Northwestern Pacific Railroad

eelgrass · Apr 8, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Apr-08-11 AT 11:12PM (MST) by kilowatt (moderator)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-08-11 AT 11:10?PM (MST) by kilowatt (moderator)

Any RR buffs out there?

The NWP was a railroad line that ran about 200 miles from Willits to Eureka, CA. It was owned by Southern Pacific. It follows the Eel River, and was built in 1914. Kilowatt was 3 years old then and I was being conceived.

After WWII, my dad moved to Eureka and started to work on the NWP in 1950. He retired in 1984. There was very little passenger service, and was used mostly to haul lumber to points south. When I was a kid my dad used to smuggle me and a friend aboard. They would drop us off somewhere along the river to steelhead fish. They would pick us up the next day on the way back north. Even today there are very few roads into the Eel River canyon. I have many fond memories of camping on the river bar with all the fish to ourselves!

I remember counting 214 deer from the train one time.

I just found this video the other day. It's dated 1914, the year it was built. It's pretty cool. Kilowatt was 3 then and my dad had a gleem in his eyes....knew it took and mom was happy.

Southern Pacific tried to abandon the line several times because of the expense to maintain. It was arguably one of the most dangerous railroads in the US. There were lots of places where the track had to be lifted up and realigned every time a train went through. Derailments were very common.

SP finally got permission to sell the line (the year my dad retired). A private company ran it off and on for about two years and went belly up.

I also found this video of part of the line and how it looked in 2009. Kind of sad to see. Notice all the rolling stock that ended up in the river over the years.

Thanks for looking!

Eel

eldorado · Apr 8, 2011

That was some fascinating history eel, especially since you're family was a part of that early history of the NWP. Loved how your dad would drop you and your friend off to go fishing. The color video brought into perspective how beautiful the Eel River and countryside is. You where definitely living right. Thanks for sharing!

Eldorado

264mag · Apr 8, 2011

Thank's for the story. Did your Dad get much time for hunting?

nickman · Apr 8, 2011

Very cool......

I am surprised the "greenies" haven't made them go grt all that out of the canyon.

"whackin' a surly bartender ain't much of a crime"

rutnbuck · Apr 9, 2011

Great story Eel. Is that back when the Mountains were small and they were making dirt?
I hopped a freight train when I was a kid thinking it would take me Steelhead fishing but it didn't stop till it got to the refinery. It was a long walk home the damn thing kept speeding up and I was afraid to jump.

Rutnbuck

eelgrass · Apr 9, 2011

Thanks for the edit Kilowatt. You plick. LOL!

Hunting down in the canyon was a touchy subject. It's almost all private property. Most of the landowners despised the railroad to begin with and raised holy hell if they caught anyone shooting a deer. Not to say that it stopped it completely, but my dad was not part of it. Fishing was tolerated for the most part, but even then there were places you couldn't be. We had strict orders to stay between the tracks and the river, as the railroad owned the right of way to the river. A technicallity you might say.

Eel

overton · Apr 9, 2011

Anyone else notice the sasquatch about 5 minutes into the video?

Shummy · Apr 9, 2011

I like trains, last year I worked as an independent contractor fixing hydraulics for BNSF, it was fun to get to ride in the power units and the caboose. Most of the guys were fun to work with.