SPNG - Laws

Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Railroad

Bishop
Big Pine
Laws (Formerly Bishop Creek)
Poleta
Bigelow
Black Canyon

Zurich (Formerly Alvord)
Monola
Beneme
Elna
Aberdeen (Formerly Tibbets)
Fish Springs

All material courtesy of Rich McCutchan unless otherwise noted.
See USE NOTICE on Home Page.
train and tower

Tim Shea writes: Laws was named after R.J. Laws rj laws

Harry Ketza writes: On October 21, 1904 in Los Angeles, Herald R. J. Laws, Southern Pacific Railroad superintendent died of a heart attack caused by the strain and excitement of surviving a train accident where the train he was riding rear ended a stalled freight train.

Chris Owens writes: Taken from the Owens Valley History Page: “Regular train service from Los Angeles to Owenyo via Mojave began October 22, 1910. The cost roundtrip was $15.45; the connection to Laws was $19 .50. Unfortunately, this schedule was not conducive to the arrival of the narrow gauge trains at Owenyo, which necessitated an all-night layover, one that even SP men admitted to was not pleasing to valley travel. To add insult to the situation, the "hotel" accommodations consisted of a few boxcars. It need scarcely be mentioned that this circumstance created a profitable business for the auto-stages operating between Owenyo and Bishop, and all other valley points as road improvements continued. In fact, some travelers from Los Angeles would take an auto the entire journey and arrive at Bishop in less time than by train when the twelve-hour layover at Owenyo was taken into consideration.

On April 7, 1911 railroad officials arrived in Bishop and met with local businessmen to discuss possible train schedules that would best serve the valley. It was decided that the southbound train from Owenyo be run at night not only to avoid the layover for passengers, but to afford a better connection for shipments of milk, cream and perishable products so they would not have to endure a day journey through the hot desert. The change was made on the narrow gauge effective February 26, 1912 wherein trains were run to allow layovers at Laws and Mina instead of Owenyo and dairy products and perishables would be delivered the same day.”

Engine #18 Steams Along Once Again at the Laws Railroad Museum (Click and see the Slim Princess in action after being repaired from a blown cylinder on the way to Cascade Station in Colorado, where it was on loan to the Durango and Silverton RR)

Gallows Turntable at Laws Station. Constructed in 1883 and served until the end of the Carson & Colorado Railroad operations. No. 18 being turned in 1952.	Gallows Turntable at Laws Station. Constructed in 1883 and served until the end of the Carson & Colorado Railroad operations. No. 18 being turned in 1952.
Gallows Turntable at Laws Station. Constructed in 1883 and served until the end of the Carson & Colorado Railroad operations. No. 18 being turned in 1952.	Laws RR yard
Blue Star Mill and Grinding Company 1946. SPNG locomotive is headed towards the camera. Zurich Station is on the other side of the mill. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke and the Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Historical Society Inc.)
Zurich Station - Zurich was first called Alvord. The name was changed from Alvord to Zurich because of the stunning view of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke and the Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Historical Society Inc.)
Turning the Schenectady built 4-6-0 on the Gallows turntable.
In a scene that could easily be mistaken for 1954, SPNG #18 is seen at Laws, CA on September 22, 2017 after her full restoration to an operating steam locomotive. (Photo and text courtesy of Rob Sarberenyi - [John West photo])
SPNG #9 (Baldwin #34035) with is auxiliary water car, sits quietly in the sun in Owenyo, CA on December 27, 1958. Built in 1909 for the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad, #9 came to the Owens Valley line in 1928. When diesel #1 arrived in 1954, #9 was relegated to stand-by service and seldo left its track in Owenyo. In 1960, when the narrow-gauge line was abandoned, #9 and a string of cars were left in Laws, CA to form the nucleus of a museum. (Photo and text courtesy of Rob Sarberenyi archives - 1954 postcard)
Engine #18 leaves Laws for Keeler	Engine #18 takes on water at Laws Station - 1953
Zurich Station
"Harp Switch" at Zurich Station was in use on the Carson & Colorado RR up until WWII.

Laws Railroad Yard

SP engines No. 1 and No. 9 at Zurich
(Photo courtesy of eBay)

SP engines No. 9 at Zurich
(Photo courtesy of eBay)

Slim Princess Engine No. 18 with her ancient combine - 1949
SP No. 18 heads across Owens Valley in 1952. An extra passenger car to the consist to accommodate visiting railfans.
Aberdeen water tank and prairie windmill.	Tibbets Depot
No. 6 at Nevada-California state line in 1882.	Rails overgrown with grass at Laws Station.

The Slim Princess leaves the Blue Star Mine mill at Zurich. Here is a photo of the Blue Star Mill. Looking south towards Owenyo. Depot would have been across the County Rd just on the other side of the Mill. The livestock pens are in the forground. Look close and you can see the two tall posts that show up in your photo (below) that would raise and lower the ramp. The loading ramp and concrete foundation for the Blue Star Mill and Mining Co. which burned down in the late 50's. The ramp was on cables and could be pulled up. This facility was constructed long after the SP purchased the C&C so it actually did not service the C&C RR itself. The spur just under this loading ramp was constructed by the SP. But the old C&C mainline is about where you took the ramp photo from. Different materials were processed here. Unbagged material was shipped out on the SP narrow gauge gondola cars and bagged material were loaded into the narrow gauge box cars. Shipped to Owenyo for transfer to standard gauge trains to be shipped out the Jawbone line to Mojave. Some shipments went to Laws.....Very interesting history at this location. (Photo and text courtesy of Dennis Burke)
Remains of the Blue Star Mine loading ramp at Zurich. (Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea)
Remains of the Blue Star Mine loading mill foundations at Zurich. (Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea)
Heading south at Laws Station.	The "Slim Princess" at Aberdeen Crossing - 1946 (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
Returning from Zurich station with loads of soapstone.	Engine No. 18 switching at Zurich - 1952
Engine No. 18 making a desert run - 1951
The "Slim Princess" at the Laws Station Turntable (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)	Filling up the water tender at Aberdeen Crossing (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
The "Slim Princess" #18 at the Laws turntable (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)	The "Slim Princess" at Laws (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
Laws Depot - Owens Valley - June 2, 1946 (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)	SPNG #18 getting a drink at Aberdeen. (Text and Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
Slim Princess at Laws Station (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)

