Once the end of the line, Milton has been somewhat superseded by the new extension to Copperopolis but still retains its importance as a "jumping-off" point for Yosemite and the Southern Mines. Two stage companies serve the town as does several freighting concerns. It would not have been uncommon to see Pullman sleepers or even a private car stored on a siding after delivering tourists into the care of the stages. Heavy mining machinery and supplies for the mines all come through Milton and the traffic can be heavy.

The main sidings here serve warehouse used by freight forwarders and by grain shippers. There is a ramp at the north side of the yard where steam traction engines pulling "trains" of ore from the Hodson mines can dump directly into the waiting cars. A corral is also located here to serve the growing cattle business.

The west end of town has a siding built on a trestle on the side of the hill. Here, tank cars with petroleum products can transfer their loads by gravity to the Mountain Traction Company storage tank adjacent.

The turntable, although not as busy as before the extension, still is serviceable and is used to occasionally turn a helper engine. From here to Copperopolis, the grade is 2%+.

 

The model photo is looking west along the tracks back toward Stockton (at the upper left in the Sanborn map). The depot will be just to the left of the left-most cut of cars with the town to the left of that. The open space in the middle-right will be the turntable.

.Home