Along The Line:
Bartle
An early overview of Bartle. Heritage Junction Museum of McCloud, Inc.
A close up shot of the Bartle depot. Heritage Junction Museum of McCloud, Inc.
A later photo of the Barlte section camp as it was circa 1960. The railroad's hotel once sat on the right side of the photo, and the old depot site is beyond that. Note the old outfit carbodies in use as housing. Pacific Northwest Virtual Logging Data Center.
The Bartle livestock corrals lay on a spur built off the end of the balloon track that curved towards the highway. A Mikado is seen here spotting stock cars to be loaded with sheep. T.E. Glover.

Loading sheep at Bartle. T.E. Glover.

For a short while in the early 1980s Champion International loaded long logs destined for a power pole manufacturer at Bartle. #37 is picking up two loads. Wayne I. Monger photo.

The tank at Bartle was among several the railroad maintained after the steam era due to their usefulness for filling fire cars and other water needs along the line. It became one of the most popular photo locations in the subsequent excursion program. The McCloud River Rattler excursion from 1963 is putting on a show for the photo line at the tank. C.G. Heimerdinger Jr. photo, Jeff Moore collection.

The tank as it appeared in the early 1980s. Pat Driscoll photo, Jeff Moore collection.

The tank fell into disrepair after the second revival of the excursion program ended in 1986. A couple volunteers from the Feather River Rail Society repaired the tank prior to the special excursion with the #19 in the spring of 1994, but then a lack of maintenance and age started taking their toll. The McCloud Railway did not invest in repairing the tank again after launching its steam excursion program, and instead provided water by either spotting the fire car where needed or hiring water trucks to meet trains. By June 2006 the tank body had developed a significant list. Jeff Moore photo.
By August 2009 the tank was on the verge of collapse. Only the base remains today. Jeff Moore photo.

The only railroad structure in Bartle other than the tank in the last several decades of operation was this section shed, located west of the Medicine Lake Road crossing. It's seen here after abandonment. Jeff Moore photo.