The Western Railroader "For the Western Railfan"
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Supee Slmnlt editiclt $1°0 CALIFORNIA WESTERN RAILROAD REGULAR PASSENGER SERVICE IS HANDLED OY SKUNK The Western Railroader "For the Western Railfan" California Western's "Super Skunk" Steam Train Steam engine 45 headed the 'SUPER SKUNK' on the Cali fornia Western Railroad between Fort Bragg and Willits on the in augural run on July 9, 1965 'Hith 320 seats full to cap>lcity. The Western Railroader For the Western Hoillon "Super Skunk" steam engine No. 45 at Fort Bragg on July 9, 1965 with roundhouse repairman on the running baord cheching-out the running gear. The "Skunk" ill-lOO leaves Fort Bragg ahead of the press special on July 8, 1965 with a full seated load. The Western Railroader "FOR THE WESTERN RAILFAN" ..... P.O. Box 668, Son Mateo, California ~8 FRANCIS A. GUIDO, £diJor·Publisher o ' Jack Gibson. John P. Carrick. Assistant Editors •.. ~.....::,.~. The Western Railroader The "Super Skunk" parked on the line at Alpine while the company officials and the press enjoy a picnic on July 8, 1965. THE SUP E R SKU NK On July 10,1965, the California Western Rail road inaugurated a steam passenger service supplementing its existing "skunks". The new equipment, consisting of a Mikado-type, 2-8-2 locomotive and four coaches, is the only steam operated passenger run in the far west. The locomotive was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Owen-Oregon Lumber Company, which became the Medford Corporation. The 58045 was originally used as a logging engine and later as a switch engine at the Medford Corporation piant, with the same organization, working in the same area, for its entire existence. California Western Railroad purchased the engine from Medford and changed its number from 3 to 45, following CWR's regular steam numbering sequence. Officials for California Western immediately sent No. 45 to its Fort Bragg shops for a complete overhaul and restoration, including retubing and repairing of the firebox. The company retained famed San Francisco industrial designer Walter Lander and Associates, who created a color scheme for the new Super Skunk consisting of brilliant vermil ion, cool red, gold, and black, creating an aura of 19th century elegance. The probiem was to locate older, shorter coaches. in good condition, since more modern construction tends toward longer cars. They finally located four with the The Western Railroader The "Super Skunk" leaves Fort Bragg on July 9, 1965, on the inaugural trip of invited guests. Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. These coaches were of the 2300 series, specifically, 2300, 2332, 2343 and 2345. They were built in 1926, from designs by L.B. Stillwell of about 1912, and are somewhar unusual in construction with a roll-shaped roof. Each coach is 72 feet long. "Super Skunk" leaves Fort 13J'agg at 10:00 A.!I\. daily arrives at Willits at 12:30 P.M. The return run leaves Willits at 2:20 P.M. and arrives at Fort Bragg 4:40 P.M. Diesel-powered rail buses are also scheduled. Passen- gers can "mix rides", taking steam one way, and return via rail bus. ROSTER CHANGFS Locomotives No. Ty])e Cyl. Dvs. I'leigh t LE. B.P. Builder Date Ser ia1 45 2-8-2 19x24 44 120,900 30,000 180 B'lld>lin 1926 #58045 O"ens -Oregon Lumber Co. #3; Hedford Corporation #3, Purchased 1965 Motor Cars H-80 >!l"ecked 1959, rebui1 t 1961, ,-,reeked in 1964 and retired. H-100 >!l"ecked in 1964, rebuilt 1965 adding 6 more feet in length. M-300 83 passengers 64' long, >:eight 52600 American Car & Foundery 1935 ex-Aberdeen &Rockfish, ex-Salt Lake, Garfield &Western M-3, pur chased in 1963, rebuilt in 1964 to eliminate baggage section. The Western Railroader CALIFORNIA WESTERN RAILROAD 'SUPER SKUNX' August, 1970, the Mallet steam locomotive, No. 46, goes into service on the "Super Skunk" to provide extra pulling-power for added cars when needed. Mallet steam locomotive, No. 46, at North Spur on September 20, 1970 after rebuilding from a tank locomotive as Rayonier Lumber No. 111. The Western Railroader • Page Five CALIFORNIA WESTERN RAILRCA~ 'SUPER SKUNK" The "Super Skunk" drifts through the live Oak just outside of Willits Eastbound on Sept. 5, i970, with ihe Mallet, No. 46, on the head end. "Double-headed Steam" with Mallet, No. 46, and Mike, No. 45, on the famed "Loop" near Claire Millon ihe c+eep grade on the Eastern poriion of the Cal-~estern. The Western Railroader • Page Six CALIfORNIA WESTERN RAILROAD NSU~ER SKUNK' The Mallet, No. 46, in service on September 5, 1970 drifting downhill from summit