Engine No. 18 smokes up the Owens Valley desert.	Extra No. 9 paused between Zurich and Kearsarge - 1956
Ten-wheeler No. 18 making a stop at Aberdeen	Engine No. 18 crossing the Owens River above Aberdeen - 1952
Engine No. 18 crossing the Owens River above Aberdeen - 1954	Engine No. 18 paused at Zurich siding.
A photo of the SPNG Fish Springs Slough trestle - circa 2018 (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)	Engine No. 8 enroute between Laws and Owenyo just after WWII.
SPNG Engine No. 18 on the upper Owens River trestle (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
Engine No. 18 heading across the desert near Laws - 1949

No. 18 backs her train northbound past Tinemaha Reservoir in 1953. The Owenyo turntable had been removed in 1948 requiring engines to back all the ways to Laws to turn the engine around on the gallows located there.	No. 18 backs her train northbound past Tinemaha Reservoir in 1953. The Owenyo turntable had been removed in 1948 requiring engines to back all the ways to Laws to turn the engine around on the gallows located there.
Southern Pacific's No. 18 arrives in Laws with a train of ancient wooden cars.	No. 18 switches in the grass covered rails north of Laws, CA - 1952
Laws, CA Carson & Colorado Railroad yard - 1939
Turning No. 18 on the gallows at Laws	Detail of the rollers on the gallows.
Laws railroad depot, Laws, CA -1948

Baldwin 4-6-0 No. 18 switching in the Laws yards	No. 18 switching in the Laws yards - 1953
Slim Princess consist prepares to leave the Laws yard - 1952	SP No. 18 takes on water at Laws - 1949
The crew checks over SPNG No. 18 before heading to Keeler.	Engine No. 8 ready to leave Laws - winter 1953
Engine No. 18 just south of Laws.	No. 18 leaving Laws bound for Keeler - 1949
No. 18 a few miles south of Monola bound for Keeler - 1949

Engine No. 18 being turned on the gallows.	Backing No. 18 off of the gallows turntable at Laws.
Laws, California, during the regime of the Nevada & California. Originally called Bishop Creek, the community's name was later changed in honor of R.J. Laws	Engine No. 8 being turned on the gallows.
Keeler bound train photographed from the combine-caboose.	No. 18 smoking up the skies south of Laws, CA
Railway fans on the Slim Princess in 1948
No. 18 makes a stop at the Aberdeen water tank. The tank was filled by a windmill. When there was insufficient wind, a water car would be coupled behind the tender so the engine could make it between water tanks.	Engine No. 8 crosses over the Owens River near Monola.
Engine #18 boiling out of the terminal yard at Laws in 1946 for a dramatic portrait of action on the last narrow gage common carrier in operation anywhere west of Colorado.	Laws Water and Oil Tanks
Turntable at Laws, CA Turntable Dimensions: Bed width - 14ft, Bed length - 56ft Center support height from top of rail - 22ft Turntable support pit - 18ft square	Time for a water break at Aberdeen - 1947

Leaving Laws in 1954 with a spare baggage-mail car for traveling fans.
Engine No. 9 with a phony stack and headlamp - 1956	No. 9 restored to original operating condition.
Refurbished Engine No. 9 in operation in Owens Valley.
Kearsarge Depot, an original C&C building - 1939	Southern Pacific Engine No. 9 on the gallows turntable at Laws (E-Bay auction item)

Engine No. 22 somewhere in Owens Valley
(Photo courtesy Unknown)

Engine No. 9 somewhere in Owens Valley
(Photo courtesy Unknown)

Laws railroad yard in Owens Valley
(Photo courtesy Unknown)

Zurich depot along the SPNG in Owens Valley.

Engine No. 9 somewhere in Owens Valley (Photo courtesy Unknown)
Engine No. 9 somewhere in Owens Valley (Photo courtesy Unknown)
Zurich Station - 1942
SPNG boxcar at the Huntley Industrial Minerals plant north of Laws	Aberdeen stop along the SPNG in Owens Valley
SPNG water and oil tower at Laws depot	SPNG Engine #9 on the turntable at Laws (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
The SPNG "Slim Princess" heading out of the south gate at Laws (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)	SPNG Engine #9 on the turntable at Laws (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
SPNG Engine #8 on the turntable at Laws (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)	SPNG Engine #18 on the turntable at Laws (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
SPNG Engine #22 on the turntable at Laws (Photo courtesy of Dennis Burke)
Here is a photo taken of Laws in 1939. You can spot the depot that is still on site on the left in the distance. The now vintage truck has pulled up to unload some sacks of potatoes to be loaded into the railroad box cars. On the near left are the two out houses with the coal shed between them. On the right is speeder tool shed. This photo is looking north from near the water tank. This is the Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Railroad that began life as the Carson & Colorado Railroad in 1880 and reaached Bishop Creek, now Laws in 1883. Who was "Laws" named after and what was this persons intrest in the Owens Valley? (Photo and text courtesy of Dennis Burke)