TrainWeb.org Facebook Page
Equipment/Rolling Stock Roster

McCloud Rails
Equipment Roster
McCloud Railway Coaches

The McCloud Railway purchased a total of five of these ex-VIA Rail cars in the 1995/1996 time period for use on excursions. The railroad initially leased the first two cars- both coaches- from the Feather River Rail Soceity for use on the 1996 Trains Unlimited Tours excursion, with the railroad purchasing the pair shortly afterwards. The railroad purchased the other three cars from another source a short time later.

The railroad initially numbered the cars as follows:

MR 1- Duplex sleeping car, named Edgeley
MR 2 or 4- Lightweight cafe/lounge car, ex-VIA #750 (car has been stenciled with both numbers)
MR 3- Baggage/dorm car, likely rebuilt by VIA from a roomette/sleeper
FRWX #5742 and #5743- Coaches

The railroad created some overlap and confusion in this series when it stenciled the two ex-Feather River cars "MR 3" and "MR 4" prior to leasing the pair to the Modoc Northern Railroad for a special excursion that road operated in 2005. McCloud Railway sold the two coaches to the owner of the Yreka Western for use on the Wallowa-Union Railroad in June 2012; however, the cars only made it as far as Mt. Shasta and have been returned to McCloud. All five cars remain in McCloud pending disposition.

MC17.jpg
Two of the ex-VIA cars (#2/#4, left, and #3, right) spliced by the Orton crane.  Photo is by Peter Ely and is from the Drew Toner collection.

#1- McCloud, CA, 5/2007.

#3- McCloud, CA, 5/2007

#2/#4- McCloud, CA, 5/2007

FRWX #5742 and #5743 were the only two of the coaches that saw service on the McCloud. They were used on all special excursions. Photo by and courtesy of Peter Ely.

Another shot of the coaches- now marked MR 3 and MR 4- in McCloud in August 2010.