Visalia Electric Railroad

Visalia Electric Railroad

File:Visalia Electric Railway 502, GE 44-ton Diesel Yard Switcher.jpg Visalia Electric No. 502 GE 44-ton switcher
Locale	Tulare County, California
Dates of operation	1904 (1904)–1992 (1992)
Successor	Southern Pacific Railroad
Length	68 miles (109 km)
Headquarters	Visalia, California

The Visalia Electric Railroad, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), began as an electric interurban railroad in Tulare County, in the U.S. State of California. The railroad was incorporated on April 22, 1904. Passenger service was discontinued in 1924, and the electrification was removed in 1944. Subsequent operation was by diesel locomotive. The railroad was closed in 1992.

The Visalia Electric used the unusual choice of 15 Hz AC at 3,300 Volts carried by overhead wire, with pantographs on the cars for pickup. Parent SP intended this as a testbed for main line, long distance electrification of its own lines in the area, a project that never came to fruition. At one time the Visalia Electric briefly interchanged with the ATSF. The ATSF was seen by the SP as a rival, so for most of the life of the Visalia Electric only interchanged with its parent SP.