After we got our fill of the
derailment at Curtis, the motorcars with turntables were reversed
and the others without a turntable were run to the closest
crossing and turned. Before we left, one car had some mechanical
issue and would not start. The large yellow motorcar with the
ATSF logo did not want to start.. In this case, too many chefs in
the kitchen was a good thing. I wandered away before the problem
was solved which turned out to be a coil wire.
The mountains of northern California
are heavily wooded and have been
harvested over the last century. The McCloud Railway and
predescessor company McCloud River Railroad owe their existance to the
timber industry. In an era before more environmentally friendly
harvesting methods, areas were clear cut. Therefore, tracts of
land were just cleared of trees. The McCloud Railway still hauls
lumber products from Burney to its interchange poiint in Shasta with
the Union Pacific Railroad, although the Burney Branch is in danger of
being abandoned.
The traverse back to Burney was not
without mishap. One car being
towed found
a wide spot on the track and derailed without any damage to the
car. The spot was marked for the following cars to notice
and cross over carefully. Paper towels are visible just under the
nose of the ex CN motorcar.
Many nice views were available on the return to Burney.
