The Historic and Present Day By an appreciative rail fan and admirer of the hundred mile short line, that defied, weather, mountains, time and economics, for the longest time.

Photo used by permission of owner

The Vinegar Valley Express

When the McCloud Lumber Company made the switch from mobile camps to stationary camps, such as Pondosa and Kinyon, they suddenly had another problem on their hands, getting loggers two and from the logging sites. Railcars were used quite a bit and none are as well known or had been remembered with disfavor more than the one you see before you. Once shiny and new this railcar soon fell into disfavor, as the interior was nothing more than planks nailed to uprights. The seating capacity of this behemoth was 150 sweaty smelly lumbermen, whose smell mixed with the fumes of the engine to form an almost noxious combination. This discomfort was coupled with the fact that it was slow and NOT sprung. A ride in this contraption was worth a two day bed rest. This Hulk rests on a piece of abandoned track by the old site of the Kinyon Camp

To see this railcar in it's prime, click below to open a new window to the Eastman collection of the UC Davis Library

Exterior View

An Interior View

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