I was involved in the reopening of the Carrizo Gorge tunnels on the old San Diego and Arizona Eastern in the late 1990s. The two tunnels that were burned were 8 and 16. 8 was mostly opened and relined with shotcrete and, where the rock was faulted, grout was pumped into the rockfalls to stabilize them. The tunnel was dug out and steel shells were welded together in the space. Concrete was pumped into the space between the rock and grout and the steel. The Morrison-Knudsen company did that work, but they were more interested in sucking the insurance money up and getting cost overruns. They were finally sent away and the tunnel remained closed for another 20+ years. Some San Diego County businessmen put together the Carrizo Gorge Railway company and proposed to the government owners, SANDAG, that they would do a survey inside the tunnels and see what was needed to finish both of them. I was working for one of the partners and became involved in the work early on. The survey found that Tunnel 8 was open nearly to the east portal. Tunnel 16, which was thought to be collapsed entirely, was actually open inside and only the portals had collapsed. Where the lowest estimate for clearing the tunnels was $7 million in 1985, we cleared everything out for $255,000.00. If you do the rebuilding right and avoid letting scamming contractors get involved, you may be able to reopen the NWP for much less than what others are estimating.
@echohunter41997 ай бұрын
I lived in Eureka for a couple years and it’s clear that without any railroads that entire area would not have been what it is today, amazing how hard they tried to get lines in even when the cost was insane to lay track eastward.
@TheLifePhoenix7 ай бұрын
All the graffiti artist in Humboldt notes these wonderful reference points! Thanks
@tomproctor.archive9 ай бұрын
Great video Sean. I wanted to share my little adventure video of footage I shot riding down the rails north of Fort Seward station to past Eel Rock. The tracks were barely passable then in 2007 in a modified Suzuki Samurai, which we used to travel up the tracks, and 4 wheel off the tracks where they were too damaged: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYHYhal8fLCiZ7ssi=Mb7Ci0oJxNQkaqBF
@jbkingesq988910 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for all this. I am an ex-NWP person myself and it was nice to see all the memories.
@lauratran7638 Жыл бұрын
My ex worked at Island Mountain back in the 70's.
@pravoslavn Жыл бұрын
You gents need to learn how to speak without saying UH so much. Very unprofessional and VERY distracting/
@mackpines Жыл бұрын
Just disgraceful that people can build something so large that costs so much work and money to just give up and abandon it. Here, they threw away a railroad.
@davidedwards4178 Жыл бұрын
Nice history. I watched this today as I drove through Arcata looking at the architecture and reading about the history.
@davidedwards4178 Жыл бұрын
Nice history. I watched this today as I drive through Arcata looking at the architecture and reading about the history.
@JeffreyKB Жыл бұрын
The best presentation I have ever seen concerning the old NWP railroad. Great job!
@331Grabber Жыл бұрын
How far North did this line run? I'm in Eureka once a week for work and have seen the tracks northeast of Eureka in some of the smaller towns.
@fritzbasset8645 Жыл бұрын
At its greatest extent, the NWP reached Trinidad; in recent times, it went to Korblex and an interchange with the Arcata & Mad River R.R. In its original construction, of the 40 tunnels on the line, only #30 was fully concrete lined, all of the rest had timber someplace, except for one that was all rock. Those timber lined tunnels bit the NWP continually, with fires in at least in one half dozen of the bores. Perhaps if the AT&SF had stayed on or bought the SP out someone would have made the brilliant decision to concrete line those tunnels, instead of "saving" $$ by investing more money in timber well into the 1950s. No. 27's fire curtain (visible in photos) was removed in 1965 which was not a good move either as it would have stopped the 1978 fire.
@331Grabber Жыл бұрын
@Fritz Basset Thanks for all the info. I have a lot of reading to do on this line. Hard to believe it was functioning not that long ago.
