Nostalgia & History > Mt.Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railroad 'Sampler'

Here are six photos from my album on the "Crookedst Railroad in the World"..
I thought I would run them for "Tony J.'s" drooling and those of the NWP Hist.Socy...

No notes of explanation this time-- I'm lazy tonight. Just neat photos.
ENJOY!!

Ken Shattock
(aka "Key Route Ken"...)

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And the show continues...

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And again..

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And once more...

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Interesting operation, huh ?

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Thank you for letting me share a few sample phoos from my Archives album.. Photos originally from the "Marvin Maynard Collection"...

Courtesy KRK Archives..

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KeyRouteKen Wrote:

> No notes of explanation this time-- I'm lazy
> tonight. Just neat photos.
> ENJOY!!

Let's see if I remember Al Graves and Ted Wurm's book well enough.

The first one is Heisler 9, one of only two Heisler's owned by the railroad, at the Mill Valley, CA station.

The second one is the final Tavern at the summit of Mt. Tamalpais, the one built after a fire consumed the previous, larger structure shown in the third photo. To the left is a Shay and a "gravity" car, on which patrons could coast down to the bottom of the mountain under gravity power. The observation cupola at the upper left is at the very peak of Mt Tamalpais.

The third one is Shay 5 in front of the old Tavern at the summit.

The fourth one is Shay 8, the only one of Mt. Tam's seven Shays to have a steel cab. This photo is in Graves and Wurm's book, and the engineer in the cab is identified, but I can't remember his name. After the scenic railroad was scrapped around 1930, the 8 went to work for Six Companies building Boulder (Hoover) Dam. It was destroyed in a collision with a cut of runaway gravel cars.

The fifth one is Shay 7, and the location appears to be Double Bow Knot, a spot about halfway up the mountain where the tracks weaved back and forth three times to gain elevation. It was the junction for the branch down to Muir Woods, hence the station platform. The 7 got caught in one of the many fires that swept up the mountain over the years, destroying the wooden cab. It was toward the end of the railroad's existence, and I don't think the Shay was repaired.

The sixth one is 0-4-0T #6, the railroad's only rod engine, used for local "commuter service" within Mill Valley.

How'd I do, Ken?

You're right, Ken. I drooled! - Tony J.

Looking at the first picture, I try to picture bringing "Roaring Camp & Big Trees RR" to downtown Mill Valley!
Thanks for posting Ken

Ken,

That's only the 3rd photo I've seen printed of Heisler #9; there's a builder's shot of it I got from Ted Wurm in the dining room of my erstwhile business car TAMALPAIS. The car was cantankerous just like that engine and both were from the '20s...

OJ

OJ-- Thank you for the response and glad you liked the photo. I'll probably find more.
I'm thinning my collection.. Too much stuff..

Some day when I visit the Bay Area again, I would love to have a tour of the TAMALPAIS, if possible. I'm coming down in September-'06. (hint!)

Cheers.

KRK

genrail1 Wrote:

> That's only the 3rd photo I've seen printed of
> Heisler #9;

It's possible to make your own photos of Heisler 9 - it is probably the only MT&MW locomotive still in existence. It wound up in the employ of Pacific Lumber, who put it on display in Scotia, CA in 1953.

http://www.schweich.com/imagehtml/DSCN1032sm.html

KeyRouteKen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OJ-- Thank you for the response and glad you liked
> the photo. I'll probably find more.
> I'm thinning my collection.. Too much stuff..
>
> Some day when I visit the Bay Area again, I would
> love to have a tour of the TAMALPAIS, if possible.
> I'm coming down in September-'06. (hint!)
>
> Cheers.
>
> KRK


You'd enjoy it Ken. I took a tour inside many years ago when it was on the Santa Cruz Branch. I took videos of my tour. - Tony J.

Ken, Great contribution, as usual. My Dad, THE Agentatascadero, once rode, in 1930 or '31, the Mt Tam line, and the gravity car downgrade. And, as you must already know, the Tamalpias is now the ATSF 33, and is quite handsome in her new garb. AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

"...thinning my collection." What do you do with the items you don't want? Perhaps you could give them to someone who could digitize them for everyone to enjoy.