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A good friend of mine called up wished me “happy train day” on Saturday. It was a pretty good day. THA has opened up for train/speeder use from Samoa to the 1st crossing in Manila.
There is a little bit of briers, and ivy. But the hard stuff is done.
Another sad day for Humboldt County.
By NATHAN RUSHTON, The Eureka Reporter
Published: May 5 2008, 8:45 PM
Category: Local News
Topic: CommunityCoombs, 72, of Ferndale, had been hospitalized for heart problems since April 26, according to St. Joseph Hospital.
Gerald Garvey, a friend and forestry manager for Redwood Empire Sawmills, said he first met Coombs in the 1970s when he was a client for the Eureka-based consulting firm Natural Resources Management.
“He is from the old school,” Garvey said of Coombs.
As part of a West Coast timber dynasty that spanned four generations, Coombs was featured as a “legendary logger” by the California Forest Products Commission in 1999:
“When Rogan Coombs speaks, his voice sounds like a thousand ball bearings thrown into a grinder. Hard work, hard play and the kicked habit of smoking 100 cigars a week have lent a smoky rasp to his richly booming voice. But there’s no mistaking the sound of pride in that voice when he discusses his family history.”
Originally from Maine, Coombs’ great-grandfather, Silas Coombs, settled in the Mendocino County area after making the trek to the North Coast during the Gold Rush era.
Silas struck it rich from California’s plentiful virgin timber stands and amassed his wealth through the operation of three sawmills.
Friend and forester Rich Munoz helps manage Coombs’ 12,000 acres of timberlands that straddle southern Humboldt and northern Mendocino counties.
“He was an intelligent businessman,” Munoz said. “He made good decisions and people liked him.”
Coombs worked in the timber industry throughout the state in a career that spanned many decades and included working with his father Mal at his sawmill in Piercy in the 1950s through the 1970s, when Coombs went into business for himself.
Along with the McMillan family, Coombs also helped develop the Arcata-area Woodland Heights subdivision.
Munoz said it was Coombs’ lifelong dream to see a timber history attraction on his property and supported the local timber heritage preservation efforts of Humboldt County’s Timber Heritage Association and a similar volunteer group in Mendocino County.
Chris Baldo, president of Roots of Motive Power located in Willits, said Coombs was the largest financial donor to his group, which began documenting and preserving timber industry history in the region in 1982.
Coombs donated several pieces of equipment, including two gas-powered railroad speeder cars — one from the Pacific Lumber Co. and the other from the Long Bell Lumber Co. — that were used to haul timber crews.
Baldo said Coombs had a longtime interest in timber history that started back in his college days when he attended Oregon State University during the 1950s, when there were still steam engine logging operations.
“He paid for some pretty astounding restoration projects,” Baldo said.
Among those were the restoration of two 14-foot-tall wooden wheels for horse-drawn timber equipment and a “straddle buggy” used to transport lumber at the Coombs Lumber Co. in Piercy.
And when the Pacific Lumber Co. shut down its railroad in Scotia, Baldo said Coombs obtained the Train Master’s Office and paid carpenters to restore it back to its former glory.
“Nobody else would have taken the initiative,” Baldo said.
Article Launched: 04/24/2008 02:17:12 AM PDT
Donkey Days celebrates and honors the invention of the Steam Donkey by John Dolbeer who, along with William Carson, played a pivotal role in the early development of the North Coast logging industry. As a part of Donkey Days, the “Falk” will be steamed up for rides past historic early day logging equipment.
Also planned will be tours of Fort Humboldt with living history events of life on the North Coast pre Civil War. The Humboldt State University Logging Team will provide a logging demonstration and the “Hit or Miss” engines will be on display.
Fort Humboldt’s new and expanded interpretive bookstore will be open with many titles on North Coast history.
Due to limited parking at Fort Humboldt, free parking will be available in the lot between Marie Callender’s and McDonald’s on Broadway. Admission and train rides are free for Donkey Days.
Additional information is available by calling (707) 445-6567 or (707) 445-6547.
The forum is being held to present the public with unbiased information regarding the feasibility of trails or the railroads in Humboldt County with the opportunity for questions.
