(train whistle blowing) (♪theme music♪) Announcer: Support for Tracks Ahead is supported in part by Kalmbach Publishing Company and its on-line video magazine, Model Railroader Video Plus.

And by Walthers.

(♪theme music♪) Spencer: Hi, I'm Spencer Christian.

On this episode of tracks ahead, we visit with the creators of a lovely and detailed Denver area garden layout-- we'll take in a Missouri 12" tourist line- our Classic Trax segment takes us to the spot where the transcontinental railroad saw it's final spike driven.

But now, a scenic journey from the northern California coast through the towering redwoods on a historic rail line.... Let's get started.

(♪music♪) Narrator: Amidst pristine Pacific coastline and merely a few miles from the worlds largest Redwood Forest, lays Ft. Bragg, California- home to the California-Western Railroad.

But chances are, you know this line only by its more familiar and somewhat more odiferous name- the Skunk Train.

Robert Pinoli: The nickname 'skunk' originated in 1925 when the railroad acquired its single-unit, self-propelled railcars, we call them motorcars.

They had gas-powered engines, pot-bellied stoves that burned crude oil for heat.

And the combination of the fumes the old-timers said that these little buses were like skunks- you could always smell them before you could see them.

(train on tracks) People don't know us by California-Western Railroad anymore.

I mean, from that point on, you know, people really have really known us by the Skunk Train.

Narrator: Forty of the US's crookedest miles of historic railroad run from the pacific coast through majestic redwood forests and scenic mountain meadows in Northern California.

And every twist and turn inspires views more awesome than the last.

Originally built as a logging railroad in 1885, The Redwood Route hauled timber from the rugged forests to the coastal sawmills.

Former woodsman Dennis Belassi worked for decades in those forests before becoming a conductor on the skunk train.

Dennis Belassi: We did logging in the late '60's out here where we actually used our train to haul the lumber in out of Willits- on the Willits side all the way to Fort Bragg.

And we would load the logs onto the railroad cars at that time when they had the freight cars here and they'd bring into the mill and they'd mill them into lumber here.

We always had a good working relationship with the railroad.

It was a pretty exciting job.

Narrator: But the railroad was more than just a vehicle for moving logs; It was a lifeline for those that lived in these rugged hills.

Running from Fort Bragg to connect with the Northwestern Pacific at Willits, the line has a long history.

Robert Pinoli: The railroad was founded in 1885 by a lumberman from Wisconsin, CR Johnson.

He moved out to the San Francisco Bay area and came up north and discovered the coastal redwoods of Northern California, and particularly here in Mendocino County.

One of the challenges was not only getting the lumber from the forest back to his sawmill, and that of course created a need for a railroad- but it was also getting the lumber once it was finished out of the area.

(♪musician singing Wabash Cannonball♪) Narrator: Today the skunk train is a tourist line, hauling visitors boarding at a historic station on the California coast or from some 40 miles away at the eastern portal into the redwoods.

Robert Pinoli: The trip, it's a scenic trip.

Most of our passengers do the half day trip which is either from Fort Bragg or Willits down to the mid-point of the railroad known as North Spur.

(♪musician finishes singing Wabash Cannonball♪) Robert Pinoli: It's scenic ride, along the Noyo River Canyon, zigzagging back and forth across trestles.

40 miles of railroad, 30 bridges, 2 tunnels.

And you're at the base of the forest floor, so you're surrounded by trees, you're about 30 feet above the river the entire journey, and it's absolutely spectacular.

Dennis Belassi: Of course the tunnel is the big thing.

You know, the kids are out there and parents and everything.

And you go through that tunnel, and then you come out and when you come out it just opens up and it's so beautiful out there.

The redwood trees- they just can't get enough of it, especially people that have never, ever seen them and the entire ride, the noise of the steam train and bouncing around and everything.

It's just fantastic to see people really enjoying themselves out here.

Narrator: The route is a rugged one, and in one instance, the railroad takes over eight and a half miles to cover just a mile of straight line distance.

