Yosemite Valley Railroad, Mariposa County, CA

These are photos of the old Yosemite Valley Railroad rail bed located along the Merced River, paralleling Route 140, and some of the old houses in the area.  The historic photo is from a kiosk near where the present-day photos were taken.

According to the website below, “Grading of the railroad began in September 1905 in Merced…While the original intent of the railroad had been to provide passenger service to the Park, the railroad was quick to encourage the growth of freight traffic…Passenger business on the railroad peaked in the mid-twenties, dropping thereafter due to the increased use of private automobiles to go to Yosemite…”

More information: Yosemite Valley Railroad History

Location: Google Maps (37.605495, -119.967243)