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By Thornton Waite
The 33.1 mile Homedale Branch was built south and east along the south side of the Snake River from Nyssa, Oregon, east into Idaho. Constructed in two stages, the branch line initially ended at Homedale and was later extended to Erb (present-day Marsing). It was primarily an agricultural line. The line was originally designated as the “South Side Branch”, with plans to extend it east to Buhl to provide a second through line across southern Idaho.
In January 1911 the railroad was reported to be planning to lay 211 miles of track in Idaho that year, including 26 miles from Nyssa towards Homedale.
[1] This was confirmed by the railroad in the next month.[2] The new rail line was intended to reach newly developed irrigated land on the south bank of the Snake River.[3]
At the end of the year 1911 the railroad reported that 2 miles of grading had been finished and grading was in progress on another 7.79 miles of the 26 mile branch.[4] The railroad reported the 25 mile line to Homedale was opened for traffic on May 7, 1912,[5] and was officially opened for traffic from Nyssa to Homedale, 25.98 miles, on June 1, 1913. [6] The line was officially completed on June 30, 1913.
The line from Nyssa to Homedale had cost $85,108.97 to build.[7] Construction was performed by the Utah Construction Company,[8] a firm which did much of the construction for the railroad.
Although the proposed extension to Buhl was never built, in 1922 the OSL petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission for permission to build a 7-1/2 mile extension from Homedale east to Marsing. The new line would serve as a feeder to the Oregon Short Line. The petition to the ICC, Finance Docket 2320, is interesting since it shows how optimistic the railroad was about the potential for business from this growing agricultural area. The docket was submitted on April 3, 1922, and construction of the line was approved May 2, 1922. The Public Utilities Commission of the State of Idaho concurred with the petition, so no public hearings were held.
The Finance Docket showed that the proposed extension of the branch line to Homedale went through land which had been irrigated for 10 years. There were 19,900 acres being cultivated with the potential of another 5100 acres being farmed. At the time Marsing had a population of 75 people, and the line would serve about 1500 people. The outbound shipments would consist of the agricultural products raised in the area - potatoes, lettuce, and wheat, while inbound shipments would be coal, lumber, agricultural products, and some general merchandise. It was estimated the outbound shipments would generate 1005 carloads to Colorado and Missouri River gateways. There would be minimal passenger revenues.
The railroad stated the line would not be profitable for several years, until the land was developed and more crops were shipped over the line. The gross revenues would be $20,345.01 in the first year, increasing to $29,563.34 at the end of the 5th year, and $32,500 in the later years. The gross revenues due to the line haul revenues would be $134,223.73 in the first year and increasing to $196,046.84 in the 5th year. The nearest rail line was the Caldwell Traction Company, across the Snake River and three miles from the river, and there was only a steep sandy wagon road down to the river. These factors all made transportation from the Marsing area difficult and expensive.
The railroad had made the necessary surveys and found there were no unusual features. The cost to build the line was estimated at $211,100, and right-of-way valued at $16,500 had been donated. It was estimated the net railway operating income would be $6,452 per year. There were to be two stations on the extension, one at the Marsing terminus and another in between the Marsing and Homedale.
The extension was officially completed on September 9, 1922, but the first train had arrived in the previous month and had taken out a load of potatoes. However, the planned water irrigation project to the east in Bruneau Valley failed, so the line was not extended beyond Erb (present-day Marsing), and operations were marginally, if at all, profitable. The agencies at Parma, Marsing, and Homedale became a mobile agency on April 6, 1973. On May 2,1997, the UP petitioned the Surface Transportation Board for permission to abandon the line between milepost 11.4, near Adrian, Oregon, and Marsing. Approval was received on August 20, 1997, and the segment between Nyssa and Adrian was designated as the Homedale Industrial Lead. In the fall of 2007 UP filed to abandon the balance of the line between Nyssa and Adrian since there had been no traffic the previous two years. Approval was received shortly thereafter, on November 14, 2007, and the tracks removed.
