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Mendocino Skunk Train Smells Like Great Fun! By
George Medovoy, Editor If you've never ridden California's "Redwood Route," you've stayed off track far too long and deserve the wonderful experience of the legendary Mendocino Skunk Train up here in Fort Bragg, Mendocino County. With summer in full bloom along the Mendocino Coast and the train benefiting from a new lease on life following a bout with bankruptcy, there's no better choice for the entire family than a trip on the train through the redwoods along Pudding Creek and the meandering Noyo River.
(Passengers observe as the Skunk Train crosses the Noyo River on its way to Northspur) "This piece of living, breathing American history has been saved," noted Robert J. Pinoli, vice-president for Sierra Entertainment, a division of Sierra Railroad. I recently joined about three-dozen other passengers at the Skunk Train depot just off Main Street (Highway 1) in downtown Fort Bragg for the three-and-a-half hour trip to the Northspur halfway point, a distance of about 21 miles. Inside the depot, people bought tickets, enjoyed coffee and donuts, or shopped for a variety of North Coast gift items. Others wandered across the street to the Fort Bragg Market Place and Museum, a gift shop with an old steam engine painted shiny black.
(Inside the train, passengers have a comfortable window view of the passing redwood scenery) The Skunk Train was made up of three enclosed cars, including a refreshment car with everything from hot dogs and popcorn to beer and wine, and an open platform car for observing the forest up close. It left the station right on time at 9:30 in the morning. We were pulled by a vintage 1925 diesel-powered engine, No. 66. Our enclosed car dated to 1919. Historic Route of the Redwoods The train has been chugging along this scenic route, crossing rustic bridges, quiet meadows and an eerie tunnel, since the time it was used to transport redwoods by the logging industry in the nineteenth century. Indeed, you can't know the history of the North Coast without knowing the history of the Skunk Train because the two are inextricably intertwined. Back in 1885 a route was carved out of the forest to move redwoods to saw mills via a steam-powered train. Today's lumber operation makes use of trucks.
(Passengers enjoy views of the redwoods from the outdoor platform car)
By 1904, steam passenger service was added and extended to Willits, the town along Highway 101 made famous as the home of famed racehorse Seabiscuit. In 1925, the steam service was discontinued in favor of yellow rail cars powered by noxious gas engines. Very few people took to these new engines. The odor was so bad that someone was overheard to say, "You can smell 'em before you see 'em," prompting someone else to say that the train smelled as bad as a skunk. The rest, as they say, is history... I watched the train pulled forward and then back up to the pickup point. Meeting the Conductor Here is where I met the Skunk Train conductor, better known in these circles as the train's "host," a friendly fellow with a white beard named Chuck Whitlock.
(The Skunk's friendly conductor, Chuck Whitlock, greeting passengers as they board the train)
Whitlock's
story could be your story, too, if you're a lover of trains. A local For Bragg businessman who operates an outdoor power equipment store, Whitlock obviously loves his work. "Everyday," he exclaimed, "you bet." There is open seating in the enclosed cars, which looked freshly painted with white-and-green interiors and leatherette seats. A restroom is located in each car. Our trip was made up of adults and children. You could get up and walk to the open platform car whenever you wanted, except when we went through the tunnel. When the train pulls out of the station, you can catch a glimpse of the ocean behind some of Fort Bragg's homes. But before you know it, you are entering the magical world of redwoods, snaking your way through the trees at a leisurely pace. I opened the window near my seat and took a deep breath of the fresh air.
(A photographer attempts a shot of the redwoods as the train moves along its route towards Northspur) Whitlock soon began narrating the trip, explaining the Skunk Train's history. Now and then he would point out a member of the wilderness community, including an osprey perched at the very top of a redwood tree or a blue heron circling overhead. "One of our conductors swears there's also an alligator down there in the creek," he joked. I
decided to get up and walk to the platform car, joining several other passengers
who were enjoying the view or snapping pictures. But soon Whitlock asked everyone to return to his or her seats - we were about to go through the tunnel, an experience a bit otherworldly because the light goes out very slowly, as if someone is working a house dimmer. Our car became progressively darker, until we were all sitting in the dark for a few moments. Passing Cabins in the Woods Here and there I could spot cabins tucked away under the redwoods, home to about 20 part-time residents who are either retired or summer visitors. Getting in and out of this wilderness area is by dirt road, but during winter rains, the Skunk Train is your lifeline. Whitlock knows about this on a firsthand basis - he and his family lived here from 1965 to 1978, when he managed the Boys and Girls Club Camp of San Francisco, located right along the rail line. As we talked on the platform car, we passed the camp and waved to the teen-age campers. Whitlock's three daughters grew up here. "They loved it, they absolutely loved it," he recalled. "They loved the outdoors, and they loved being a part of the Boys and Girls club movement. They still come back and do volunteer work here." One of his daughters helps him run his Fort Bragg business while he works on the train, another one is a contract administrator for the 15-nation worldwide AIDS program, and his third is a teacher. We Stop at Northspur
(There's an enjoyable 20-minute stop at Northspur, where passengers have a chance to walk around or use the picnic tables and then watch as the train is turned around for the return trip) By now, we were approaching Northspur in the middle of the forest, where we stopped for 20 minutes to use the covered picnic tables or watch the engine being turned around for the return ride to Fort Bragg. On
the way back, we stopped to pick up a family and their dog heading home after
vacationing with friends in a forest cabin. IF
YOU GO… The trip from Fort Bragg to Northspur is $35 adults and $20 children with diesel or motorcar engines, or $45 adults and $20 children with steam engine. For the summer through September 5, there are trips everyday at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Steam on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, diesel or motorcar on other days. Check with the Skunk Train for fall and winter schedules. You can also ride the Skunk Train from Willits to Wolf Tree, about a one-and-a-half-hour trip through a tunnel and over the coastal mountain range. The fare is $20 adults and $10 children on either a motorcar or diesel. The schedule for summer through September 5 is daily at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Check with the Skunk Train for other times of the year. The Skunk Train offers a variety of overnight packages with hotels in the region. Gift certificates are also available. "Train
Singer" Greg Schindel, whose lively character has been a signature of the
Skunk Train for nearly two decades, will begin performing on the Northspur run
this summer. A train robber re-enactment featuring "Black Bart" will
also be a feature of the ride. When
in Fort Bragg, be sure to visit the Guest House Museum at 3443 N. Main Street,
(707) 961-2840. It was the home of Charles Russell Johnson, founder of the Union
Lumber Company. (Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg is home to fish restaurants and many fishing boats).
Noyo
Harbor is home to Mendocino County's largest commercial fishing fleet, with boating,
fish markets, and seafood restaurants. (Click
below for more travel).
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