Sugar Pine Lumber Company
Hauling logs over Bass Lake Dam in 1926. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Sierra National Forest |
| Dates of operation | 1923–1933 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | Minarets and Western Railway, 43.45 mi (69.93 km) Sugar Pine Lumber Company Railroad, 10.82 mi (17.41 km) |
The Sugar Pine Lumber Company was an early 20th century logging operation and railroad in the Sierra Nevada. Unable to secure water rights to build a log flume, the company operated the “crookedest railroad ever built." They later developed the Minarets-type locomotive, the largest and most powerful saddle tank locomotive ever made.: 39 The company was also a pioneer in the electrification of logging where newly plentiful hydroelectric power replaced the widespread use of steam engines.
The company founded two towns. They built Central Camp, a permanent logging camp with lavish amenities, and Pinedale, site of the company lumber mill. They operated two railroads: the Sugar Pine Railroad, which connected Central Camp to the switching yard in Bass Lake, and the Minarets and Western Railway, a client carrier that transported whole logs from the Sierra Nevada to the company lumber mill.
The Sugar Pine Lumber Company became one of the most notable boom-and-bust stories of the 1920s logging industry. After an $8 million investment in 1923 (equivalent to $147,640,625 in 2025 dollars), it set records for California's annual lumber cut but quickly exhausted its timber holdings.: 56 By 1933, the company was bankrupt, overwhelmed by debt and high operating costs. Despite its advanced facilities, the expense of maintaining the camp and railroad made it impossible to turn a profit.