It will be moderated by Byrd Lochtie. The panel includes Brian Morrissey of Security National, Marcus Brown of the Timber Heritage Society, Supervisor John Woolley of the North Coast Railroad Authority, Commissioner Patrick Higgins of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, Spencer Clifton of the Humboldt County Association of Governments, and Mike Buettner of the Trails
Sarah Reid 444-9252 or 916-893-8112
Previous article on it here. This locomotive isn’t in bad shape, it was torn down to inspect it. That saves THA the cost of inspecting it.
The California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento has donated a historic logging Dolbeer & Carson No. 3 steam locomotive to the THA, which compliments perfectly a Dolbeer and Carson caboose it already owns.
But the sweetheart deal comes with one significant string attached.
The Railroad Museum officials would prefer that the steam locomotive be gone from Sacramento last month, which has THA members moving quickly to move it to Samoa, where the THA is already amassing its tons of historic artifacts that it hopes will one day have a permanent home as a museum.
Timber Heritage Association President Marcus Brown is hopeful the locomotive can be transported to the area within a few weeks and he already has commitments from the John Pittman Trucking company to do it.
The addition of the locomotive is reinvigorating the THA’s efforts to move its remaining steam locomotive and a boxcar full of equipment from the Glendale area property where the group had been storing its artifacts to Samoa, where it is leasing space from the Harbor District.
“This should be the flame on the front burner that gets all of our locomotives moved to the Samoa roundhouse,” Brown said.
Brown said the Glendale-area landowner, who purchased the parcel from Simpson Timber approximately a year ago, has been very patient in allowing the THA to move its artifacts.
Despite the daunting and difficult task of hauling it all to Samoa, there is a silver lining.
“In the long run, it was the probably the best thing that happened,” Brown said.
The THA has been leasing several spacious and historic warehouse buildings recently acquired Harbor District and is swapping repairs to the dilapidated structures for rent.
The buildings are just a few yards from the popular tourist attractions the Samoa Cookhouse and the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum, which Brown believes could be the site for a nationally recognized historic tourist destination.
With its favorable relationship building with the Harbor District, the THA officials believe they are getting to a point where they can start building a home for what they feel is a precious community treasure.
Brown isn’t shy about his hope that Samoa will be the home.
Brown points out that the recently completed Redwood Dock Marine Terminal Study completed by the Harbor District that he said is pivotal for the THA because it not only indicated that a historic museum is a good idea for the district’s modernization plans, but that it would probably serve as the most desirable gateway or welcome center for the cruise ships that had the potential to lure in tens of thousands of visitors annually.
The THA’s annual dinner and auction event is scheduled for this coming Saturday and money raised will go towards its Timber Heritage Museum & Excursion Train and effort to transport the Dolbeer & Carson No. 3.
This year’s dinner theme is “Saving Humboldt’s Timber Treasures.”
The event begins at 5 p.m. at the Fortuna River Lodge in Fortuna with a no-host bar and a dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Things are going well with track clearing. I figure about another 1,400 feet and we will have the path from Samoa to the first crossing in Manila done, and opened up. We figure about a day or two to make it through.
There is about 1.23 miles to go from this 1st crossing in Manila to Sierra Pacific with a mix of heavy to light brush, and even short sections of clear track. Of that, I figure about 3,813 feet of that is heavy to unknown density of brush, and thus will be slow going. I figure about one to two days to get to the park from the 1st crossing.
With some volunteers unable to make it during our schedule, we have moved it to a every Saturday schedule at 9 AM.
Video here. I put it in a higher quality AVI. Please let me know what you think. It takes much longer to upload the video from home this way. I need to figure out a way to stabilize the video camera so it isn’t so bouncy, and protect it from shock. If I rest it on one of the speeder bars, the video camera has a recording error, and has to redo some of the files on it’s hard drive before it can continue recording.
Citizens for Port/Rail Development met at the Samoa Cookhouse Wednesday to talk shop on the recent developments and efforts afoot to boost shipping and jobs around the county’s deepwater port.In a discussion of the business plan for a regional shipping terminal on Humboldt Bay approved by the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District last week, CPRD Chairperson Kaye Strickland said the group will continue to support the Timber Heritage Association.
THA has been strategizing for years on a long-term home for its many tons of historic timber-related machinery and equipment.
