Timber
"He is to be pitied who has never known the quickening of pulse that comes in the still of the night when the whistle cries of its passage across the land, or the thousand and one sounds that form the accompaniment to the mighty soloist thundering defiance to tonnage and gradient as it accelerates into Wagnerian crescendo. This symphony has given full voice on the four percent across the mountain at McCloud, and an intriguing remnant may yet be heard by the fortunate"
Hanft, Robert M. 1971. "Pine Across the Mountain". Golden West Books, San Marino, CA.
The story of the McCloud River Railroad Company simply cannot be summed up in a few paragraphs. The miles of steel stretching into the wilderness in search of huge trees, the storied engines, and the engineers, brakemen, conductors and others who made the whole operation work for over six decades are well documented in the two following books:
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Hanft, Robert M. 1971. "Pine Across the Mountain". Golden West Books. San Marino, CA (out of print but available for reading at the Museum)
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Moore, J. 2016. "The McCloud River Railroads". Signature Press, Berkeley and Wilton CA (available for sale at the Museum)
Both books are well-researched and lavished with numerous high quality photographs showing the evolution of the company's railroads. While most of the heavy equipment and rails have been removed from McCloud, a visit to the Museum is still very worthwhile, as many of the smaller articles used by the railroad may still be viewed firsthand there.