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McCloud Rails : The Last Two Weeks? Page 4 |
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A tree came down across the tracks at this point. Railroad crews have already cleared the part of the tree fouling the tracks away. |
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About a mile from Berry the Sierra branch crawls upwards through this cut, known alternately as the Million Dollar Cut or Rattlesnake Cut. The seven loads brought the #37 down to a near crawl by the top of the hill. |
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Just before arriving back at Berry the Sierra branch crosses Burney Creek over a short bridge and then Black Ranch Road. Bob brought the #37 to a halt here and shut it down, ending another day. This picture is looking up at the quiet engine from the creekbed below the bridge. |
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One last shot of the #37 resting on the Burney Creek bridge. |
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Thursday, 22 June 2006 |
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McCloud employee Keith Jones drove down from McCloud early on this morning to fire up the #37 and do a quick inspection. Bob arrived at about a quarter to eight to start the long journey back to McCloud. |
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The #37 is coming off of the Sierra branch and is returning to the mainline. While waiting for this shot a skunk popped out of the brush not too far from me and scampered down the access road next to the tracks until he saw me, at which time he took off back into the brush. |
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The #37 passes through a cut less than a mile from the Highway 89 crossing at Lorenz. |
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The Lake Britton Bridge stands as the most famous spot on the railroad today, mostly due to its use in the filming of the movie Stand By Me. The #37 leads the loads across the bridge. |
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After crossing Lake Britton the railroad crawls up out of the south side of the Pit River Canyon, with the top of the canyon wall achieved on the edge of Cayton Valley. The current alignment crosses the original Pit River Railroad grade from the 1920's at this spot, with the current grade mostly obliterating the original grade. |
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Cayton starts the beginning of a long climb up towards Dead Horse Summit. Around Milepost 40 the railroad passes through this deep cut. Much of the drive into this spot from Highway 89 is on original roadbeds built by the McCloud River Lumber Company during their active harvest operations in the 1930's-early 1950's. |
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The #37 is seen here passing over Bear Creek. |
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A few miles farther on and the light has gone completely bad. The #37 is coming off of the Burney leg of the Bartle wye. Bob will pause here long enough to pick up the four boxcars brought down from Car A two days before. |
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After adding the boxcars onto the rear of the train the #37 starts back west for McCloud, passing the Bartle tank again in the process. |
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