Western Railroad Discussion > McCloud Railway Abandonment Notices

Public notices about the impending abandonment of the entire line of the McCloud Railway are appearing in local newspapers this week.

Railroad is proposing to abandon the entire railroad east of McCloud, with common carrier operations discontinued on the McCloud-Mt Shasta City section and the trackage converted to "industrial trackage".

JDLX
Elko, NV

so if they are closeing and all, what about that dinner train they have? their schedule still shows it running through the end of this year? whats going on?

The dinner train is why the McCloud-Mt. Shasta City line will be retained as "Industrial Trackage". The announcement indicates that common carrier service over this line will be discontinued, but the actual tracks will remain in place as a private industrial carrier...

JDLX
Elko, NV

What is the significance of making the track "Industrial Trackage"? Does this mean the FRA has no further authority as far as track safety inspections, etc. Does this put the FRA out of the picture?

If I read it right, anybody could run an engine. No federal regulation as far as track conditions either. They are making it even harder for someone to take over the line to Burney and interchage traffic.

I think "industrial" trackage relieves the owners of certain FRA reporting and oversight requirements. Also, I think there are maybe changes to how insurance works.

Why wouldn't MCR want to have anybody else operate to Burney?

Reclassifying the trackage as "industrial" ends the common carrier status of the line. That removes a lot of reporting requirements that the railroad has to do...it also removes the railroad from a lot of regulatory oversight from the state and federal levels that it is currently subject to.

The railroad can still haul freight, but it is will not be able to participate in rate divisions, and it will lose the power of condemnation and other benefits that come with being a common carrier.

I don't think that the McCloud would be adverse to letting someone else try their hand at running the railroad...after all, the railroad has been for sale for quite a while now, and anyone with the spare cash to buy it and try it could have had the railroad a long time ago by now. However, the railroad as it now stands is not a paying proposition. The McCloud has been run as a bare-bones operation for at least the last seven years, and deferred maintenance is starting to catch up with the railroad in so many places. The freight business from Burney has been breaking even at best for the last seven years, and more often than not loses money.

The notice reads that the conversion to industrial trackage will take place after the railroad receives permission to abandon, and anyone who wishes to step forward with offers for financial assistance or other proposals to try to save the railroad will have ample opportunity to make their case to the STB before that decision is reached.

JDLX
Elko, NV