Rails Around Shasta

One of my favorite places to travel through is the area surrounding Mt. Shasta, in northern California. I always enjoy driving past the white capped peak of Shasta and it's twin, Shastina. Tracks surround them on three sides - the McCloud River Railroad on the south, the Central Oregon and Pacific on the west, and the UP mainline curves around the west and north sides on the way to Oregon.  I've never spent as much time here as I would have liked to. Particularly on the mainline, as it climbs the grade from Black Butte up to the summit at Grass Lake.

In 1999, buddies Matt, Dan H, Anthony and I headed down to Sacramento for the big festivities being held at the California State Railroad Museum. After settling in our lodging at Dunsmuir (a fine little railroad town in the shadow of the mountains) we drove back in off the main highway to Andesite siding. Our efforts were rewarded by this intermodal train.