THA President Marcus Brown, a CPRD member, told the group Wednesday he was “absolutely jubilant” following the release of the Harbor District’s consultant TranSystem’s feasibility study last year looking at options to modernize the district’s aging Redwood Dock facility.
Both the consultant’s conservative and more expansive rail-dependant options for developing a container shipping terminal recognize a historic museum as a viable tourism component for the project and a potential entry point for visitors stopping over on cruise ships.
“That part is very positive for us,” Brown said.
TranSystems consultants said a developed terminal facility on the property could attract approximately 10 to 20 cruise ships bringing 30,000 visitors to the area each year.
The THA, which leases two buildings from the Harbor District, has received support from the district’s board of commissioners.
Brown said the roundhouse building adjacent to Redwood Dock the group is renting for its second one-year lease is the only adequate place that can accommodate the group’s various locomotives and large train equipment.
But it isn’t only the feasibility study Brown and the THA are finding positive.
During the Feb. 28 meeting last week, Commissioners Ronnie Pellegrini announced she wanted to initiate a discussion among commissioners over the possibility of donating some of the district’s Samoa-area property to the THA for its museum efforts.
Reached at home Wednesday, Pellegrini said she made the suggestion to fulfill the district’s obligation to provide recreation opportunities.
“I think there is huge community support for it,” Pellegrini said.
Also discussed during the meeting was the North Coast Railroad Authority and Harbor District’s joint application to the California Transportation Commission that is expected to be considered next week.
The project, which CPRD members view as another opportunity to restore rail service in the area, is seeking more than $19 million in Proposition 1B transportation infrastructure funding for their California Northern Freight Corridor Restoration Project.
According to the application document, the two-component rail and navigation project would provide improved rail and port service, create jobs and relieve congestion on North Coast roads and highways, as well as reduce the congestion of other California ports.
While the Harbor District’s portion seeking funding to address silting problems at the harbor’s dangerous entrance received unanimous support from commissioners, the NCRA’s part of the joint application was identified by a minority of commissioners as a poor project to tie its worthwhile venture.
Despite concerns raised by some commissioners and residents that it didn’t meet the criteria for the funding, Harbor District staff indicated they are optimistic the CTC will approve the project.
The CTC is scheduled to consider staff recommendations on the Trade Corridors Improvement Fund projects, which the application was submitted under, during its meeting in Sacramento March 12.
The CTC already held hearings on the TCIF funding in Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland and Fresno last month and is scheduled to adopt the TCIF programs during its meeting April 8.
It is on.
Ronnie Pellegrini made a motion to put on another agenda to declare the Samoa Shops/Roundhouse surplus property and donate it to the Timber Heritage Association. Seconded by Mike Wilson I think.
Sorry about not many updates. Been trying to figure out how to stream audio. Frustrated so far.
Port plan B passes 3-2, usual split.
21:12 Meeting adjourned.
Update, ER has the 1st article: Harbor District launches business plan to look at rail-dependent shipping
A majority of Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Board of Commissioners gave their vote of support Thursday night for a venture that envisions Humboldt Bay competing regionally as a container shipping port.
The matter to choose which harbor revitalization path to pursue was brought before the Harbor District as part of its ongoing efforts to expand jobs and modernize its aging Redwood Dock and adjacent property that it acquired in the past few years.
As was the case during a previous meeting on the matter in December, supporters and opponents of the controversial plan packed the Supervisors Chambers in an emotionally charged discussion.
After hearing about an hour of public comments, the commissioners voted 3-2 in support of developing a business plan for that Option B, which aims for a multi-purpose shipping terminal with a long-term expansion of the facility as a new gateway for rail-serviced markets that would take an estimated 10 years to implement.
But the favored Option B hinges on a railroad connection to the national railway system that many residents and two of the commissioners said is unlikely to ever be realized, based on the high costs of reviving the North Coast Railroad Authority’s defunct railroad line, which runs through the seismically active Eel River Canyon. Estimated costs of repair range from $150 million to more than $600 million.
Option A envisions a stand-alone multipurpose berth serving local barge, project cargo and bulk cargo shipments and cruise shipping lines that would take an estimated five years to implement.
