Hi all, Great fall afternoon and perfect to run some trains. Well here it is, late October, and the the Flaiz company has contracted again this year with the Shasta Pacific to bring their beef herds down from the high country before the snow flies. Number 22 the old workhorse consolidation has been assigned the chore and we see her here ratteling out of the Humboldt Yards with a string of “Paddy Palaces” in tow.
Here we catch the cars as they pass the Flaiz home place, where the cows will be delivered in a couple of days. Slim, the horse wrangler is leaning out watching the scenery while sorta keeping an eye on the half dozen horses that are being sent up to help with the roundup. The rest of the roundup crew is in the caboose playing poker with the brakeman and the conductor, I don’t envy them much because Easy Hansen, the conductor, is pretty slick with the paste boards.
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We were able to catch #22 as she eased out on the new Eel River Bridges. Smokey Johnson, the Hogger, on #22 told me earlier that he keeps her down on that new bridge because it hasn’t been there very long and he is not sure just how safe all that spindeley tin really is.
as we watched and flicked a few more pictures the bridge looked pretty solid to us as it didn’t even quiver as the train rattled across.
We caught up with #22 again just as she was starting across the South Fork Bridge on the Trinity River. This is always a great picture taking spot as they have “slow orders” for the trains on this old wooden bridge. Twenty mph is the posted limit but as Smokey told me “I keep her down pretty good because this old pile of sticks just quivers when you cross her.”
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Easing on across and headed for the South Fork Mountain tunnel. It is all up hill here but after the tunnel at mile post 54 she flattens out and you are at the HayFork Meadows range where they will be loading out the cows for the return trip to the coast and the winter pastures or the slaughter house depending on the sort.
South Fork Mountain tunnel and the end of the road for the easy train chase. Hopefully we can catch them again on Tuesday when they come back down the mountain loaded with future prime rib and burgers.
Anyway a great day for running, supposed to rain tomorrow, finally! Thanks for taking a look.
Rick
