This is a photo of the two-car passenger train that ran daily between Tiburon and Eureka, this photo was taken at Ridgewood summit between Willits and Ukiah. This is the train that Spyrock mentioned, that traveled the Eel River Canyon. I'm not sure that the train ever had more that two cars, but when I took the train up the canyon back in 1961-2 it was a single car self-motorized.
"NWP Engineer Bill Silverthorn made an unscheduled 12:30PM stop at Ridge this winter day in early 1942. Grabbed his camera and made this wonderful snow scene while his engine's safety blew impatiently. No. 143, wearing her wartime headlight hood, was heavy power for the Tiburon-Eureka day train. The road foreman called her this morning to deal with any snowdrifts enroute, the evidence of which sticks to her pilot. - Fred Stindt collection, NWPRRHS."
o ernie tht is sooo bueatiful!!!
ReplyDeleteand so romantic . . .
my 2sents,
s
Ernie... What year was the last passenger train? There was an excursion train back in the 80s, I think.
ReplyDeleteBen
i like this picture, amazing
ReplyDeleteWhere does he come up with this great stuff?
ReplyDeleteCpr, these are the kinds of people that I have spent my life talking with, these are the kinds of people that I find to be extremely interesting, these are the kinds of people that some don’t talk to. These are the kind of people that I came from. These are, if I’m allowed to say, my people.
ReplyDeleteWe are talking about OUR history, we are talking a common language, that we all speak, once we know how to relate.
Some of the talk is wasted, but a lot of it is finding out who the other person is, and if they can be trusted. Some of the things that the old-timers from this canyon know, should not be told, and we all know that. Some things are intended to die with the person that knows them. We accept that. Some burdens are too great to place on someone else. We know and accept that. But, the relationships, and the way that we all connect is primal to us. Some stories take time, but we seem to get to common ground by finding out who each other is, and if we can be trusted. Needless to say, most of what we know will never be on this blog. But, some awfully good stories will!
You know CPR, that when it comes to language, you are my touchstone of correctness, the epitome, of wit and erudition. No matter what language, you have a mastery of how it works. My only desire is to be able to communicate with other people like me, and that is a two way street. If they wont talk to me, I can’t learn anything. My one desire is that they know that they can spell things wrong, use poor language skills, or anything else. Most of them know from talking that they can make themselves understood, and hopefully all of the “I before E” stuff goes out the window, and they just start communicating. That’s why I don’t allow language to be corrected here. We communicate, hopefully, and some times “It ain’t purty”.
I have a feeling that Spyrock has a lot more stuff still left to tell. He doesn’t want his own blog, and he is welcome here. If there are others out there that have and tales to tell, or Bullshistory, this is the place to tell them.
there were times along the railroad when special crews were needed, like the tunnel gang, extra crews for track repair, like when they had the great flood xmas time in 1955. these men lived in house railroad cars, many with their families. the last siding in the area for living cars was at bells springs, four miles north of spyrock. this location was remote to all but the railroad. when the children were brought along a box car outfitted as a school was brought along. this part time railroad car school at bell springs station became the simmerley emergency school. the maintenance of this school was a community project.
ReplyDeletei went to the county library today and had a genocide and vendetta in my hands for awhile. it was like brand new. of course, they won't let you check it out. you have to read it there.
imagine being a kid living out in the middle of no where in a house car going to school in a school car along the eel.
it would never happen anywhere else, you would have to realize what a unique experience you were having. you would have to enjoy it there.
What a beaut! I grew up near Tiburon and have family in Eureka and McKinleyville - wrong decade, though! I wouldn't have spotted the "wartime hood," either. Thanks for sharing the cool shot.
ReplyDeletefew years ago I spent 6 months at the end of spy rock road. I checked out the rail line and the old phone lines too, yea that's right folks had phones out there..i understand you could phone in a order for whatever and the train made stops for folks to pick up there things- right from the train. OMG when I heard that i was shocked cause we only had phone by satellite for a few hours a day, if. And had to drive into laytonville for are needs. They had it going on back then.
ReplyDeleteAnybody know much about Red Mountain, or Little Red Mountain?
ReplyDelete