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51-548: The MCR provided both freight service as well as passenger excursion trains like the Shasta Sunset Dinner Train . Freight traffic consisted of outbound lumber and forest products as well as diatomaceous earth . Approximately 3,000 carloads of freight (1996 estimate) were handled annually. The MCR interchanged with the Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific ) at Mount Shasta, California , and

102-589: A forest railway bringing logs to the company sawmill on the Southern Pacific Railroad at a place called Upton a few miles north of Mount Shasta. Originally, locomotives were borrowed from the Southern Pacific, but in 1902, the railroad received their first locomotive, number 1. By 1901 the company sawmill was moved to McCloud, and the distance for hauling lumber produced at McCloud was reduced to 17.8 miles (28.6 km) by shifting

153-407: A former Milwaukee Road coach; the heavyweights allowed the dinner train to expand from one to four cars within a year, and the railroad installed a generator to provide house power, a small gift shop, and a lounge area in the former Milwaukee car. By 1998, the dinner train was so popular that the railroad bought more Illinois Central passenger cars, one of which the railroad converted into a depot for

204-586: A forum for resolving surface transportation disputes and other matters within its jurisdiction. It has the authority to limit or remove regulatory requirements where appropriate. The Board comprises five members nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms. The President designates the Board's chairman from among the members. As its chief executive, the chairman coordinates and organizes

255-514: A logging railroad with several different owners over the following years including: U.S. Plywood Corporation (1963), U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers (1969), Champion International (1972) and Itel Corporation (1977). The railroad was sold to Jeff E. and Verline Forbis (4-Rails, Inc.) on July 1, 1992. On June 28, 2005, the railroad petitioned the Surface Transportation Board to abandon most of its line. Service on all line east of

306-465: A nosedive to only 8,000 people in 2008, and by the middle months of 2009, the railroad foresaw only 6,500 people would show up that year to ride. Thus, the McCloud Railway announced that the dinner train would cease operations at the end of 2009, which would in turn end the McCloud Railway. But a spike in demand from those wanting one last ride prompted the railroad to add several more trips, and

357-433: A simple answer to a telephone inquiry to lengthy informal dispute resolution efforts between railroads and shippers. The Office of Economics analyzes rate cases , conducts economic and financial analyses of the railroad industry, and audits Class I railroads . The Office of Economics, Environmental Analysis and Administration is responsible for undertaking environmental reviews of proposed STB actions in accordance with

408-526: Is a staff of 117 (FY2018) with experience in economics, law, accounting, transportation analysis, finance, and administration. The Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance is the agency's principal point of contact with Congress, state and local governments, the media, industry stakeholders, and the general public. This office includes the Rail Customer and Public Assistance Program, where Board staff solves problems ranging from

459-455: Is currently closed but not abandoned. Currently, the railroad is in disrepair. Three locomotives remain in McCloud, the 36 (non-operational), the 38 (currently being restored to operation), and the 30 (non-operational, was bought back in 2008 for use with the steam locomotives). The eastern end of the railroad has been converted into The Great Shasta Rail Trail. However, BNSF started rebuilding

510-526: The BNSF (formerly the Burlington Northern , née Great Northern Railway ) at Lookout, California . On June 27, 2005, the railroad applied with the Surface Transportation Board to abandon all MCR track beyond 3.3 miles (5.3 km) east of McCloud. During the railroad's last stand during 2009 and 2010, their only source of revenue was due to the Shasta Sunset Dinner Train . However, due to

561-744: The Bureau of Transportation Statistics within the Department of Transportation . Since its founding, various legislation pertaining to the STB's functions has been introduced in Congress. In 2015, the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act was passed, which expanded the Board from three to five members. The passage of the legislation transformed the STB, which had been "administratively aligned" with

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612-649: The Great Recession , the railroad shut down in January 2010, selling off the last steam locomotive, McCloud River Railroad #25, and also sold off all but two of their diesel locomotives. The railroad stayed shut down but not abandoned through the rest of the 2010s. After a management change in 2021, the railroad will reopen for railcar storage. The time for which the line will be open is unknown. The railroad operated on 95.5 miles (153.7 km) of track. The principal line ran from Mount Shasta to Bartle. At Bartle,

663-518: The Hobbs Act , when an STB order or decision is challenged in the U.S. Court of Appeals , both the STB (represented by the agency's attorneys) and the United States (represented by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys) must be named as "respondents" (defendants), and both have authority to appear in court in such cases. STB and DOJ attorneys jointly defend the agency's decisions, with

714-578: The National Environmental Policy Act and other environmental laws and making environmental recommendations to the STB. The Office of the Managing Director handles administrative matters such as personnel, budget, and information technology. The Office of Proceedings (OP) is primarily responsible for developing the public record in formal cases (or proceedings) filed with the STB, making recommendations regarding

