The Diamond & Caldor Railway
The Diamond & Caldor Railway was a narrow gauge logging railroad covering a good portion of south-eastern El Dorado county from 1903 to 1953. The D&C was unique among logging railroads in that it was a common-carrier, meaning that it could provide service to the general public and placing it under the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission. The mainline ran from Diamond Springs to Caldor with many stops in between, for a distance of 34 miles. In the early years, passenger and freight service was provided to local residents using a combination car (a type of passenger car with a storage area for freight). Much of the old right-of-way is still visible, especially on Pleasant Valley Road from Tiger Lily to the Grand Victory Mine where it paralleled the road. Also still visible are the remains of the railway's Steel Bridge, which lie directly below the E-16 bridge on the North Fork of the Cosumnes River.
At the peak of its operation, the D&C had nine shays (geared steam locomotives) of which only one has survived, one homemade motorcar known as the "Tally-Ho" which has survived, a passenger car, and over well over one-hundred flat cars and various other rolling stock.
