Rails Around McCloud

California's northeastern corner is dominated by the 14,162-foot-tall presence of Mount Shasta. On the southeastern flank of the great mountain lies the picturesque town of McCloud. The McCloud River Railroad established its operational headquarters in the town in 1897. The next seven decades saw the railroad and the affiliated McCloud River Lumber Company carve hundreds of miles of railroad into the pine forests and lava beds east of McCloud, eventually reaching as far as Lookout to the east and the Burney Basin to the south. The McCloud River Railroad eked out a living hauling lumber, diatomaceous earth, and occasional tourists until 1992, when the new McCloud Railway Company purchased the property. In 1996, the new owners launched the Shasta Sunset Dinner Train to supplement the declining freight business. Economic conditions forced the railroad to abandon the entire railway east of McCloud in 2006, but the dinner train has kept rolling, keeping the rails west of McCloud shiny.

Author: Jeff Moore
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC)
Published: 01/09/2008
Pages: 127
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 9.23h x 6.50w x 0.39d
ISBN: 9780738555645

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 05/01/2009 pg. 282

About the Author
Moore, Jeff: - Author Jeff Moore grew up less than a mile from the Lake Britton Bridge, which led to a fascination with the McCloud railroads from an early age. Images of Rail: Rails Around McCloud brings the entire history of these unique enterprises to life in over 200 photographs from private and public collections.