Last Donkey Days at Fort Humboldt is today due to park closure. Come ride steam train, see hit & miss engines, logging displays, and model trains. Per Times-Standard, park will close for weekends and holidays starting July 1st. That means only one steam up/train ride day after today.
Filed under: Eureka, Humboldt, Railroad, THA | Tags: Fort Humboldt, Humboldt, Steam Locomotive
Due to the closure Fort Humboldt this will be the last Donkey Days. However steam-ups of the locomotives will be held once a month as per usual summer schedule. Last Day the park will be open is July 31st. What park officials do not want you to know is they want to move all artifacts they own to Del Norte county. Even the locomotive and other stuff donated with the stipulation they remain in Humboldt County.
PS thanks to Times-Standard for completely missing this closure in their last article on our parks closing.
Filed under: Arcata, bicycle, Eureka, Humboldt, NCRA, North Coast Railroad, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Railroad, THA, trails | Tags: NCJ, Not Online
Somehow my, and another letter about the rail failed to appear online at the North Coast Journal.
Rees Hughes makes a mistake by assuming all rail travel is more expensive than trails in the “A Walk on the Wild Side.” The problem is a matter of the weight of the rail travel exerting forces on the track. Speeders, hand cars, and rail-cycles do not weigh as much as a train. They are not classified by the Federal Railroad Administration as a train. All of these can run on the rail as it is today with the only exception is a little clearing of trees. The Arcata & Mad River Speeder Crewcar has traveled from the Arcata Marsh to the last crossing North of Eureka. Those washouts are minor, and I have lawfully walked that path, because of volunteering with the Timber Heritage Association. The costs are only that of clearing and inspection of the track. The reason that side is not regularly used is political, not physical. The mistake is assuming costs are all the same. So minimal costs versus millions of dollars to make the trail. The speeder clearly is the lowest cost version.
Another mistake is the thinking the speeder crewcar/hand cars would not attract many people. Already thousands of people have ridden the speeder on trips given by the Timber Heritage Association. Many of those people are from out of the area, enhancing the local economy. Last year twelve thousand people showed up for the annual one event called the Handcar Regretta, at the Santa Rosa Depot. I would describe that event as a Steam Punk sculpture race on the rails. Rail based transport is hugely popular.
Might I suggest we do a serious look at rail based passenger transport? I suggest we look at DMUs SMART will be using in Sonoma and Marin counties.
With Fort Humboldt State park on the closure list, concerns arose of what was going to happen to the logging artifacts and locomotives. While the rest is unknown, the City of Eureka donated the Falk locomotive to the THA at tonight’s council meeting.
Sorry about the lateness. Ham Radio classes started today in Eureka. 7pm to about 9pm Monday nights at the Main Fire Department training room. Entrance is on 6th street. Plenty of room for new people. $26 for the book, not sure about cost for the test. Not much though.
Another class is starting up soon in McKinleyville.
Filed under: Eureka, Humboldt, NCRA, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Railroad, THA
Timber Heritage Association will be operating the two crew cars along 1st Street from F Street to the Adorni Center and back on Monday 4 July 2011, from 10 to 5.
Filed under: Eureka, Humboldt, NCRA, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Railroad, THA
Looks to be an enjoyable short, frequent runs. Thanks to the organizers of the Jazz Festival to helping, and allowing this to happen.
If things go well, I should have my radio sending out APRS messages with the steam engine on Ham Freq so aprs.fi can track it. http://aprs.fi/?call=DW2246&z=16&others=1 is a live APRS map of the Jazz Festival.
Update/Further Info: It ran for passengers 10am to 5pm. Amazingly good weather. Poured at loading, and towards the end.
My son cleaning out the flangeways. Wonder if EPIC will sue.
Speeder on rails
Tomorrow, the speeder will be running again. Channel 3 had a nice news story on the Jazz Festival, including the speeder.
I noticed today exiting Costco, that bumper stickers for both campaigns stuck to several telephone poles, perfectly placed to attract attention of people exiting Costco. This is illegal folks.
On the bright side the Bonnie Neely sign near CR is gone.
Honestly, fighting Bonnie Neely is like fighting Boss Hogg.
Filed under: Eureka, Humboldt | Tags: Bonnie Neely, Bucksport, Larry Glass, Paul Gallegos, Progressives
Ok, not exactly a cliff. I have to wonder exactly what is going on here. The signs are dropped down there, but if one did not like them, why put them there?
