This is via Altamont Press. Pretty big deal as it affects the El Dorado & Western, which maintains part of the surviving SP Placerville Branch.

The full thread can be found here.
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Author: SeabeeCook
Date: 07-10-2015 - 10:14

Please go to [www.edcgov.us] and take the survey. The county is proposing to remove the rails from Blanchard Road to the end of track at Missouri Flat Road. Please click "high priority" for Railroad History Center.

Please add the following two other improvements and click the appropriate priority button:

A--Retail the current operating railroad from Shingle Springs to Missouri Flat Road inside the current Board of Supervisors approved El Dorado Historical Railroad Park.

B--Retain the rails within the current Board of Supervisors approved El Dorado Historical Railroad Park.

Naturally, El Dorado County residents hold more weight. Survey closure date is Friday, July 18, 2015, 5:00 p.m.

Thank you,

Steven Karoly
El Dorado Western Railroad volunteer

Steve,
I agree that the end of the line needs to be preserved, If they keep pulling rails for little stretches, then building bike trails (as done already to Missouri Flat Rd), there is no saying how far they will go down the line. But to put that end of the line to best use, I always thought the existing spur into the former Diamond and Caldoor mill site would be a logical, affordable place to expand an existing building and have covered indoor storage for rail equipment.

That spur could also be used,I imagine, as part of a lead to a wye track that heads to the southeast, then turns northeast a bit, with a connector track curving back to the northwest then southwest back to the main. Or, build a turntable somewhere along that track.

Placerville to Folsom is too long of a railroad to run backwards the whole way, I think.
O. Anderson