Steam locomotive No. 25 on its way from McCloud to Oregon 30 Mar 2011 as seen from Lake Street Interstate 5 overpass in Mount Shasta.

6 April 2011

Independent Shortline Railroad Company
Ends 114 Year Run in McCloud

McCloud California USA - Amid little fanfare, the colorful age of steam on McCloud rails officially came to a close last Wednesday. The last surviving oil-burning steam locomotive No. 25 and its tender were loaded onto separate low-boys and trucked away to a destination many miles from their "home rails."
 
The engine and tender will be put to work for their new owners, the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in Garibaldi, Oregon. The OCSR runs train rides similar to those that were run by McCloud Railway, offering excursions, special excursions, and a dinner train.
 
As the 134 foot, 13 axle, semi-trailer bearing the historic engine moved at a snail's pace down Broadway Avenue, word of the sale and departure spread. Before long, people gathered around the engine.
 
The drive from the train shed to Highway 89 took almost an hour, making frequent stops for workers to check binders and allow power company employees with long poles to lift electrical lines along the route. Many McCloud residents tagged along, talking, taking pictures, and voicing some disdain to see the train go. It brought several residents to tears to witness, as they put it, "another vestige of McCloud's history go away."
 
"I'm very sad about it," said McCloud resident and business owner Jim Ellis. "I was hoping there was a way we could work something out and keep the train. It's another terrible blow to our small community, and we're going to miss being a railroad town. It's a sad, sad, day."
 
"It's a sad day for McCloud when 100 years of our heritage is being parcelled out bit by bit," said resident Margo Grissom. "I think it is a mistake. I believe in the next 30 years, 75 percent of our freight is going to go off the highways and onto the railroads."
 
In an on-site interview with attorney Martin Hansen from Bend, Oregon, who negotiated the terms of the sale between the two parties and spearheaded the daunting task of safely moving the engine and tender to its final destination, he disclosed that the railroad is in the process of being sold. "It's in escrow now and I assume it should close within 10 days," Hansen said.
 
He said he understands how McCloud residents feel. "It's also a bittersweet time for us, too, that worked on the McCloud, then see it fade away. We enjoyed it. It was a vibrant railroad, a beautiful setting for over a hundred years. The people in McCloud should be very thankful that in 1992 Jeff (Forbis) took it upon himself to buy this railroad, because otherwise in '92 it would have been scrapped by Itel... and, quite frankly, Jeff bought it and gave this town a real boost for the next 20 years."
 
Hansen said losing the mill shipments down in Burney and the souring economy contributed to the railroad's demise. "Jeff couldn't keep it going on hopes and dreams," he added.
 
"There is some consolation here. The train is going to one of the best railroads in the country." Forbis said.
 
"A fellow that lives back east and owns some railroads in Idaho will be the new owner," said Hansen. "He is the party who scrapped the abandoned tracks east of McCloud. He bought the corporations that own the rail equipment, the rail cars, and such. We haven't decided if he is going to be buying any of the real property or not. He will have operating rights to the use of the engine house here and rebuilt diesel locomotive."
 
Hansen said "the new owner indicated when he closes he will take some of the passenger cars to one of his railroads in Idaho, but he intends to leave some form of an excursion train down here. Most of the rail cars you see here on the property are going to get cut up."
 
No. 25 was one of four Prairies from American Locomotive Company. They were numbered 22-25 and were purchased in 1925 for a total cost of $90,000. It was was the largest and last locomotive purchased by the McCloud River Railroad and, for the next 31 years, began its sole purpose of hauling logs.
 
Though never officially retired, it was stored in June, 1955, when the railroad put its first General Electric diesel in service. It was brought out a month later in July, for the Golden Spike Run down to Burney.
 
Stored again, it remained on the property until 1962 when it was brought out again for special excursions.
 
This era ended in 1975 but not before it traveled to the Tidewater Southern Railway in Central California to be used in the movie "Bound for Glory."
 
In 1977 the McCloud River Railroad came under new ownership, then railroad president Bill Herndon was ordered to scrap No. 25. He somehow convinced the new owners that the steam locomotive was still a valuable asset, and it was saved.
 
In 1982 it was leased to the Great Western Railroad Museum, which ran it on several excursions on the McCloud. In 1986 it was used in the movie "Stand by Me." Soon after, in a breach of contract lawsuit filed by Great Western Railroad Museum against the McCloud River Railroad, the Museum was granted possession of the locomotive and stored it on McCloud property.
 
New McCloud Railway Company owner Jeff Forbis, got the title back in January 1996 and began restoring it. On Labor Day 1997 it was back in service, making occasional excursions. In February 2001, McCloud Railway Company steam locomotive No. 18 re-entered service on McCloud rails and ran an historic "double-header" excursion with No. 25. It operated sporadically between 2007-2010, making its final excursion run to Mount Shasta on 2 Nov 2008.
 
Over the span of 86 years the old workhorse had seen service for three principle companies:  The McCloud River Railroad, The McCloud River Lumber Company, and the McCloud Railway Company.
 
"Steam locomotives weren't replaced because they couldn't do the job, but because they couldn't do the job as efficiently as diesels," said one railroader.
 
Of the 220 surviving steam locomotives in California only about 70 are still operational while the rest are in private hands, on display, or are being restored.
 
OCSR president Scott Wickert said the engine and tender would get great care. "We intend to leave the number 25 and the MCRR logos on both," he said, "and when people ask us about it we will tell the them a little history about McCloud and their railroad."
 
Over the past few years McCloud has witnessed the loss of bits and pieces of its history and heritage as well as the pride that went along with it. In December of 1990, the historic McCloud River Railroad lost its beautiful and historic depot building in a fire.
 
In January 2005, the old workhorse steam locomotive No. 18 was sold to the Virginia & Truckee Restoration Committee in Nevada and was trucked out of town in 2006.
 
Last year McCloud residents witnessed the auctioning off of all historical hospital items, antiques, furniture, and early-day collectibles from the historic McCloud hospital. It had been operating as a museum and bed and breakfast and had officially closed its doors by default.
 
The latest casualties, No. 25, the dinner train, and the railroad, doesn't leave a lot for anyone else to load up and take away. A few of the restored historic buildings in town, and the remaining hollowed out buildings scattered about the mill property are about all that is left to signify that McCloud at one time was a vibrant, bustling, lumber, mill, and railroad town.
 
Malen Johnson, who retired from the McCloud Railway Company in 2004 after spending 40 years in the engineer's seat said, "It makes me feel like the doors are closing... all the horses are gone, and they just finished closing the door. It's crazy. It's too bad, but life will go on."
 
·  Sources for the McCloud history details in this article include "Pine Across the Mountain" by Robert M Hauft, "Rails Around McCloud" by Jeff Moore, the McCloud Rails Home Page News updates, and personal interview with Raymond Piltz, and Martin Hansen.
 
Gene Eagle.