As could be expected for a branch line, passenger service was limited. The schedule for 1926 showed the following train service:
| Train No. 363 | Mile | Station | Train No. 364 |
| 1:30 PM | 0 | Nyssa | 5:10 PM |
| 2:30 PM | 25 | Homedale | 4:05 PM |
| 3:15 PM | 33 | Erb | 3:40 PM |
Notes:
By 1941 the train had become a mixed train:
| Train No. 363 | Mile | Station | Train No. 364 |
| 8:45 AM | 0 | Nyssa | 1:15 PM |
| 10:30 AM | 25 | Homedale | 11:45 AM |
| 11:00 AM | 33 | Marsing | 11:15 AM |
Notes:
By 1950 the timetable read “Irregular mixed service, consult agent.”
The stations on the line on January 1, 1930, were:
Nyssa (MP 0.0)
Dunaway Spur (4.5)
Kingman (MP 6.7)
Overstreet (MP 8.1
Adrian (MP 1
Napton (MP 16.9
Oregon-Idaho State Line (MP 18.6)
McCoard (MP 21.4)
Homedale (MP 24.5)
Petty (MP 25.89) (Not listed in 1930)
Stacey (MP 27.5)
Claytonia (MP 31.0)
Marsing (MP 33.3)
Nyssa (MP 0.0): Nyssa, Oregon was the junction of the Homedale Branch with the Third Subdivision of the Union Pacific.
Dunaway Spur (MP 4.5): This siding was named for J.P. Dunaway, who owned land in the area. He was cashier of Malheur County Bank in Nyssa, Oregon.
Kingman (MP 6.7): This station was named A.G. Kingman, a local resident and founder of the community. In 1930 Kingman had two stockpens with one single deck loading chute and a capacity of eight head of livestock in the immediate loading deck. No facilities were listed in 1936.
Overstreet (MP 8.1): This siding was named for Tobert R. Overstreet, who lived near this point.
Adrian (MP 10.6): This station was named for a local sheepman. In 1930 Adrian had three stockpens with one single deck loading chute and a capacity of two head of livestock in the immediate loading deck. Water was available. The facilities had not changed in 1936 or 1951.
Napton (MP 16.9): This station was named for a local resident.
McCoard (MP 21.4): This station was named for brothers who owned land adjacent to the station. The ICC Valuation listed a platform.
Homedale (MP 24.5): This station was named by the founders of the community for its location. The location had a ferry started in 1898, the town platted in 1912, and was first settled by Austrians in 1914.[9] The name, suggested by Jacob Mussell, was chosen by a drawing in 1907, when a name was drawn out of a hat. It was incorporated in 1920 and was the first incorporated village in Owyhee County. The population of Homedale in 1938 was about 500 and in 2023 it was 2023.
Homedale had a two story depot, 26' x 26', with two one story wings 16' x 14', built in 1913. There were also a stockyard, a section house, and a bunk house. The pump house was built in 1913, along with a wood water tank on a steel tower, 24' diameter by 16' high, and a 503' deep well. In 1930 the gas pump had a capacity of 55 gpm. The electric pump in 1951 had a capacity of 50 gpm. The water tank was still standing at Homedale as late as 1951.
In 1930 Homedale had two stockpens with one double deck loading chute and a capacity of ten head of livestock in the immediate loading decks. The facilities were the same in 1936, but the capacity of the immediate loading deck was two head of livestock.[10] In 1951 there were four stockpens with one double deck loading chute and a capacity of twelve head of livestock in the immediate loading deck.
Petty (MP 25.89): This was the station built in between Homedale and Marsing when the branch was extended. It was not listed in the 1930 timetable.
Stacey (MP 27.5): This siding was named for Eugene Stacey OSL assistant engineer who located the Homedale Branch.
Claytonia (MP 31.0): This siding was named for the clay soil in the area.
Marsing (MP 33.13): The town was first settled by Earl Q. and Mark Marsing in 1913, and they platted the townsite and sold lots. They called the town Butte for the nearby Lizard Butte. The first settler, Walter Volkmer, came in 1922, and his son was the first postmaster in the following year. The name was changed to Marsing since the post office felt there were too many locations called Butte. Other people in the area knew it as Claytonia. When the railroad arrived they named it Erb, creating more confusion. The railroad had chosen to use “Erb” for George Erb, a member of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The name “Erb” was officially dropped on October 15, 1937, following unsuccessful efforts by the railroad to change the name of the town to Erb. The 2023 population of Marsing was 1256.
