The Sunday excursion started off with
another safety meeting with Dave
McClain leading. The plan was now to just head to McCloud with
the choice of staying the day in McCloud or continue on to Shasta City
via
the Shasta Branch. We
started towards McCloud with a stop at MP 13 for a chance to visit a
rail bus which has been left on a disconnected track in the
trees.
We were able to find it several
hundred yards off the main
line where it has been deteriorating for many years.
The roof
has been caved in at the rear from heavy snowfall over the years.
Some large timbers have been placed inside to shore up the roof.
Other than that, it is somwhat intact.
Some of the more
historically technically inclined visitors such as John Martin (West
Side Lumber Company motorcar) were able to explain the
bus' mechanical workings. There seems to be interest in moving
and restoring
the bus, although it is unclear what group will do so.
Having finished up our visit off the rails, we continued without
incident to McCloud. Our choice was to head up the Shasta
Branch. Following us to McCloud and Shasta was John Martin and
his friend in his West Side Lumber Company motorcar. I did not
notice anything unusual about the photograph until reviewing the
photographs in Anchorage Alaska in mid June with my friends where
someone pointed out the ocucpants were driving by the seat of their
pants. Way to go John!
Once past McCloud, the vintage Fairmont
belt car in front of us had a little trouble on the up grade so we
connected a metal bar and pushed them from Hooper to Signal Butte, the
switchback. Of course, motorcar owners have their own lingo
with a belt car being called a "popper" due to the sound the motor
makes.
Due to the topography, the railroad builders had to
install a switchback to make the railroad work. According to the
timetable, it has a lenght of 2861 feet or capacity of about 27
cars. The views from the switchback at Signal Butte were
beautiful.
After a short break for turning cars, we then continued
through the diverge and onto Shasta City. The track on the right
comes
from McCloud going downhill. The Shasta Branch continues uphill.
