Nostalgia & History > Could we have McCloud Monday?

Probably using the pre-Internet newsletter known as "Flimsies" to get an idea of the schedule, I took a day off from work in April 1985 and headed for McCloud early to catch the run to Mt. Shasta coming over the hill.
I called this location "Pierce" in my notes. IIRC it is the road that goes up to the ski area.

Photo 1 is #37 leading, while Photo 2 is #36 and #39,  the "helpers". Since this is after the switchback, I guess their roles were reversed leaving McCloud.

TJY



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/20 18:56 by icancmp193.

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Good stuff.

Tried it before and I ran out of photos pretty quick:

Date: 03/02/20 14:09
McCloud #25 Monday
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4968783,4968783#4968783



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/20 20:14 by TCnR.

McCloud River #25 and plow at Pierce Siding, January, 1967.

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Fantastic photos everyone! Thanks!

Pierce is indeed the summit between McCloud and Mt Shasta City. Used to have two sidings there where trains brought up in sections out of McCloud would be reassembled. By the 1960s one siding was gone and the other saw infrequent use, and plowing it out was a staple of many PLA winter trips, as seen in Brian’s photo.

A couple interesting notes.

1. Train is on one of the last major line changes the railroad effected, I think in 1974. Same year they doubled the length of the tail track at Signal Butte. Original line split off about where the #39/#36 are in the first photo, circled behind the photographer, and rejoined the current alignment just before the Ski Park Highway crossing.

2. On this train the #37 was the helper. In the middle ‘80s the road only had enough business to barely keep one full time engineer busy but the labor agreements required them to keep two on the payroll (and paid). In order to at least have that second engineer work they would add the helper engines to all Yard & Hill jobs and most Lookout jobs. The helper would be on the rear of both jobs departing McCloud, Yard & Hill jobs would use the helper for the whole run, while on Lookout jobs the helper would shove to Hambone, where the helper engine would either return to McCloud light or be added to the head end and the crew driven back to town, depending on tonnage.

3. Lastly, the two flats behind the #37 are MR 1000 and 1001. The #1000, coupled to the engine, started out as the prototype sliding door all door car, the very first one built, while the railroad cut the 1001 down from one of the other all door cars. They were used briefly in this time frame for intraline lumber moves between the P&M Cedar Mills in Mt Shasta and McCloud, and would very occasionally carry short haul lumber moves from one of the P&M plants to Roseburg in Weed. None of those moves lasted long. The railroad later installed log bunks on the 1001 in one of several unsuccessful tries to generate log traffic.

Thanks again!

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

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