765-879: The Pit River . Materials to build the Pit 1 powerhouse, the Pit 3 Dam , and the Pit 4 Dam were carried over the McCloud River Railroad to connection with the Pit River Railroad officially known as the Mount Shasta Corporation Construction Railroad. During this period, the McCloud Lumber Company, who owned the railroad, decided to build a branch north-east to access the forests there. Meanwhile,

816-842: The 25, and the same was true in the evening. Railroad operations slowed down in 2005, with the abandonment of the Burney Branch, but continued on. The Shasta Sunset Dinner Train was the only scheduled train on the entire line, with the occasional yard and hill job. When the Shasta Sunset was curtailed in 2009, railroad operations came to a halt and have been on and off ever since. Lima Locomotive Works built two Shay locomotives for McCloud River Railroad in February 1912. Builders numbers 2401 and 2402 wore McCloud River numbers 16 and 17 until sold in 1924 to Fruit Growers Supply Company of Susanville, California as numbers 4 and 5. During

867-414: The Board and assumes the chairman's duties as appropriate. Additionally, the vice chairman oversees matters involving the admission, discipline, and disbarment of non-attorney Board practitioners. The current vice chairman is Karen Hedlund , appointed on January 9, 2023, succeeding Michelle A. Schultz in the board's annual rotation of that position. Assisting the Board in carrying out its responsibilities

918-591: The Burney Branch headed south. The MCR also had a 19-mile (31 km) branch running from Bartle to Hambone . At Hambone the ownership changed to BNSF (Great Northern) but was operated by the McCloud River Railroad. That line extended to Lookout Junction where it connected with the Great Northern Railway mainline just north of Bieber . The MCR was originally built as the McCloud River Railroad chartered on January 22, 1897, as

969-687: The Department of Transportation while still decisionally independent, into an entirely independent federal agency . In response to concerns regarding increasing corporate concentration in the rail industry, the STB has considered proposals to encourage rail competition. In 2016, a proposal was made to establish "reciprocal switching rules" to require railroads to create arrangements where shippers could access competing carriers instead of other options. In 2022, Chairman Oberman supported reciprocal switching rules, arguing they would address shippers' complaints and encourage industry competition. The STB has

1020-661: The Great Northern and Western Pacific Railroads were building a north–south mainline, with plans to meet at Lookout. The McCloud decided to continue their lumber branch to serve as an interchange with the Great Northern and Western Pacific. The connection was made at Lookout Junction in 1927, although the connection of the GN and WP was actually made 6 miles south in Bieber. However, when the Great Depression hit, McCloud

1071-478: The Great Recession with a few passenger cars left on McCloud Railway property. After the McCloud Railway took over operations of the former McCloud River Railroad, the line was an industrial railroad hauling sugar beets , lumber , and various other freight. Passenger service was never considered by the railroad. However, locals and many in the railroad wanted to try excursion service . The first of this

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1122-696: The Lookout Line was built, besides the log and passenger trains, two trains would operate to each interchange daily. This schedule remained the same until 1955, when the Burney Branch was built. By this time, diesels were arriving and two were assigned on the Branch; one to bring a train from McCloud to Burney, and another to exchange loads/empties at Berry. When the McCloud tested the ALCO Century 415 , ALCo suggested that they buy three and use them on this schedule: two would run to Burney and one would switch

1173-573: The McCloud Sawmill (now abandoned) has been terminated. A small section of line between McCloud and Mount Shasta remained open briefly for excursion and dinner train service. As timber demand declined, the railroad slowly cut back although new ownership also led to its downfall. In 2009, the railroad was sold to the MidWest Pacific Rail Net & Logistics , owner of A&K Railroad Materials, among other things. The railroad

1224-536: The McCloud yard during the day, and two would go to Mt. Shasta and one to Lookout in the night, as log traffic had switched to trucks. Although the C-415 wasn't bought, the schedule was used when the SD38s were acquired. The fourth was used as a backup or extra power when needed. When the McCloud Railway took over operations, they used virtually the same schedule, except for having one diesel pull an excursion, sometimes with

1275-470: The Office of Proceedings obtains and applies any necessary input from economic, financial, operational, environmental, and other legal staff experts throughout the agency. The Office of Proceedings includes a clearance unit responsible for tabulating votes on STB cases and recording the official outcome of those votes and a recordations unit that enters data about a filing's primary and secondary documents into

1326-669: The President, each subject to Senate confirmation. Since 2024, Democrat Robert E. Primus has served as chair of the STB. The STB was established on January 1, 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the Interstate Commerce Commission when the ICC was abolished. Other ICC regulatory functions were either eliminated or transferred to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or

