McCloud River Railroad : Passenger Operations: Excursion Photos

Trains Unlimited Special 2005
In early July 2005, the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) held its annual convention in Portland, Oregon. Trains Unlimited Tours chartered a special train that was supposed to run from the Bay Area north to Portland via the UP/BNSF "High Line"- Oroville, Keddie, Nubieber, Klamath Falls, Chemult, Bend, and Wishram. The train would then have gone down to Columbia River gorge to Portland. However, a month before the trip date UP withdrew permission to use its portion of that route, and instead the special had to run up the old SP mainline through Redding.

Trains Unlimited original plans called for several historic diesels to power the special north. However, one by one the planned diesels became unavailable, and in the end the special would be powered with a pair of Amtrak locomotives and an ex-VIA Rail F-unit repainted into the classic Southern Pacific "Black Widow" paint scheme. The change in routing also gave Trains Unlimited a chance to add some connecting shortlines to the route, including the McCloud Railway. The final schedule for the train showed it operating on Saturday, 2 July 05, from Emeryville, CA, to McCloud, CA. Passengers would overnight in various motels around the Mt. Shasta City/McCloud area, with the train continuing north on Sunday, 3 July 05.

The photographs on this page document the two days that the passenger train operated over the McCloud Railway Company.
One of the historic locomotives originally scheduled to pull the consist was ex-Western Pacific GP-20 #2001, currently the property of the Feather River Rail Society and housed in their Portola Railroad Museum. However, the unit was removed from the consist shortly before the train was to run. The McCloud Railway approved the use of the unit on its trackage, however, and TUT sent the unit to Mt. Shasta City. The #2001 is seen here parked in the interchange tracks in Mt. Shasta City on Friday, 1st July 2005, waiting the arrival of the schedule the following day. Roger Titus photo
The NRHS special arrives in Mt. Shasta City, already running well behind schedule. George Landrock photo
McCloud Railway #37 was waiting for the special along with the WP #2001 at the upper end of the yard. The special backed into a middle track, resulting in this shot of the three diesels parked alongside each other. George Landrock photo
The McCloud Railway broke the TUT special into two sections before leaving Mt. Shasta City, with the Amtrak units left behind. WP #2001 and the F-unit powered the first section up the hill, with the #37 handling the second section by itself. The first section is seen here grinding up the hill not far out of Mt. Shasta City. George Landrock photo
Another shot of the first section of the train. George Landrock photo
The second section grinding up the hill behind the #37. The #37 developed mechanical problems, and eventually the crew employed a broomstick to jam a relay open so that the locomotive would keep operating. George Landrock photo
Another shot of the first section rolling uphill. George Landrock photo
One more shot of the first section. George Landrock photo
Michael Zetocha was the engineer for the first section. He is seen here sitting in the cab of the #2001. George Landrock photo
Looking forward at the power for the first section from on board the train. Ken Storey photo
The crew continues to try to diagnose the #37's mechanical problems on the way up the hill. George Landrock photo
The NRHS special was supposed to arrive in McCloud before the regularly scheduled Shasta Sunset Dinner Train left town. However, the special ran late, and the dinner train met the special at Signal Butte. The first section has already gone into the very tail end of the switchback, and the second section is approaching the switchback as the #38 waits for the special to clear. George Landrock photo
The #37 leading the second section into the switchback tail track. Ken Storey photo
Once the second section of the special was tucked into the tail track, the dinner train followed course. Many of the passengers on the special had tickets to ride the dinner train that night, and those passengers switched trains here. Engineer Malen Johnson is standing next to the front steps of the #38. Ken Storey photo
The #38 looking forward at the Milwaukee Road skytop observation car that brought up the rear of the NRHS special at Signal Butte. Once the passengers settled back into the trains the dinner train backed out of the switchback, heading uphill, while the two sections of the NRHS special went the other way down towards McCloud. Ken Storey photo
Early the next morning the SP F-unit sits in front of the McCloud shop building. Roger Titus photo
The Milwaukee Road observation car sitting in front of the shop building. Roger Titus photo
Another shot of the Milwaukee observation car. Roger Titus photo
The first section of the special departing McCloud behind the #37. Roger Titus photo
The first section slips past the #38 and out of the upper end of the yard. Roger Titus photo
The second section starting its departure from McCloud after the first section is safely away. Roger Titus photo
The power for the second section bathed in the morning light at Signal Butte. Roger Titus photo
As noted previously, the passengers on the special spent the night in various hotels scattered throughout the region. Buses used to transport the passengers back from the hotels met the two sections of the train at various points to reload passengers. The first section has paused to load passengers farther down the grade, forcing the second section to halt at Big Canyon until the tracks are clear. Roger Titus photo
Another shot of the second section paused at Big Canyon. Roger Titus photo
Once the first section cleared the second section backed down the hill to Everett Memorial Highway, where several buses waited with passengers for the train. The train has paused on the grade crossing while the passengers get on board. Roger Titus photo
The second section approaching Mt. Shasta City. The two Amtrak units are waiting on the yard lead for the train. Roger Titus photo
The second section approaching the first section, about to make a joint. The #37 has already been cut off and moved to another track. Roger Titus photo
The second section has made the joint with the first. Roger Titus photo
The #37 and the two historical units side by side in the yard, with the Amtrak units waiting in the distance. Roger Titus photo
Once the special train was re-assembled, the #2001 and the F-unit pulled ahead so that the Amtrak units could back down to the waiting train. Roger Titus photo
The F-unit was to lead the special on north, and after the Amtrak units backed down to the train it uncoupled from the #2001 and backed down to tie on the front of the train. Roger Titus photo
The F-unit has coupled onto the Amtrak units, and the special is ready to depart north. However... Roger Titus photo
...it became quickly apparent that the F-unit was suffering from mechanical problems relating to the air brake system. Officials from the various organizations involved are discussing what to do next. Roger Titus photo
The officials quickly concluded that the F-unit could not lead the train north, and it was set out in the yard. The Amtrak units are to continue on by themselves. Note that the magnetic herald has been removed from the nose of the F-unit. Roger Titus photo
The Amtrak units lead the special out of the north end of the yard and off of McCloud trackage. Roger Titus photo
The Milwaukee observation brings up the rear as Black Butte looks on. Roger Titus photo
McCloud Railway management offered to make repairs on the F-unit. The #2001 and the #37 left Mt. Shasta, bound for McCloud, before the decision was made, and they had to return to Mt. Shasta City to pick up the unit. The #37 has just coupled to the front of the F-unit, and the two of them frame Mt. Shasta nicely. Roger Titus photo
The three units together in the Mt. Shasta yard, preparing for departure. Roger Titus photo
On the way home the three units paused at Big Canyon for photos. Roger Titus photo
Another shot of the three units at Big Canyon. Roger Titus photo
The three units sitting back in McCloud in the makeup yard. Roger Titus photo
A broadside shot of the #2001 with Mt. Shasta in the background. Roger Titus photo
By the following morning the units had been switched around so that the F-unit was in the front and moved to the shop lead. Roger Titus photo
One last photo of the three units together in front of the shop. Roger Titus photo