Southern Pacific Transportation Company formed the Oregon and Eureka Railroad Company in 1903 in an agreement to use logging railroads as part of a line connecting Humboldt County (California) sawmills with the national rail network. Northwestern Pacific Railroad offered service over the route from 1911 through 1933. The northern of the line remained in use as a Hammond Lumber Company logging branch until 1948.

History John Vance built a sawmill near the Mad River community of Essex, in 1875, with a railroad to transport lumber from the sawmill to Mad River Slough on Humboldt Bay for loading onto ships. This Humboldt and Mad River Railroad had three locomotives and connected with paddle-wheel steamboats from Eureka, California, at Mad River Slough. Vance constructed a new sawmill in Samoa, California, in 1893, and extended his railroad both north and south to bring logs from Lindsay Creek to the Samoa sawmill. The railroad was incorporated as the Eureka and Klamath River Railroad in 1896. Andrew Hammond purchased the railroad and sawmill on 30 August 1900.

The Oregon and Eureka Railroad formed through Hammond's 1903 agreement with Southern Pacific was equipped with seven locomotives, two passenger coaches, and 166 freight cars. The railroad had 212 freight cars by 1905, and was extended in 1906 to carry lumber from the Little River Redwood Company sawmill at Crannell, California. The Oregon and Eureka was included in the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) merger on 8 January 1907, and extended to Trinidad, California on 22 June.

Northwestern Pacific trains began operating to Trinidad on 1 July 1911. Hammond Lumber Company was formed in 1912 using some of the Oregon and Eureka rolling stock on logging branches off the former Oregon and Eureka main line. Hammond merged with the Little River Redwood Company on 24 February 1931. Northwestern Pacific ended service to Trinidad on 1 March 1933; and dismantled the line between Korblex and Little River Junction. The southern end of the line linked the Samoa mill complex to the national rail network for another half century. NWP sold the line north of Little River Junction back to Hammond Lumber Company. Hammond extended logging branches northward toward Big Lagoon until a 1945 wildfire destroyed many of the trestles. The last logging train ran on 23 August 1948.

Route

Milepost 0 – Samoa Milepost 1 – Samoa Yard Milepost 1.3 – Carsons Milepost 2 – Humboldt Northern Railroad crossing Milepost 4 – Manila Milepost 6 – Daniels Milepost 7.5 – Arcata Milepost 8.5 – Normal Junction (to Eureka, California) Milepost 9.5 – Janes Creek Milepost 11 – Korblex, California Milepost 11.5 – Minor Junction Milepost 11.9 – McCloskey (water tank) Milepost 12 – Englehart Milepost 12.5 – Essex (4-stall roundhouse and turntable built in 1898 and dismantled in 1920) Milepost 13 – Shingle Mill Milepost 14 – Dairy Milepost 15 – Thompsons Milepost 16 – Carsons No. 2 Milepost 17 – Fieldbrook Milepost 17.5 – Camp 5 Milepost 20 – Little River Junction (to connection at Camp 9 with Humboldt Northern logging railroad from Samoa) (water tank) Milepost 21 – Crannell Milepost 22 – Cole Spur Milepost 22.5 – Camp 10 Milepost 23 – Moonstone Milepost 24 – Luffenholtz (2-stall roundhouse built in 1904 burned in 1906) Milepost 24.5 – Kalstrom's Siding Milepost 25 – 25 Junction (with Hammond Lumber Company branches toward Big Lagoon) (water tank) Milepost 26 – Dead Man Milepost 26.5 – Culbert Milepost 27.5 – Trinidad (2-stall roundhouse and turntable built in 1913 and dismantled in 1924)