Eastbound into Willits. The Mallet, No. 46, taking water at Fort Bragg prior to going out on the "Super Skunk" on Sept. 5, 1970. The Western Railroader • Page Seven CALIFORNIA WESTERN RAILROAD "SUPER SXUNX" Doubleheaded ~team at Claire Mill with engines 45 and 46 on the Central Coast Railfan Special train September 20 9 1970, with some 300 fans on board. Double-headed steam at Milepost 14 in the canyon of the Noyo River with engines 45 and 46 heading the Central Coast Railfan Special at a posed picture run. The Western Railroader • Page Eight "Skunk" ,\\-100 at Fort Bragg on July 9, 1965, shows the added length of lts 1965 rebuilding--compare with views on page two of issue 212. "Skunk" ,\1-200 at Fort Bragg on July 8,1965, in the new silver and yellow paint job with black striping. "Skunk" ,\\-300 at Fort Bragg on July 8, 1965, as rebuilt as an all-passenger motor. The Western Railroader • Out on the line the "Super Skunk" comes around one of the curves of the Noyo River with a giant redwood in the foreground, on July 8, 1965 press preview excursion. It;.~~~: The same spot as above with the engine a bit forward of the tree-the cover view is also taken at this location. A "Skunk" and "Super Skunk" at Fort Bragg on July 8, 1965 just prior to the press run the day before regular service started. The Western Railroader • The press-preview "Super Skunk" makes a stop out on the line for a meet witha regular "Skunk" on July 8, 1965. A meet out in the woods between the Super Skunk press r,review trip of July 8, 1965, and the re!}llar afternoon 'skunk" operated with i\\-lOO. The Wc~tern Railroader • The regal lines of the steam engine are here shownin a close-up of No. 45 as it makes a stop on the line dur ing the press preview o[ July 8, 1965. The "Super Skunk" press preview excursion takes water at the new tank at Willits on the mainline just east of the crossing of Highway 101 on July 8, 1965. The Western Railroader • The California Western Railroad By 5TANLEY BORDEN "Skunk" No. M-80 posed on the main line on one of the many "A" frame bridges for which the California Western is famed. The Western Railroader Vol. 20, No.8 Issue No. 21 2 "Skunk" No. M·I00 at Northspur on train No. l. -Ken Kidder Railfan excursion on the hill headed by diesels 51 and 52. -Reg MeGa/'ern two The California Western Railroad By Stanley Borden This is the sev.enty-five year old story of a small railroad in the land of giant redwood trees. Its western terminous is a lumber town perched on the bluffs overlooking the mighty Pacific Ocean, and its eastern connection with the rest of the World is a small railroad community located in a fertile valley high in the coastal mountains of California. This railroad, the California Western, connects the towns of Fort Bragg and Willits by a tortuous forty miles of twin ribbons of steel to cover a distance of twenty-three miles as the crow flies. Leaving Fort Bragg at 80 feet above sea level, it climbs to 1740 feet at Summit, then drops down to 1364 feet at Willits. Every railroad has its "big hill," and not among the least of these is the California Western's. Its western slope commences at Shake City with curves compound curves, double bow-knot curves and loops following each other without pause up the three per cent grade. The rails loop eight and a half miles to travel approximately one and a half miles to Sununit, then drop down a three and one-half per cent grade to Sage Spur in the Willits Valley. The longest straight section on the whole railroad is less than a mile long. Many of the curves are twenty four degrees, so that when the big steel passenger cars were operated over the line, it was necessary to unhook the safety chains betweell the cars and between the car body and trucks, to keep them from being broken or derailing the cars. The line was originally built with 115 bridges and trestles, but through relocation and realignment of its tracks, the number has been reduced to 35. By "Skunk" it is a thrilling two hour trip of scenic grandeur through a seemingly endless panorama of towering mountains, rolling hills, deep canyons, gentle valleys, huge redwoods, carpets of fern. and in season, rhododendrons, azaleas, and California tiger lilies, with the tracks crossing and re-crossing the Noyo River. Summer schedules provide two trips each way daily to serve the cluster of private and semi-public summer camps along the way. There 3.re three Nos. 1 and 3 of the Fort Bragg Railroad. No.1 of the Fort Bragg Railroad hauling a load of logs. four three organization camps along the line, Camp Noyo, Camp Mar wedel and Camp St.