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McCloud River Railroad : Passenger Operations: Excursion Photos
Dicalite Passenger Special 22 September 1986 |
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Commercial mining operations of the diatomaceous earth deposits around Lake Britton had been happening since the 1920s. The McCloud River Railroad had hauled the mineral at a couple points in its history, including a few cars shipped over the Pit River Railroad and then from a reload at Arkrite in the 1950s/1960s. Dicalite Corporation commenced mining a large deposit off the north shore of Lake Britton in the middle 1970s. The company wanted to ship by rail, and negotiations over making that happen lasted the better part of a decade. Dicalite really wanted direct rail service to their plant, and the railroad spent a good deal of money on engineering studies for a spur that would have left the mainline at or around Cayton and run to the plant, but restrictions associated with nesting bald eagles and other factors prevented any such ideas from progressing past the conceptual phase. Dicalite also had trouble getting acceptable rates to its major markets. Negotiations got serious again in the middle 1980s. On 22 September 1986 the railroad ran a passenger special for Dicalite. Two busloads of Dicalite and railroad officials rode in three leased passenger cars and the VIP caboose from Cayton to McCloud. The trip sealed the deal, and Dicalite started shipping both bagged and bulk products from a new reload established at Cayton shortly after this trip. All photos are by Wayne I. Monger. |
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The Dicalite special on the line. Wayne I. Monger. |
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The special at Bartle. |
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Another shot of the special at Bartle.
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