallel to the main and end at Durham Highway. The yard lead on the north end of the yard is called 8th Avenue Lead. It extends across the bridge over 8th & 9th Avenues/Little Chico Creek and connects to the north main under the 1st Street bridge at Old Chico Yard
    
  • 1 team track located alongside the south main across from Chico Wye Tower
    
  • 1 caboose track located adjacent to the ladder track to the north end of the classification yard
    
  • a 2-track intermodal yard at the north end of the yard and bordered by the caboose track, the yard run-around track, the central Chico industrial branch, and the north main
    
  • 4 industry tracks at the north end of the yard consisting of 2 tank farm tracks, 1 scrap yard track, 1 storage track
    
• A bypass track to Old Chico Yard crosses 8th & 9th Avenues/Little Chico Creek on a bridge made up of a through girder bridge section, a wood trestle, and three plate girder bridge sections. It connects with 8th Avenue Lead at the turnout to the north main under the 1st Street bridge. Most of this bypass track once was the lead to the old icing docks located where the caboose track and intermodal yard are now located. At one time there were enough car movements to the icing facilities that the lead was doubled-tracked. The icing docks were demolished in 1960 in preparation for the New Chico yard project
  
• A service lead parallel to the south main provides access to the engine service facilities at Old Chico Yard without having to tie up a mainline track. The turnout to the service lead is on the south main opposite the turnout to the north end of the receiving/departure yard
  
• A new realigned spur provides access to the central Chico industrial area. The new spur drops down a short but steep grade alongside 8th Avenue and crosses under the bypass track, the 8th Avenue Lead, the double track mainline, and the engine service lead tracks under the new bridges constructed as part of the New Chico Yard construction project
  
• The old central Chico industrial spur alignment crossed the mainline and the leads to the old icing dock at grade, parallel to 8th Avenue. The abandoned 8th Avenue Tower controlled the crossing until the realignment. The old alignment now serves as a stub-end storage track
  
• The double track mainline parallels the west side of the yard from Durham Highway to 8th Avenue Tower
  
• Two crossovers, a trailing point and a facing point, are located north of Durham Highway
  
• Another trailing point crossover is located at the entrance to the southern end of the receiving/departure yard. This crossover provides direct access between either the Sacramento Northern, the Orland branch, or the Richmond mainline to the northbound main or the receiving/departure yard
  
• Another pair of crossovers, a facing point and a trailing point, are located adjacent to the north end of the receiving/departure yard and are usually used by road engines moving between the receiving/departure yard on the east side of the main to the engine facilities on the west side of the main and three mile north at Old Chico Yard
  
• An additional facing point crossover is located on the bridge over 8th & 9th avenues and Little Chico Creek. This crossover is usually used by the dispatcher to route northbound trains around a passenger train stopped at the Chico station