Robert Pinoli: Well this is land that really is only accessible by rail.

It's all private land so there's certainly no biking or pedestrian corridors.

I think that that's part of the mystique of what makes the Skunk so unique is that you're in true wilderness area that is only accessible by this train and you're seeing forest land that really is, other than having being logged in some cases, there are still virgin stands of timber out here, and you know not very many footsteps have traipsed through this forest.

Narrator: While motive power has changed from the early days of the railroad, there is still plenty to offer.

Robert Pinoli: So the locomotive right behind me today is engine 45, it's a 1924 built Baldwin steam locomotive, it was built in Eddystone, Pennsylvania.

It's a 282 Mikado, so it has a shorter wheel base to navigate the severe curvature on this railroad particularly.

The railroad also has a fleet of GP9 diesel locomotives that were built in 1955.

And we have 2 rail buses, a 1925 Edwards rail car that's painted in the original Skunk colors, and then we have a 1935.

The passenger coaches that we operate, for the most part, are either Southern Pacific Harriman style coaches that were used in and around the San Francisco Bay area on the shorter commute trains.

And then we also have some passenger coaches from the Blue Mountain and Reading railroad out in Pennsylvania that now operate here.

I think one of the unique things about the equipment that we operate on the Skunk is the open-aired observation cars, where passengers can go outside with no obstructions between them and nature, and enjoy the scenic beauty of the railroad.

(child: OOH, look at that big cloud of smoke!)

Narrator: It requires a lot of maintenance, repair and effort to keep the railroad operating smoothly.

Robert Pinoli: Well, it's a huge responsibility- 40 miles of mountain railroad, we're a standard gauge railroad which is a little unheardof from a logging railroad standpoint.

It's a constant challenge to maintain this railroad.

Our crews are out here on a daily basis doing what's needed to maintain this railroad to federal standards.

Tunnel number 1 was completed in 1893.

Then last year, 120 years into its existence, we had a cavein on the inside of the tunnel.

By the time we got crew mobilized and equipment mobilized, the cave-in had occurred.

It took us some 4 months to get the tunnel clear and our operations were severely curtailed as a result of that.

It gave the railroad an opportunity to get out there and really see how many fans and supporters we have from all across the world.

We had supporters from as far away as Hong Kong contribute to the rebuilding efforts of tunnel number 1, and of course Save the Redwoods League, which is a locally-based conservation group, they stepped forward to fund the balance of the project so that we could get service restored to the railroad.

Narrator: It is that sort of crucial local and worldwide support that continues to help make the Skunk train one of the more successful standard gauge tourist lines in the country.

And its value to the community is equally as critical.

Robert Pinoli: The railroad is an integral part of this community and has been for 129 years.

And as a result of that, we have a great responsibility to the community.

We are the single largest economic driver in this area.

We are responsible for carrying in excess of 50 thousand passengers per year.

And as a result of that, the railroad plays a vital role in economic prosperity here.

Narrator: The railroad is proof that scenery and railroading never go out of style.

Operating for over a 125 years, the Skunk Train is still creating memories in these California hills.

(Conductor: Good Morning!

Welcome aboard!

How we doing today?)

Robert Pinoli: People come to Mendocino County for its scenic beauty.

They come here because redwoods are something you can't find everywhere.

And when you couple the nostalgia of being able to get on board the back of a train that we so lovingly call the Skunk and be transported through time, you really are transported through time.

Dennis Belassi: The history's all here, and then when you go out and the conductor tells you what it is out there, it kinda brings back that feeling of the old days out there.

Robert Pinoli: Part of our mission is to make sure that things like this exist in future generations.

You know, the history is here- the groundwork has been laid- it's our job to become good stewards and to keep it alive.

And to really to entrusted with that piece of history and to keep it going is something that we are all passionate about.

(♪music♪) Spencer: Despite its odiferous name, the skunk train is one sweet and beautiful ride!

In a moment, we'll hop aboard another tourist line- Missouri's Wabash, Frisco and Pacific...

