What is the status of this railroad? Did it get swallowed up by BNSF? Or have some other fate? Boxcab E50
Ken, the McCloud is alive. I'm not so sure how "well" the freight business is, but the specials and excursions just keep on happening. I went on one of Martin Hansen's photographer's specials one year ago at the McCloud. It was great. Steam engineer Malen retired recently. Check out the latest news on Altamont Press. Altamont Press RR News
Well, that helped! Using those clues, I was able to quickly track down that the name was changed on July 1, 1992. It's now the McCloud Railway Company. Boxcab E50 [ 12. October 2003, 05:02: Message edited by: BoxcabE50 ]
I understand the one and only mill they were serving was to close. But last month I heard the mill received a huge contract and the McCRR is going strong with this new source of revenue. Their outstanding dinner train is an additional bonus to their operation.
I stumbled onto this info from the UP site: Short Line Directory McCloud Railway Company MCR #466 Nature of Firm MCR operates for freight service from Mt. Shasta to Burney, CA, 77.7 miles. A branch extends from Bartle to Hambone, CA, 19 miles. Connections are made with the UP at Mt. Shasta and with BNSF at Hambone, CA. Rail is 75-90 pound and the maximum load limit is 263,000 pounds. Traffic is outbound lumber, forest products and diatomaceous earth (used in filtering) -- about 3,000 cars a year. The railroad was incorporated Jan. 22, 1897, and opened from Mt. Shasta to McCloud, 17.8 miles in 1901. Regular passenger service was discontinued in 1952. Itel sold the company's assets to 4-Rails, Inc. on July 1, 1992. 4-Rails organized the current operating company. McCloud is owned by 4-Rails, Inc. (Jeff and Verline Forbis). Officers Jeff Forbis President Phone: 530-964-2141 Fax: 530-964-2250 Larry Smith Manager Administration Brenda Baldi Customer Service Agent
To all...I just stumbled onto this thread and joined so that I could respond. I hadn't heard anything about the one remaining mill closing until this thread. The railroad has two remaining freight shippers, both located in Burney. One is the Sierra Pacific Industries sawmill located just west of Burney, and the other is Dicalite, a major processor of Diatomaceous earth. Traffic out of SPI is lumber and woodchips, and it seems to vary from 14 to 60 cars a week, and Dicalite is good for only 5-7 cars a week. There are other, very sporadic shippers (primarily Hat Creek Construction in Burney), but these are very sporadic movements. Larry Smith left the railroad several years ago; Brenda still works there, doing such chores as crew calling, dispatching, ordering cars, agent work, etc. I have a website about the railroad...it is located at: http://www.trainweb.org/mccloudrails Take a look, let me know what you think. -Jeff Moore Elko, NV
Jeff- Welcome aboard!!! Very nice site! Love those train in snow photos you have in "Recent Updates." Boxcab E50