An approximately $32- to- $38 million investment would be needed to upgrade the aging dock and build new infrastructure for even the most modest shipping terminal facility, according to the consultants.
TranSystems consultant Dennis Sheridan stressed that any development would be subject to California Environmental Quality Act laws and he sees the district building a “green terminal,” that would reflect a port industry trend to implement new technologies to reduced environmental impacts.
Cruise ships are identified as one of the leading money-making users of a terminal facility that consultants said could bring in 10- to- 20 cruise ships and up to 30,000 visitors to the area each year.
TranSystems said the port is not restricted by its draft limitations and could allow ships, up to 950 feet in length, to support a wide array of ships across a variety of markets.
Commissioner Ronnie Pellegrini, who voted in favor of the plan, called the port revitalization venture an opportunity to create an environmentally friendly and state-of-art terminal facility, which would help the fishing industry by keeping the federal dredging in place that makes the dangerous bar channel safe.
Board president Dennis Hunter and commissioner Roy Curless said they voted in favor of the port revitalization because it offered a chance for more jobs.
But voting against the plan was commissioners Mike Wilson and Patrick Higgins, who said they weren’t swayed by the information presented.
While he said all the commissioners want to see more jobs, Wilson said the disagreement among the board members was over the analysis of the data used by the consultant’s report he said overestimates the opportunities and understates the challenges.
In addition to the shoaling problem at the harbor’s entrance, Wilson raised asked the consultants whether there were any guarantees that a shipping company would want to bring 900-foot lengths ships into the port.
Sheridan told Wilson that the study was based on an analysis of the general criteria of that existing fleet.
“It is a reasonable benchmark for stating that Humboldt Bay can handle vessels of that size,” Sheridan said.
Nolan Gimpel, the lead consultant on the study for TranSystems, said shipping companies are not shy about identifying what their needs are and those issues would be addressed in the business plan.
Commissioner Patrick Higgins said neither option was feasible, but added Option B hinges on the highly speculative notion that the railroad will ever come back.
Higgins said he wanted to see the $100,000 slated for the business plan to be spent on other Redwood Dock options, including a museum or other light-industry businesses.
“With large-scale shipping — we can’t compete,” Higgins said.
But in defending the study and comments from Higgins, Gimpel said the future of the port potential is up for grabs.
“Clearly if you do nothing in terms of development, nothing will happen,” Gimpel said.
Bill Bertain, an area attorney and rail and port advocate, offered his support of Option B based on what he said was a great potential for a revived railroad and cargo shipping on the bay.
“You are preserving options,” Bertain told the commissioners.
If the railroad never came back, the consultants said that portion of the process under Option B could be curtailed.
But in committing to Option A, the consultants said the railroad-served option would be precluded if those lands were dedicated to other uses.
John Macevoy, a local resident and 33-year veteran of the West Coast port shipping business, said it was “absolute idiocy” that a container shipping port could be developed in Humboldt Bay.
But, countering those arguments, was area union representative Sid Berg who offered his support for the project, which he said was not “breaking new ground” since shipping has been a part of the bay’s history for nearly a century.
The consultants said after the meeting that they will coordinate with the district soon to begin work on the business plan that will explore funding options, new shipping tariffs and contract provisions for the port project.
Update TS Has their own article, a day late. Notice though, the majority of the comments were for the more expansive development. Democracy. You won’t here that at the other blog.
Port officials ask for business plan on terminal project
John Driscoll/The Times-Standard
Article Launched: 03/01/2008 01:27:24 AM PST
Humboldt Bay commissioners voted 3-2 on Thursday to proceed with a business plan for a public marine terminal in Samoa.The split decision came after significant controversy over the concept, which would require the restoration of rail service to Samoa to become fully developed. Three public hearings addressed the matter, and drew dozens in support and in opposition to the shipping, container and cruise ship berthing and service facility proposed for the Redwood Dock acquired by the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District in 2006.
”We see the district developing a green terminal that is environmentally friendly,” said Dennis Sheridan of TranSystems, the consultant that will do the business plan.
TranSystems looked at two possibilities for the Samoa property as part of a feasibility report. The first considered a limited development centered on a multi-purpose berth, while the second considered a multi-purpose berth and facility that could be expanded onto adjacent property.