But first a visit to a Denver area backyard layout to meet some of the nicest rail folks around and who's care and attention to their garden setup is evident in every turn and every flower.

(♪music♪) Narrator: Many garden railroads are family projects, and that's certainly the case with Bob and Paulette Poncar's PB &W Railroad.

The Garden Railroad bug bit them in the Spring of 2004.

Bob Poncar: When we first started it, after going to the 2004 convention we bought a train.

And we put it out there in the garden.

And if you look out on the far end of our garden, there was a little circle.

We'd take the power supply out there and an extension cord.

And we'd run it through Paulette's garden, through the flowers.

And it was kind of fun.

(train sounds) Narrator: Bob had a vision for a larger railroad.

And while friends were apprehensive that there was no plan, Bob knew what he wanted.

Bob: We've had people come in here and say, let's see what it's going to look like, where's your drawing.

And I say there isn't any drawing.

It's all right there.

It was all in my head.

The main thing we wanted was a water feature.

And my wife wanted to have the water feature so she could hear it.

The other, the other thing we had to have was to have it close to our back porch.

So could sit in our chairs and watch the trains go by.

The other thing we wanted to have was so that when people came by, they could walk around it.

And so, It's enjoyable for everybody.

But mainly for us.

We want to sit here and enjoy it.

Narrator: The first oval of track had to do for the first three years of construction.

And there was a lot of construction.

Bob: Just to my left there was clothes line poles.

So we took the clothesline poles out.

And there was a sidewalk that went from our back door to the back of the yard.

So I took that sidewalk out.

After I got all that done, I took out three trees.

There was a big pine tree right where the waterfall sits.

And there were some aspens behind that.

Those all came out.

When I put in the bricks, the brick sidewalk.

All that dirt has been recyled to make the little islands out here for the waterfall and for the village.

I never had to haul in any dirt.

Now rocks.

That's different.

We brought the rocks down from the mountains because my daughter and son in law lived up above Boulder.

And they had five acres of ground.

And they said take all the rocks you need.

And basically that's all I had to bring in, other than the crusher fine for the roadbed.

Narrator: Depicting Colorado railroading made for a mixture of standard gauge and narrow gauge equipment.

Bob: I kind of wanted to keep with the theme of having the narrow gauge trains run on the upper levels.

Sort of what they do in Colorado.

They run narrow gauge trains up in the mountain and then we have our standard gauge trains down below.

Narrator: Many of the items on the railroad are scratch built or recycled from other railroads.

Bob: The stone arch bridge was done by using sheets of Lexan plastic.

They were taken from old supermarket signs.

And I just cut those and designed the bridge myself.

And ordered from Stone Works these little sandstone rocks, and we glued all those on there.

One of my favorite things to do was to find somebody that has a building that they just don't want to use any more.

And I pick it up and rebuild it.

The gristmill over there was one such building.

And the farm buildings up there were both, they were in a hailstorm.

And I rebuilt the roofs and what have you on those.

The mine that's clear in the back, and I rebuilt it to fit in that corner.

So I try to improvise and change things around so that it will work on our layout.

Narrator: During all the layout research tours, Bob wasn't the only one collecting information.

Paulette Poncar: I was also collecting ideas about gardening and plants and busy seeking advice.

And so any time I heard of any of our club members cutting back we were there with our shovels and our recycled plant containers.

My goal was to get more perennials and annuals, and um, that way it wasn't as expensive.

So we would take section by section.

We're fortunate here in the Denver area to have the Denver botanical gardens.

And they have a wonderful website.

You can seek advice from them.

Narrator: While touring other railroads, Bob found a feature that would make his operation a lot easier.

Bob: A lot of times you'd be visiting and the rain would come in and everybody's scurrying to pick up the trains.

And I said there's gotta be a better way.

And I saw a couple of layouts where guys had them run right into their house.

So I picked up on that idea.

Narrator: Bob and Paulette take great pride in their creation.

It's been more than a labor of love and something that they are willing to share.

