Ground was broken 14 February 1905 on construction of 11 miles of track from Exeter to Lemon Cove.
Operations began on 1 July, 1906 using steam locomotives.
On 22 February 1908, the system was first electrified from Visalia to Lime Kiln (Terminus Beach).
The existing Southern Pacific tracks from Visalia to Exeter were electrified and used as the first leg of the system for passenger service, but freight loads were interchanged with Southern Pacific steam powered freight trains at Exeter.
Electric operations began on 5 March 1908 utilizing two combination passenger with baggage section motor cars with pantographs for current pickup from the overhead wire, two passenger only motor cars similarly equipped, two unpowered passenger cars for powered cars to tow, and a 47-ton Baldwin-Westinghouse box cab freight locomotive.
Motor powered equipment carried on-board transformers and rectifiers to convert the 3300 volt AC to the DC required by the traction motors.

The line originated at the Visalia train station on the southeast corner of Garden and Oak Streets.
 In 1916 a new depot was built on the block just west, the second block north and the second block east of the center of town (Court and Main Streets.).
 The stations served both the Southern Pacific and the Visalia Electric.

In 1907 and 1908, offices, the main substation, a carbarn, and a rail yard were built in Exeter to serve as the operations center of the railroad.
 In 1909 the line was extended from Citro Junction, just north of Lemon Cove, west through what became Woodlake to Redbanks with a spur north to Elderwood.
This rail termination was the gateway to Sequoia National Park.
By 1912 the timetable included 23 daily passenger trains through Exeter.

The line was extended from Exeter to Strathmore in 1916 - 1918.
 This part of the line was not electrified, but used two 64-ton, 350 hp (260 kW) General Electric model GES gas-electric locomotives numbered 401 and 402 built for Southern Pacific as the third and fourth internal combustion, electric transmission locomotives manufactured in the United States.
The line extended 16.4 miles south, paralleling the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe line, to Strathmore.

An isolated segment east of Porterville was built in 1916; it went from Tule Jct (1 mile east of Porterville) to Magnolia with a spur to Sunland.
 A proposed extension past Porterville to Ducor was never built.
 On 1919 Aug 01 this line was conveyed to the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad.

Locomotives on the electrified part of the railroad used single-phase, 15-hertz electric current at 3,300 volts drawn from an overhead catenary and converted to DC on board for use by the traction motors.
 Three-phase, 60-hertz electric current at 35,000 volts was bought from the Mount Whitney Power Company and converted at Exeter.
 A single bracket-type catenary using 7/16-inch steel messenger was suspended 22 feet above the rail on poles 120 ft apart, supporting 3/0 trolley wire.
 The locomotives used sliding shoe-type pantograph trolley exerting an upward force of ten pounds on the wire.
Ground was broken 14 February 1905 on construction of 11 miles of track from Exeter to Lemon Cove. Operations began on 1 July, 1906 using steam locomotives. On 22 February 1908, the system was first electrified from Visalia to Lime Kiln (Terminus Beach). The existing Southern Pacific tracks from Visalia to Exeter were electrified and used as the first leg of the system for passenger service, but freight loads were interchanged with Southern Pacific steam powered freight trains at Exeter. Electric operations began on 5 March 1908 utilizing two combination passenger with baggage section motor cars with pantographs for current pickup from the overhead wire, two passenger only motor cars similarly equipped, two unpowered passenger cars for powered cars to tow, and a 47-ton Baldwin-Westinghouse box cab freight locomotive. Motor powered equipment carried on-board transformers and rectifiers to convert the 3300 volt AC to the DC required by the traction motors.
The line originated at the Visalia train station on the southeast corner of Garden and Oak Streets.  In 1916 a new depot was built on the block just west, the second block north and the second block east of the center of town (Court and Main Streets.).  The stations served both the Southern Pacific and the Visalia Electric.
In 1907 and 1908, offices, the main substation, a carbarn, and a rail yard were built in Exeter to serve as the operations center of the railroad.  In 1909 the line was extended from Citro Junction, just north of Lemon Cove, west through what became Woodlake to Redbanks with a spur north to Elderwood. This rail termination was the gateway to Sequoia National Park. By 1912 the timetable included 23 daily passenger trains through Exeter.
The line was extended from Exeter to Strathmore in 1916 - 1918.  This part of the line was not electrified, but used two 64-ton, 350 hp (260 kW) General Electric model GES gas-electric locomotives numbered 401 and 402 built for Southern Pacific as the third and fourth internal combustion, electric transmission locomotives manufactured in the United States. The line extended 16.4 miles south, paralleling the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe line, to Strathmore.
An isolated segment east of Porterville was built in 1916; it went from Tule Jct (1 mile east of Porterville) to Magnolia with a spur to Sunland.  A proposed extension past Porterville to Ducor was never built.  On 1919 Aug 01 this line was conveyed to the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad.
Locomotives on the electrified part of the railroad used single-phase, 15-hertz electric current at 3,300 volts drawn from an overhead catenary and converted to DC on board for use by the traction motors.  Three-phase, 60-hertz electric current at 35,000 volts was bought from the Mount Whitney Power Company and converted at Exeter.  A single bracket-type catenary using 7/16-inch steel messenger was suspended 22 feet above the rail on poles 120 ft apart, supporting 3/0 trolley wire.  The locomotives used sliding shoe-type pantograph trolley exerting an upward force of ten pounds on the wire.
Visalia Electric Railroad