1377-583: The STB Recordations database, which is accessible to the public on the STB web site. The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) responds to questions on various legal issues. However, its primary mission is to defend the STB's decisions in court and assess the defensibility of agency decisions that might be challenged in court. Unlike most Federal agencies, the STB has independent litigating authority ( 49 U.S.C.   § 703(d) ). Under

1428-524: The San Francisco Gate, stated, "In two beautifully renovated 1916 passenger / diner cars, guests are treated to a four-course dinner served on tables covered with white linen tablecloths, china plates and sterling silver settings. Lace valances decorate the windows, which offer outstanding views as the train winds its way through the forest". The railroad almost immediately purchased three more cars, two more former Illinois Central heavyweights and

1479-486: The abandonment of the Burney branch and the mainline to Bartle and Hambone, the dinner train ceased operations east of McCloud and only ran trains to Mt. Shasta City. With the unstable financial situation of the McCloud Railway, the train was the railroad's only source of revenue. Unfortunately, because of the Great Recession had passenger numbers plummeting. Ridership, which had been at or above 15,000 people per year, took

1530-505: The agency's work and acts as its representative in legislative matters and relations with other governmental bodies. The current chairman is Democrat Robert E. Primus , who was nominated to the STB by President Donald Trump in 2020, confirmed by the Senate, and sworn in in January 2021. Primus was chosen by President Joe Biden to serve as chairman of the STB on May 11, 2024, succeeding Martin J. Oberman , who had been Chairman between January 2021 and May 2024. The vice chairman represents

1581-540: The authority to regulate rates, service, construction, acquisition, railbanking and abandonment of rail lines, carrier mergers, and traffic interchanges. The STB also has oversight of pipeline carriers, intercity bus carriers, moving van companies, trucking companies involved in collective activities, and water carriers engaged in non-contiguous domestic trade. The Board has broad discretion, through its exemption authority from federal , state , and local laws, to implement transportation regulation. The Board provides

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1632-407: The dinner train while the shops rebuilt the other two into state of the art dancing cars. The train had the railroad's open air passenger cars attached to the train during the summer months and the all heavyweight consist during the winter due to the snowy weather in and around Mt. Shasta . After the expansion in passenger cars, the dinner train ran more frequently with Thursday and Friday nights in

1683-673: The eastern end of the Hambone Branch for car storage. Ties and rails are waiting for placement at Lookout. The western end will also be used for car storage, with the 38 being the locomotive used. There is also talk of bringing back the ex-Shasta Sunset Dinner Cars, none of which are currently being used on the St. Maries River Railroad (one is in use on the Niles Canyon Railway ). The railroad also had regular passenger service until 1952. The railroad's bridge over Lake Britton

1734-413: The final dinner train operated on Saturday, 16 January 2010. remain on the McCloud Railway. Surface Transportation Board The Surface Transportation Board ( STB ) of the United States is an independent federal agency that serves as an adjudicatory board. The board was created in 1996 following the abolition of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and absorbed regulatory powers relevant to

1785-428: The junction south to Mount Shasta in 1906. The locomotives shifted from wood to oil fuel as the railroad extended into the forests east of McCloud in 1907. Trains brought logs to the McCloud sawmill from the east, and carried lumber from the sawmill west to the Southern Pacific. In 1922 Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) built branches south from the McCloud main line at Bartle to build hydropower plants on

1836-423: The latter days of steam, summer trains often included a fire car behind the engine. The fire car was a tank car filled with water topped by an automobile engine-powered pump. Starting in 1948, the railroad began to order Baldwin diesels, mustering 8 diesels in 1964. The road used Baldwin's DRS-6-6-1500 / AS-616 series due to their impressive tractive effort; far more than any comparable ALCo or EMD offering at

1887-654: The other two SD38s running in 2005 (exactly like the Baldwin #28). All three were sold to the Dakota Southern Railroad for use on their line. The railroad, starting in 1995, also had two ex-McCloud River Railway steam locomotives, nos. 18 and 25. No. 18 was sold to the Virginia & Truckee Railroad in 2005. No. 25 , the steam engine which appeared in Stand By Me and also Bound for Glory ,

1938-589: The railroad industry previously under the ICC's purview. The STB has broad economic regulatory oversight of railroads in the United States, including matters related to the construction, acquisition , abandonment of rail lines, railbanking , carrier mergers, and interchange of traffic between carriers and some passenger rail matters. The board also has jurisdiction over the "intercity bus industry, non-energy pipelines, household goods carriers’ tariffs, and rate regulation of non-contiguous domestic water transportation". The board comprises five members nominated by

1989-584: The resolution of issues presented in those cases, and preparing the decisions issued by the Board. The Office of Proceedings is a legal office consisting almost entirely of attorneys and paralegal specialists responsible for the majority of the cases at the STB. The office applies the Interstate Commerce Act , as amended by the ICC Termination Act of 1995 , as well as the Board's regulations. In carrying out its responsibilities,