@331Grabber Жыл бұрын
@Fritz Basset Hey. Do you know anything about that old trestle that's to the east of Glendale road just passed Hall Creek? It's a low long trestle built over a stretch of field. Just seems odd. Saw it while picking up a load going back south.
@fritzbasset8645 Жыл бұрын
@@331Grabber That trestle is on the abandoned and dismantled Arcata & Mad River RR. Another loss, as it did contribute quite a number of carloads to the North End, even in the Eureka Southern days.
@331Grabber Жыл бұрын
@@fritzbasset8645 When was the Arcata and Mad river RR torn up/Abandoned? That one ran through Blue Lake right? I need to find some books on this area.
@chineechik Жыл бұрын
Interesting video. I lived next to the NWP in mill valley. Used to walk through tunnel 1 to go shoplifting at the Corte madera center. Always saw the train on Saturday evenings. Wasn’t their talk of installing a container port in eureka and restoring the line to ship containers into the Bay Area?
@mikehawk20034 ай бұрын
Yes there was talk, but it didn't go anywhere. Even had it been approved, most of those containers would've gone down Highway 101 instead as most of the 270mi NWP was 15-35mph territory.
@Tooflower Жыл бұрын
This is so cool, I'm really hoping to float the Eel this next year, I love taking in history like this!
@mackpines Жыл бұрын
This a great presentation. I'd heard of the NWP and how remote and how much maintenance was needed but, never really knew the history and it's eventual demise. A similar scenario happened to the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad in Oregon where I live. Interestingly, it was also an SP line and connected the Portland area with the coast and also went through a remote area called the Salmonberry River Canyon. The line did get washed out several times throughout its life but was rebuilt. However, in December 2007, a huge storm hit the coast and washed out several large sections of track and caused slides to block some of the tunnels. The cost to rebuild proved to be too much and now the line is just rotting away in the woods. At least the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad now uses the section along the ocean for passenger excursions.
@mgbrattland Жыл бұрын
Great presentation and history...Class of '70 HSC, History
@malcolmmarzo2461 Жыл бұрын
Great presentation. And nice seeing a young person who appreciates railroad history. While this part of the SP is out of the area of my railroad videos your presentation informs me on the overall operational history of a great rail system.
@kellispaulding290 Жыл бұрын
I was a prostitute in Humboldt for 3 years. If you ever want to contact me, I’ve got some very savory stories.
@imetr8r Жыл бұрын
Either the geologist hired to plan the Eel River route or the management dictating the route was incompetent.
@jimrobcoyle Жыл бұрын
Que up James McMurtry "We Can't Make It Here Anymore". We can blow up whatever The City of London Banks want us to. #Aloha
@RWPeck Жыл бұрын
Thank you for the great documentary and all the work you've done to compile all the info. I grew up with the railroad and the SP trains passing through Ukiah. I always wanted to ride a freight through the Eel River canyon and see all that roadless wilderness. No matter our found memories, you can't get around the simple economics that a railroad has to generate more revenue than expense and to saddle taxpayers with a loosing proposition would be an injustice, even if we would enjoy seeing those trains rolling again.
@alexgray88042 жыл бұрын
used to watch the trains every summer in fortuna and loleta
@charlessimons74452 жыл бұрын
I am a great believer in preserving rail lines. I don't think a horse trail can be preserved in the Eel River canyon!
@alanmydland5210 Жыл бұрын
That's some amazing high cost rail to maintain yr in and out. I use to fly from Davis to Murry field 20/25 yrs ago often. My best restaurant ever for airport food and then some. Oyster samwiches and fresh fish❤ I'd stop at the cowboy ranch on the Mad river for swimming games and the barbecue with the deep pit. Life will never be the same, lost times for sure. Flying to Murry field was never easy in the fog and cloud layers. Used Dinsmore as a hangout spot waiting for the fog to lift. Kneeland was another hangout spot higher up. Sad day when the elkgrove car dealer hit the mountain at Kneeland.
