Bob Yarger posted a reference, on April 30, to the article by Jerry Coe on how he built a replica of a gravity car once used on the Mt. Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway, in Marin County, California. I couldn’t get the e-mail to work on Jerry Coe’s web site, so am wondering if anyone knows whether this car is presently on public display and if so, the location. Also, as Bob noted, Heisler #2, “Joseph E. Eastland” is still in existence. Does anyone know its location today?

Many thanks,

Dick Ikenberry

Dick Ikenberry,

To the best of my knowledge, the gravity is displayed at the top of MT TAM near the parking lot. I have not been up there lately and I hear that a building to house the car is in the works.

Re the Mt Tam steam engine, I don't have THE Book by J. David at hand but the Heisler is displayed in front of a Lumber Company office in Northern California, someplace like Scocia.

It's not the narrow gauge one that Roaring Camp and Big Trees in Felton has.

Ted

ted_miles@NPS.gov

Pacific Lumber Company 2-truck Helsier #9, formerly from the Mt. Tam, has been on display in front of the company offices at Scotia, CA for decades.

The Heisler was Mt. Tam #9. After the Mt. Tam folded, the locomotive was sold north to a small logging operation south of Eureka that either was or became a subsidiary of Pacific Lumber. The locomotive was put on diplay when no longer needed in the woods.

The gravity car is at the top of east peak. Several parties are working together to build a carbarn on the old grade at the summit to house the car and other Mt. Tam railroad and historical memoribilia.

The old grade up from Mill Valley is still intact and in use as a hiking trail. Last summer as part of a history celebration some of the civic groups got together and borrowed one of the steam whistles from the Roaring Camp & Big Trees. The whistle was mounted on the back of a flatbed truck along with an air compressor to operate it. The truck then traveled on the old roadbed from Mill Valley all the way up the old roadbed to the summit, blowing the whistle often. Got some positive feedback, but by and large most of the hikers on the route were upset that a train whistle was disturbing their time in the woods, reguardless of how historically appropriate the act was...

jamoore@elko.net

Thank you all for your information. IÂ’ll be checking out the gravity car next time IÂ’m in the area! And I hasten to add that the mistaken assumption of Heisler #2 in my original question was my own, and was not in Bob YargerÂ’s reference. I appreciate the correct identification of #9 that youÂ’ve provided, and its present location.

Dick Ikenberry