Oregon and Eureka locomotives NumberBuilderTypeDateWorks numberNotes1Baldwin Locomotive Works0-6-018753751named Advance on Humboldt and Mad River Railroad; became Eureka and Klamath River Railroad #1; scrapped after 19002Globe Iron Works0-4-0 Tank locomotivenamed Gypsy on Humboldt and Mad River Railroad; became Eureka and Klamath River Railroad #2; then Oregon and Eureka Railroad #23Baldwin Locomotive Works2-6-018836711named Onward on Humboldt and Mad River Railroad; became Eureka and Klamath River Railroad #3; then Oregon and Eureka Railroad #34Baldwin Locomotive Works2-6-0189614738built as Eureka and Klamath River Railroad #4; named Challenger; became Oregon and Eureka Railroad #45Baldwin Locomotive Works2-6-0189715283built as Eureka and Klamath River Railroad #5; named Potawa; became Oregon and Eureka Railroad #56Baldwin Locomotive Works4-4-018878947formerly Flanigan, Brosnan & Company #3, purchased 1900 as Eureka and Klamath River Railroad #6; became Oregon and Eureka Railroad #6; then Northwestern Pacific Railroad #37Pittsburgh Locomotive and Car Works4-4-0purchased 1901 as Eureka and Klamath River Railroad #7; became Oregon and Eureka Railroad #78Grant Locomotive Works2-6-0before 1896purchased 1903 as Oregon and Eureka Railroad #8; rebuilt by Hammond at Samoa in 1910; became Hammond Lumber Company #8 in 19119Grant Locomotive Works2-6-0before 1896purchased 1903 as Oregon and Eureka Railroad #9; became Hammond Lumber Company #9 in 191110Cooke Locomotive and Machine Works4-4-018861720purchased 1901 as Eureka and Klamath River Railroad #10; became Oregon and Eureka Railroad #10; sold 1905 as Rogue River Valley #311Samoa2-8-01910built in Hammond's Samoa shops in 1910 as Oregon and Eureka Railroad #11; became Hammond Lumber Company #11 in 1911

Additional Hammond Lumber Company locomotives used during NWP operation

NumberBuilderTypeDateWorks numberNotes1Lima Locomotive WorksShay locomotive19 October 19071952originally Little River Redwood Company #1; sold to Pacific Lumber Company for parts in 19422Lima Locomotive WorksShay locomotive26 April 19132636originally Little River Redwood Company #2; scrapped in 19484Lima Locomotive WorksShay locomotive5 June 19223172originally Little River Redwood Company #4; sold 1935 to Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad as #2; placed on display at Griffith Park Travel Town Museum in 19555Lima Locomotive WorksShay locomotive27 April 19233209originally Little River Redwood Company #5; scrapped 1948Baldwin Locomotive Works4-6-0~18909298Built for the Colorado Midland Railroad; operated as California Western Railroad #36 after 1918; purchased by Little River Redwood Company in 192912Baldwin Locomotive Works2-6-6-2 Tank locomotive192960870Built as Hammond Lumber Company #6 for service in Mill City, Oregon; moved to Samoa and renumbered in 1931; sold as Arcata and Mad River Railroad #12 in 1951; sold 1956 and has recently been on display in Flagstaff, Arizona13Baldwin Locomotive Works2-6-6-2 Tank locomotive192960871Built as Hammond Lumber Company #5 for service in Mill City, Oregon; moved to Samoa and renumbered in 1931; sold to Crown Willamette in 193715Baldwin Locomotive Works2-8-21916originally Humbird Lumber Company #4 of Sandpoint, Idaho; became Hammond Lumber Company #15 in 1941; put on display in Eureka, California's Sequoia Park in 196016American Locomotive Company2-8-2 Tank locomotiveFebruary 192967652built for Crossett Western Company in Oregon; purchased as Hammond Lumber Company #16 in 1943; placed on display in Fortuna, California in 1964; recently operational on the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad17American Locomotive Company2-8-2 Tank locomotiveSeptember 192968057built for Crossett Western Company in Oregon; purchased as Hammond Lumber Company #17 in 1942; isolated in the woods north of Crannell by burned out trestles in 1945; restored at Klamath, California in 1966; recently operational on the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad31Lima Locomotive WorksShay locomotive10 July 19203087built as Hammond Lumber Company #31; leased to Union Lumber Company of Fort Bragg, California from 1936 to 1940; scrapped in 194832Lima Locomotive WorksShay locomotive5 February 19213157built as Hammond Lumber Company #32; scrapped in 194833Lima Locomotive WorksShay locomotive3 July 19223180built as Hammond Lumber Company #33; sold to Pickering Lumber Company in 1944; preserved by Northern Counties Logging Interpretive Association

Notes