California Western Caboose #11

Photo by Cliff West

California Western Caboose #11 is pictured on static display at the Fort Bragg depot on March 18, 1992. The plywood-bodied caboose was built in Fort Bragg in the 1960s, on the frame of a former Southern Pacific wood caboose.

Riding the California Western from Willits to Fort Bragg in 1992

The California Western Railroad was originally built in 1885 by the Fort Bragg Lumber Company as the Fort Bragg Railroad. In 1904, passenger service was inaugurated. On July 1, 1905, the railroad was renamed the California Western Railroad & Navigation Company. The railroad was completed to Willits and a connection with the Northwestern Pacific Railroad on December 11, 1911.

Self-propelled gas-powered railcars were added for passenger service in 1925, they were nicknamed "skunks" because of the smell of their exhaust. The "skunks" soon took over passenger service, and regular steam-powered passenger train service ended in November 1929.  On December 19, 1947, the name was shortened to California Western Railroad. In June 1987, the California Western was sold to Kyle Railways.

These pictures of California Western motorcar M-300’s control stand were taken on March 18, 1992, as it sat at the depot in Willits, California, waiting for departure time for the return trip to Fort Bragg.

The trip from Fort Bragg to Willits was covered in a previous post.

Here is a view from the train as it approaches Tunnel #2. This tunnel is 795 feet long and was completed in 1911.

Here is a view from the train as it approaches Tunnel #1. The train is on a trestle over the Noyo River right up until it enters the tunnel. The tunnel is 1,100 feet long and was completed in 1893.

Eureka Southern GP38 #30

Photo by Cliff West

Eureka Southern #30 is a GP38 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in 1969 as Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines #2007. It was built with dual control stands, and part of the front wall of the cab is extended forward a few inches to make a little more room to walk around the control stand.

Photo by Cliff West

This locomotive became Conrail #7667 before being sold to Eureka Southern in 1984 with three other identical GP38s. All four locomotives would be sold shortly after Eureka Southern’s bankruptcy in April 1992.

Southern Pacific SD9R #4418

Photo by Cliff West

Southern Pacific SD9R #4418 is wearing the “Kodachrome” paint scheme of the Southern Pacific’s aborted merger with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1955 as Southern Pacific #5432. In 1965 it was renumbered to #3910. On November 5, 1976, it was upgraded at Southern Pacific's Sacramento General Shops as SD9R #4418. It was painted in SPSF's "Kodachrome" colors in 1986, and continued to wear them despite the merger being denied by the Interstate Commerce Commission on June 30, 1987, and would continue to wear them to its retirement on September 18, 1995.

California Western S-12 #57

Photo by Cliff West

California Western #57 is an S-12 originally built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton in September 1953 as Southern Pacific #1541. In 1965 it was renumbered to #2148. It was retired by Southern Pacific on May 24, 1973, and was sold to the California Western on August 9, 1973. The California Western sold it to John Bradley of Laytonville, California, in January 1985. 

Central California Traction S-1 #42

Photo by Cliff West

Central California Traction #42 is an S-1 that was built by the American Locomotive Company (later called Alco Products) in 1942 as Northern Pacific Terminal Company #34 for use in Portland, Oregon. It was sold to Central California Traction in August 1965. It was retired and sold in March 1983 to a Jim Bruggere who stored it in Willits.

California Western DS-4-4-1000 #53

Photo by Cliff West

California Western #53 is a DS-4-4-1000 built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1949 as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers W8380. It was later sold to Pan American Engineering and was acquired by the California Western in 1956. It was retired in 1985 and sold to a John Bradley of Laytonville, California, but remained stored in Willits.

Eureka Southern Caboose #51

Photo by Cliff West

Eureka Southern Caboose #51 is former Southern Pacific caboose #1101. It is a C-40-3 Class Caboose built by SP’s Los Angeles Shops in 1942. The Eureka Southern purchased the northern section of the Northwestern Pacific from the Southern Pacific in 1984, and operated from Eureka to Willits. The Eureka Southern would declare bankruptcy in April 1992.

