Near Groveland in Tuolumne County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Hetch Hetchy Railroad
Photographed by Karen Key, June 22, 2007
1. Hetch Hetchy Railroad
Masterminding the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power Project was the brilliant chief engineer Michael Maurice O’Shaughnessy. One of his first priorities was to build a reliable and high-capacity standard gauge railway that could traverse the rugged terrain even during winter snows.
This 68 mile-long railroad carried timber, concrete and other supplies, along with work crews and visitors, to and from the dam construction site. The railroad’s round-the-clock schedule during all four seasons enabled the dam to be built in just 3½ years.
The Hetch Hetchy Railroad made its last trip in 1947. Tracks were removed to restore the landscape, and recycled parts of it are used today as guardrails to ensure safety along the road to the reservoir.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1947.
Location. 37° 56.859′ N, 119° 47.273′ W. Marker is near Groveland, California, in Tuolumne County. It can be reached from Hetch Hetchy Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Groveland CA 95321, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Sierra Nevada. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 18 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: O’Shaughnessy Dam (here, next to this marker); Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and O’Shaughnessy Dam (here, next to this marker); Producing Clean Renewable Energy
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Hetch Hetchy Railroad. The Hetch Hetchy Railroad, a 68 mile standard gauge Class III railroad, operated from 1917 to 1949. (Submitted on July 29, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California.)
2. San Francisco Public Library. Historical photographs, mainly of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad. (Submitted on July 29, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California.)
2. Close Up of Photo on Marker
Caption reads, “The Shay 6 roundhouse crew poses at Groveland in 1922. The Shay 6, designed by Ephraim Shay, was the largest Hetch Hetchy Railroad locomotive, weighing nearly 100 tons. A low-speed, heavy ‘workhorse,’ the Shay 6 hauled cement up the steep grade to Groveland.”
Photographed by Karen Key, June 22, 2007
3. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
4. Close Up of Photos on Marker
Captions reads, “The Hetch Hetchy Railroad crossing the Tuolumne River carying lumber in 1919.” and “Hetch Hetchy Railroad Track Bus #24 in 1930, traveling two miles west of Jones Station. It sometimes was adapted to be the foul weather troubleshooter car and snowplow.”
Credits. This page was last revised on May 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. This page has been viewed 3,700 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 29, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