The depot was built in 1922, and was moved to the Owhyee County Museum, and it was restored in 2022, on its 100th anniversary. The depot site in Marsing is now occupied by Dollar General.
In 1930 Erb had two stockpens with one double deck loading chute and a capacity of eight head of livestock in the immediate loading decks. The facilities were the same in 1936, although the capacity of the immediate loading deck was ten head of livestock.[11] In 1951 Marsing, previously called “Erb”, had the same facilities.
| Station | Milepost | Elevation |
| Nyssa | 0.0 | 2180 |
| Adrian | 10.6 | 2229 |
| Napton | 16.9 | 2225 |
| Homedale | 24.5 | 2238 |
| Petty | 25.89 | 2235 |
| Marsing | 33.13 | 2252 |
Length of Main Track – 26.0 miles
Length of Side Track – 3.4 miles
Maximum grade ascending – 0.25%
Maximum grade descending – 0.25%
Total ascents (North) – 52’
Total descents (North) – 107’
Pile and Frame trestles – (9) 1260 linear feet
Total estimated costs – 29.4 miles track
Engineering - $20,000.00
Right of Way - $35,000.00
Grading – 182,300.00
Bridges & Culverts - $31,780.00
Ties - $78,895.00
Rails - $145,530.00
Frogs and Switches - $2,872.00
Track Fastenings - $26,340.00
Tracklaying and Surfacing - $52,900.00
Fencing right of way - $12,100.00
Crossings, signs, etc. - $1050.00
Telegraph Line - $5850.00
Station Buildings - $19,100.00
Round House, Turntable, etc. - $37,400.00
Water Stations - $17,600.00
Fuel Station - $1200.00
Miscellaneous Structures - $8480.00
Rental of Equipment - $5,000.00
General Expense - $71,000.00
Total cost - $684,379.00
Average cost per mile - $26,322.96
Cross ties were untreated, at $.92 each, 84,500 ties. Switch ties and bridge ties separate.
75# steel rail was to be used, either from the OSL or O-WRR&N.
60 Cattle guards at $50.00
Telegraph Line 26.0 miles @ $200.00
Stations Buildings:
Combination Depots & Platforms – 3 @ $3500.00
Freight Depots – 2 @ $2500.00
Combination Coal House – 3 @ $125.00
Water supply - $1,500.00
Contingencies - $1,500.00
Total - $10,100.00
Round House, Turntable, etc.:
Round House – 4 stalls, 1 @ $16,000.00
Turntable – 1 @ $7500.00
Ash Pit – 1 @ $3,000.00
Sand House – 1 @ $1,000.00
Oil House – 1 @ $1500.00
Water Supply, piping, etc., - $5,000.00
Contingencies - $3,400.00
Total - $37.400.00
Water Stations:
Water Tanks – 2 @ $3000.00 each
Water Column – 2 @ $1000.00
Pipe Line, pumping plants, etc., $9,000.00
Contingency - $1600.00
Total - $17,600.00
Fuel Station:
Coal Platform - $1200.00
Miscellaneous Structures:
Section Houses - 2 @ $1500.00
Jap Houses – 2 @ $500.00
Tool Houses – 4 @ $75.00
Privies – 4@ $35.00
Coal Bins – 4 @ $35.00
Track Scales – 1 @ $1500.00
Stock Yards – 2 @ 1200.00
Total - $8480.00
Rental of Equipment - $5000.00
[1] The Railway Age Gazette, 1-20-11, p. 143
[2] Railway Age Gazette, 2-17-11, p. 334
[3] Railway Age Gazette, 5-5-11, p. 1086
[4] Railway Age Gazette, December 1, 1911
[5] Union Pacific Annual report 6-30-12, p. 8
[6] Union Pacific Annual report, 6-30-13, p. 8
[7] Railway Age Gazette, 1-2-14, p. 53
[8] Railway Age Gazette, December 18, 1911
[9] Idaho Magazine, March 2006 p. 33
[10] Official Freight Shippers Guide and Directory, Union Pacific Railroad, p. 40
[11] Official Freight Shippers Guide and Directory, Union Pacific Railroad, p. 39
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