Arcata & Mad River 44-Tonner #102

Photo by Cliff West

Arcata & Mad River #102 is a General Electric 44-Tonner. It was built in 1950 for the Pine Flat Dam Contractors and was acquired in 1954 by the Arcata & Mad River Railroad, a small shortline that connected to the Northwestern Pacific Railroad at Arcata, California, north of Eureka. The Arcata & Mad River shut down on May 24, 1985, and the abandoned line was sold to the Eureka Southern in 1988. This locomotive was sold to a private owner and was stored in Willits. It has since been scrapped.

Riding the California Western from Fort Bragg to Willits in 1992

The California Western Railroad was originally built in 1885 by the Fort Bragg Lumber Company as the Fort Bragg Railroad. In 1904, passenger service was inaugurated. On July 1, 1905, the railroad was renamed the California Western Railroad & Navigation Company. The railroad was completed to Willits and a connection with the Northwestern Pacific Railroad on December 11, 1911. Self-propelled gas-powered railcars were added for passenger service in 1925, they were nicknamed "skunks" because of the smell of their exhaust. The "skunks" soon took over passenger service, and regular steam-powered passenger train service ended in November 1929.  On December 19, 1947, the name was shortened to California Western Railroad. In June 1987, the California Western was sold to Kyle Railways.

California Western motorcar M-300 waits in front of the Fort Bragg depot on March 18, 1992, for passengers to board for the trip to Willits. M-300 is a Motorailer built by American Car & Foundry in 1935 as Seaboard Air Line #2026. It was the third of a group of three built for the Seaboard. It became Aberdeen & Rockfish #106 in 1944 and then became Salt Lake, Garfield & Western MC-3 in 1951. It was purchased by the California Western in 1963.

Photo by Cliff West

M-300 is pictured at Northspur. Northspur is the midpoint of the line, where the train makes a brief stop. 

Passengers have the option of remaining in Northspur, where there is a picnic area, and waiting for the train to return from Willits.

Photo by Cliff West

At one point the railroad goes around several horseshoe curves, and another part of the line appears to be a parallel track. This is one of the five horseshoe curves with a total length of 6.5 miles required to climb 932 feet between two points 1.5 miles apart.

Here is a view from the train as it approaches Tunnel #2, the second of the two tunnels on the line. This tunnel is 795 feet long and was completed in 1911.

Photo by Cliff West

Here is the train’s engineer at the controls of the M-300.

Here is the interior of motorcar M-300 as we travelled, showing a light passenger load on a March weekday.

Here is a horse along the line as the train approaches Willits.

As the train enters Willits, the railroad crosses California State Route 20. At this point the highway crosses Broaddus Creek, which parallels the railroad here.

California Western M-300

The California Western Railroad was originally built in 1885 by the Fort Bragg Lumber Company as the Fort Bragg Railroad. In 1904, passenger service was inaugurated. On July 1, 1905, the railroad was renamed the California Western Railroad & Navigation Company. The railroad was completed to Willits and a connection with the Northwestern Pacific Railroad on December 11, 1911. 

Photo by Cliff West

Self-propelled gas-powered railcars were added for passenger service in 1925, they were nicknamed "skunks" because of the smell of their exhaust. The "skunks" soon took over passenger service, and regular steam-powered passenger train service ended in November 1929.  On December 19, 1947, the name was shortened to California Western Railroad. In June 1987, the California Western was sold to Kyle Railways.

California Western motorcar M-300 is a Motorailer built by American Car & Foundry in 1935 as Seaboard Air Line #2026. It was the third of a group of three built for the Seaboard. It became Aberdeen & Rockfish #106 in 1944 and then became Salt Lake, Garfield & Western MC-3 in 1951. It was purchased by the California Western in 1963.

Photo by Cliff West

Here is a picture of California Western engineer at the controls of the M-300.

Here is a picture of the interior of motorcar M-300.

Finally, here are some pictures of motorcar M-300’s control stand.