@charlessimons74452 жыл бұрын
The geology of the region swallowed this railroad. The ancient geo processes were not understood at the time of its building. There never was a practical means of maintaining it.
@jacobstraessle58742 жыл бұрын
Hello from Texas. Enjoyed your presentation. Thanks for sharing.
@nunstersplace2 жыл бұрын
46:55 My father had to of been the last one over that bridge. He said when he went across it he was forging water. He kept the car in 2nd and the throttle to the floor and some how him in his friend made. This was when it was getting dark so he really couldn't see how bad things were. But once he got his ill friend home in his car. My dad needed a ride home and called the bus station about half our after getting his friend home and the bus station told him that they can't because the bridge was washed out. My father was a bit confused because he just got done driving over that bridge.
@expletivedeleted78532 жыл бұрын
Typical of the evil empire that was the SP. The worst railroad in history. Nothing about this road should ever be remembered.
@davidjackson72812 жыл бұрын
Why are you bagging on esspee? The NWP having SMART now is fantastic. I was an SP employee.
@edwinstar1002 жыл бұрын
impressive presentation, thank you
@thatguyinelnorte2 жыл бұрын
Was it published? Where can we find it?
@johnnewman80142 жыл бұрын
Excellent. Hope to get up there again. Had a sister thst lived in Hydesville until recently. I took a Northern California Railroad Club trip in 1987 on the North Coast Daylight. Was a member of Pacific Coast Chapter, Railroad & Locomotive Historical Society and helped with original restoration of SP 2472 now kept in Schellville. Years ago rode Skunk Train and have yet to ride Smart train. Missed riding Bud car. Thanks for current status.
@AkiliLion2 жыл бұрын
I recently hiked across what's left of the old railway starting from Rio Dell (there's an access point near the lumber mill) all the way up to the south side of the old trestle on the Scotia Bluffs. Long ago I was there with my parents and I remember seeing a train going by, so they were still in service. It would have been sometime in the mid-to-late 80s. On the north side of the trestle there were fossils in the material coming down from the cliffside there and my father was a fossil-hunter, and crossing the trestle was the easier way to get to them instead of the longer hike from the north side. As the gaps between the trestle ties were bigger than my feet and we didn't know the train schedules - and didn't want to be caught mid-crossing - I was never allowed to go across. So, July of 2021 I went back and it was so overgrown I couldn't believe it. I barely made it to the trestle, but I did and it's still standing! As I was there alone and there were parts of the trestle where plants had grown up and through, completely concealing the condition of the beams in those spots I ultimately decided not to risk crossing. I wish I'd gone back a decade or two earlier. It doesn't seem like it was a long enough period of time for it to have become overgrown to the point where the tracks simply disappear among trees and brush and dirt, but your presentation definitely indicated how it happened. That was an absolutely treacherous area to put a railroad. That's a great history you provided and I hope the railroad comes back to life in some fashion, even if it'll never be what it was. I was researching another spur line out in Santa Cruz that terminated in Davenport, where for a while they had 'Gordon's Chute', a clever-terrible idea to deliver cargo from the cliffs directly down to boats in the ocean, a hundred-foot drop. Lots of fascinating rail history out there!
@bernardbunney5202 жыл бұрын
You couldn't see the end of the tunnel from the west end because it had a curve at the end of the east end of the tunnel.
@katherinemorehouse10292 жыл бұрын
Uh um, uh um
@tracyjordanfrench24162 жыл бұрын
Topophilia!
@jancarr17942 жыл бұрын
Jeffin Greatest. I am a Bair descendant and I don't recognize you. How are you related?
