The McCloud Railway is for sale, and word is that the #18, its active steam engine, is also for seperate sale. They have scheduled two "Fall Foliage" runs behind the 18 on Oct 10 and Oct 17. The runs are all day from McCloud to Burney and return. Presently they are considered the "Farewell" runs, no further steam operations are planned.
The ticket office is: 800-733-2141--I am not associated with the Railroad, I'm just one of the folks really upset at this possible loss of regional history (the 18 was built for McCloud, sold in the '50s to the Yreka Western (along with the 19, which is still at Yreka), bought back by the McCloud in the '90s--so she's a local Icon). One now-gone McCloud engineer told me that the 18 was the one loco that got the railroad through the depression, and should be recognized as being as significant as the 25 (which is now sitting in the McCloud shops waiting for flues, I understand). Would have been nice to see them double-head one last time.

This is very, very sad news.

This railroad was where I had my first post-steam-era ride behind a steam locomotive (I do not remember which locomotive it was) back in 1972. My family & I rode the "George Tolasano Retirement Special" with the Northern California Railroad Club - which I was not a member of back then. I think I found out about the excursion in the AAA magazine, when I was looking for something unusual to do during our annual summer vacation. I was not a railfan back then. We also rode the steam-powered Skunk train that trip, too, if I remember correctly.

I really hope that someone with money steps up to save the McCloud before they sell the #18. The employees deserve much better than this - to have their railroad sold out from under them, and the #18 and the #25 also deserve a better fate than to be sold off, possibly never to run again, much less on home rails.

Margaret (SP fan)