Matches, flumes, and rails: The Diamond Match Co. in the High Sierra

Matches, flumes, and rails: The Diamond Match Co. in the High Sierra by Kent Stephens. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780870460302.

Fascinating history of the Diamond Match Co. and its logging enterprise in the High Sierras with a special focus on the railroads used to transport the timber. The company had standard as well as narrow gauge lines and also used flumes and a cable incline at times. Part of the network later became the Butte County Railroad which carried timber and passengers to Chico and was later consolidated into the Southern Pacific. This well-done book covers the development and operation of the lines, the management who built the line, the workers who harvested the logs, and provides an unusually thorough look at the business itself through the ups and downs over the years. Illustrated throughout with black and white photos and maps. With locomotive and equipment rosters, bibliography and decorative end papers. 176 pages with index.