2040-405: The road, the railroad ordered a single SD38-2 , built August 1974 (Builder No. 74623-1). When the property was put up for sale in 1998, Union Pacific (with their SD38-2 yard fleet) showed interest. UP bought the single SD38-2, leaving the other three SD38s. The SD38s soldiered on under new ownership. Ironically, the first unit ordered, 36, encountered problems and was cannibalized for parts to keep

2091-454: The road; the second DRS-6-6-1500 was cannibalized for parts without use. All Baldwins were sold in 1969 to various scrap companies and shortlines, upon the arrival of new power. To relieve the aging Baldwin diesels, the railroad bought three EMD SD38 locomotives numbered 36–38 in April 1969 (Builder No. 34880-34882). The units were used for all duties along the line, and as traffic increased on

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2142-575: The steam excursions with McCloud River Railroad #25 and McCloud River Railroad #18 in addition with the diesel locomotives hauling some of the other excursions. By the early 2000s, the Shasta Sunset Dinner Train had ended services to Bartle. This was due to the freight trains on the railroad losing money consistently since the 1990s. On June 27, 2005, the railroad applied with the Surface Transportation Board to abandon all MCR track beyond 3.3 miles (5.3 km) east of McCloud. With

2193-420: The summer. At certain times during the year, the railroad would also have a theme to some of the dinner trains like western music or melodrama. The dinner train also ran Mother's Day, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, and 4th of July trains. The Shasta Sunset Dinner Train's revenue was the greatest asset to the McCloud Railway. This was because of the declining revenue of freight trains and the little money made from

2244-589: The time. In the later 1950s, with the opening of the Burney branch, the road bought two RS12 units, one S12 , and one S8 . In the 1960s, the Baldwins were almost twenty years old, and were showing their age. The road bought three secondhand units from Southern Pacific; an AS-616 and two DRS-6-6-1500s. Unit #28 was damaged in the early 1960s in a wreck, and the unit was shoved behind the shops and cannibalized for parts. The AS-616 and one DRS-6-6-1500 were painted for

2295-490: The west and McCloud to Bartle to the east. In June 1996, the Shasta Sunset Dinner Train started service with the two renovated passenger cars serving Saturday nights. The new operation got a huge boost almost immediately when Malcolm Glover, a McCloud native who had become a popular reporter in San Francisco , penned a glowing review of the dinner train in one of the city's papers . In the article, Glover, writing for

2346-435: Was desperate for money. So, they decided to sell the line from Lookout to Hambone to the GN. The McCloud retained operating rights until the Branch was abandoned in 2003. In 1955, McCloud extended the former PG&E line south to Burney. Upon reaching Burney, McCloud operated a 130-mile (210 km) railroad including trackage rights over the 34-mile (55 km) Great Northern Hambone branch. The railroad remained primarily

2397-457: Was in 1994 when Yreka Western #19 traveled from Yreka to Mt. Shasta City and took a couple excursions between McCloud, Burney , and Hambone . Seeing the success of the trips with #19 and in addition with suggestions from locals, the railroad started making plans for a dinner train service. They purchased two former Illinois Central passenger cars from a defunct museum collection to use on the new service between McCloud and Mt. Shasta City to

2448-551: Was operated by the McCloud Railway that started in McCloud, California to Mt. Shasta City from 1996 to 2010. Before 2005, the train also saw service between McCloud and Bartle. After the McCloud Railway abandoned freight operations in 2006, the Shasta Sunset Dinner Train was one of a few passenger trains on the railroad that made a profit for the railroad. The Shasta Sunset Dinner Train ceased operations in 2010 because of

2499-753: Was out of service from 2001 until September 2007, when it was rebuilt for another movie deal, but that one fell through. The No. 25 was then stored in McCloud in operable condition. Both No 18 & 25 are oil burning locomotives. No. 18 made her first revenue run on the V&;T on July 24, 2010. No. 25 was sold to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in March 2011 for their excursion operations out of Garibaldi, Oregon . In 1994, McCloud Railway leased an ex-McCloud steam engine ( Yreka Western #19) and had it painted as McCloud River Railroad 19. The unit

2550-518: Was used in an iconic scene in the film Stand by Me and was used in Aerosmith 's music video Livin' on the Edge . The first McCloud trains were log trains bound for the mill at Upton, then McCloud. Passenger trains were first created in 1902 and went from Upton/Sission to Bartle, the current end of the line. The lumber company would lease the McCloud locomotives and base them around the mills. When

2601-505: Was used to see if there was enough of an interest in a tourist train on the line, and was tested in April 1994. The test was a massive success; excursions would commence in the next two years. MCR once owned 1,182 freight cars (1996 estimate). Most of these have been sold since the abandonment of freight service. Shasta Sunset Dinner Train The Shasta Sunset Dinner Train was a scenic dinner train that

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