@jbfranzini98282 жыл бұрын
Having worked as a Conductor on the 'New NWP' in 1997, I can say in all certainty that no railroad will ever connect the Bay Area to Eureka again. The traffic is gone,...all of it. The canyon, and it's 'blue goo', and soggy sponge like ground, is impossible to build upon. The Eel, is too unpredictable, and weather up in the canyon is usually extremely wet in the Winter. Bridges, roadbed, track, fixtures, all gone, or in the case of Island Mountain...ripped out. Yes, a bit hard to believe, considering during it's heyday, trains of 100 to 150 cars were not uncommon, on the thrice weekly schedules. '97' was not a good year,...lots of accidents, derailments, and the like. Equipment was old, maintenance was absent, as it had been since SP had been operating the line. Largest train I witnessed was 154 cars....this was back in 1976 or 77 I believe, and it was string-lined and derailed on the Novato Wye, when the hoghead took the throttle out a couple of notches too far after rounding the curve towards Schellville. Dumped a number of boxcars and loads of lumber.... This Report....... Nicely done....Sean.... I give you an A+...
@cynthiabowie18882 жыл бұрын
Awesome thanks again for your time I worked for them the last year of oppression 1998 IT was my first job in Humboldt, I was just 19 years old and had just moved up to Humboldt County I did track maintenance IT was hard work but I loved it
@mikewilliams12172 жыл бұрын
In 2000 I hiked the NWP from Cloverdale to Spyrock. I planned to go to Alderpoint but was deterred by 2 cowgirls pushing cows down the track . I was leery of the Island Mtn tunnel anyway. You say that the Eel River canyon is inaccessible, but you can access by starting at Dos Rios and hiking in. I wrote articles for the Anderson Valley Advertiser called Walking the Rails.
@raymondlugo64422 жыл бұрын
Loved this . I learned so much by watching this. Next time out To Willow Creek will be exploring a little more
@jotsingh89172 жыл бұрын
The people of California must own this railroad and property. Why not revive this railroad for passenger and freight from San Rafael to Crescent City with an adjacent bicycle path as an ecology model for this century? How to pay for this investment? A public investment with railroad station become town hubs. Create legislature that demands with high density Eco friendly residential / commercial car free zones. Solves the housing shortage, add to quality of life, create millions of jobs. California companies become leaders in ecology friendly towns of the 21st century. Time to stop wasting 2 trillion of our tax dollar in Iraq and Afghanistan and other stupid military adventures and invest in California.
@seanwitt24632 жыл бұрын
Love it! Great job!
@slugghmcgee86032 жыл бұрын
It was one of Ray Shipley's detectives who told me this (can't remember who), but he said Murl Harpham was so good-looking he could pick up a prostitute, give her a warning, and she'd get in his car again the same night.
@MrRedSoldier10002 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this!
@mikepriceup2 жыл бұрын
It's a shame that very few of us are interested in the Northwestern pacific railroad and it's history and that there's no plan to rebuild the line all the way to eureka. I've worked for union pacific since 2004 and are now living in lincoln working out of roseville!
@331Grabber Жыл бұрын
I saw an old TV news story from the late 80s talking about them running tourists and their cars all the way from the Bay area to Eureka. Imagine that? They were so hopeful and cheerful talking about the future of the line just a few years before the storms ended all of it :(
@xraceboyex2 жыл бұрын
Im just visiting Cali passing through Humboldt and couldnt miss the bridges and railroad grades off the 101 just outside of Eureka. So glad this presentation exists to give me all the details and photos in one place organized. Thanks for your work! I learned a lot!
@peteralbert14853 жыл бұрын
This video gave me a surprising jolt of a hope I didn't know I had for the future of the THA. I am very impressed with the THA's renovations of the rolling stock, the purchase and rehabilitation of the locomotive barns, the laying of track, the running of the speeders, etc. Your presentation makes it easy to envision rail operating around Humboldt Bay again. That's no easy task - this is a very well-constructed narrative backed by thoughtful research, supported with great images.
@AgentSpockAgentSpock3 жыл бұрын
They are talking about rebuilding a line to Eureka California
@concerned13133 жыл бұрын
Excellent video, thanks for the speaker and all involved and the good citizens of this area!