That more expansive option will be examined by TranSystems in the business plan, which will cost $100,000. Asked how TranSystems envisions the facility — estimated at $32 to $38 million for the first phase — would be paid for, Sheridan said he expects revenue bonds, private sector investment and new tariff and lease structures would be created.
The public has been deeply divided over the idea, although Sheridan said that the majority of public comments received on the study were in favor of the more expansive development.
Commissioners Ronnie Pellegrini and Roy Curless spoke in favor of the second option, saying it had potential to boost the economy and provide jobs while protecting existing industries and the environment. Pellegrini said that ship traffic helps keep Humboldt Bay a priority for dredging, which keeps the harbor entrance safe for all vessels, including fishing boats.
”We have had ships in Humboldt Bay for a long time,” Pellegrini said. “This is not a new concept.”
The two most recently elected commissioners, Mike Wilson and Pat Higgins, strongly questioned the wisdom of moving forward with a terminal plan, especially one that hinges on reviving the decrepit North Coast Railroad. They also raised concerns about whether further dredging would need to be done to accommodate large ships, and whether the port could actually attract shipping business.
”I would recommend we use the $100,000 for other strategies for the Redwood Dock,” Higgins said.
But Commissioner Dennis Hunter said that he’s concerned that if the district went for the more limited option, it could stymie opportunity in the future.
Eureka attorney Bill Bertain said the Headwaters Fund money used to fund the feasibility study was well spent, and could eventually result in high-paying jobs. Something is needed to reverse the economic decline the area has realized, he said.
”It’s been a sad thing to watch,” Bertain said.
Others questioned if jobs would ever materialize from the project. Former commission candidate Carlos Quilez said it is a waste of time and energy.
”We’ve so far created one job — a marketing director to sell a port that doesn’t exist,” Quilez said, regarding former Port of Oakland official Wilson Lacy hired last summer.
John MacEvoy, who said he was a former maritime administrator who saw the beginnings of the Port of Long Beach’s container operation, called developing a container facility here is “absolute idiocy.”
Sid Berg, Chairman of the Humboldt-Del Norte Building and Construction Trades Council, said the port is at a crossroads, and that commissioners should act to create something that would help the economy.
”This is the last spot left on the bay,” Berg said.
John Driscoll covers natural resources/industry. He can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com.
Box: On the Web: The TranSystems feasibility report is available on line at http://www.humboldtbay.org.
Former Humboldt Northern/Dolbeer & Carson #3, now Stockton Terminal & Eastern #3 was donated to the Timber Heritage Association from the California State Railroad Museum. It is a 2-6-2 locomotive built by Baldwin in 1922.
Due to the Strategic Planning conference and not much advertisement, we only had two people out there clearing the tracks. Didn’t matter though, with the clearing of the 4th Saturday of January and this time, we were able to get to the causeway paralleling 255/New Navy Base Road. The causeway will give us about 1,220ft of light brush, and wood debris to clear, and it will be fast. Then it will have sections of heavy slow going brush/trees. View Map. It has be suggested we move next clearing to the other side of the bay next clearing date to ensure MOW group of a long run. I would like to continue one more time with speeders on this side. To further clean things up, and so people can see the speeders running along beside highway 255.
Our clean ups are the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. We have been meeting at the crossing at the North end of the fence surrounding the roundhouse. The meeting point is listed on the map also. I’ve been volunteered to do up, and send press releases to the local newspapers promoting the track clearing. I’ve never done one in my life, and as Hank says, my grammar is bad.
Marcus said the Strategic Planning went well. Participants were positive including Patrick Higgins were positive and wanting to get things going for THA. Patrick Higgins is a member of THA. Seems as though he wants to get a Fishing Museum up and running within the Museum complex of the Maritime, THA, Somoa Cookhouse, and looks like now a Fishing Museum, plus????
Motorcar Operators West is having a speeder run from Eureka to Arcata on May 17th-18th. Still listed as tentative, but talking with Doug Jenson it looks like a go. Unfortunately I can’t get their history of past runs up, to note the northern end runs. A nice photo essay of their 2005 work party on the southern end of the NWP is here. They have done a lot of work on the NWP. Kudos to them.