Paulette: We felt a fulfillment that we didn't just build this for us, for our enjoyment, there's a fulfillment there that enhances our life as working as a team.

Narrator: Bob and Paulette have created a sanctuary, a paradise in their own back yard, rewarding not only the two of them, but their family and friends as well.

(music) Narrator: Every Sunday between May and October, engines are steamed up and folks line up to ride the Wabash, Frisco and Pacific Railroad in Glencoe, Missouri.

And every car, every piece of track and every engine is owned by the non-profit association that runs it.

Dale Bitsch: By owning the equipment collectively, any of us can actually operate it.

Most live steam clubs, a lot of them, not all of them, All the individuals own the equipment whereas we don't.

Narrator: These train lovers host a two mile trip along the Meramec River.

But it doesn't go in a circle like most other 12 inch gauges out there.

Jim Scott: We go in an easterly direction about a mile.

And then we go into some woods and down a little grade to a place we call Yeatman's Wye, from the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

And they deeded the property over to us.

Thomas Heil: The really neat thing is that we operate a one track mainline.

Normally, when we run a two train operation, we'll have one train leave.

They turn the locomotive.

And about that time, the second train gets ready to part and depending on the time they leave, they're either going to meet and pass each other.

It seems like everyone gets a real kick out of that.

Dave Neubauer: I mean, we only run 26 Sundays a year but we haul like, anywhere between 13 to 15 thousand passengers in those 26 Sundays.

Narrator: The association officially got its start back in 1939.

But they've been operating just outside of St. Louis, for about 50 years.

And while they're still the only scheduled steam powered passenger train in the state, they run things a little differently than they did in the past.

Dale: The association has always operated according to the basic railroad rules.

Back in what I call the old days, between the 40s and 50s, they operated with timetable and train order.

They also communicated between stations with either a telegraph or a telephone.

Today, we're still using the train orders.

However, they are now communicated by way of radio.

We're still doing the same thing we're just doing it in a more up to date, more modern way.

Narrator: One thing that hasn't changed in more than 70 years is the fact that members can join at any age.

The only requirement is that they have a passion for trains and they're willing to work.

Brad George: I started out here when I was 11.

And when I started, I had no idea what I was getting into.

We do a lot of work in the off season and that's the end of October to March.

We'll rebuild whatever needs to be done.

Jim: 22 years ago, I joined and it was basically weekends only.

I retired ten years ago and I was presented the opportunity of working in the car barn and taking that over and I accepted it.

Dave: I've been on the railroad since May 1953.

I started at the age of 12.

This is my 61st year.

Every time I come out here, every time, it's still exciting.

From the first Sunday in November until the last Sunday in April, I'm out here every Wednesday and every Sunday working on the track.

Narrator: At the end of the day, the biggest goal is to make sure that each passenger enjoys a safe, leisurely ride.

Dale: We are always conscious of safety.

Even with the prototype railroads or even the small ones like us, safety is always first.

Brad: It's our number one priority.

We all try to be on the same page.

We've got radios and we try to have meetings before every Sunday just to get everyone on the same page.

We use hand signals and make sure everyone can see each other.

We run at 35 scale miles an hour, which is about 7 or 8 miles an hour.

Narrator: And as kids of all ages enjoy the steam engine experience, the folks at the WF&P hope the rides will continue to spark an interest that inspires the next generation carry on the tradition.

Dave: We're blessed that we have 10 to 15 younger guys coming out to keep the thing going.

And we'll continue to go on as we keep getting new ones all the time.

Thomas: One thing I would really hope is that out of all the people that come out here, if I instill the passion and drive to come out here and be involved in railroad like I am, that's going to keep the art alive.

If I can instill that passion into at least one kid, I know that'll be one other person that'll be out here to continue the tradition so you can actually feel it, hear it and experience it rather than just reading it in a text book.

(♪music♪) Dave Baule: Hi, I'm Dave Baule- in the late 80's I was lucky enough to transform my love of railroading into this series, Tracks Ahead.

We'll be featuring some of my favorite segments this season from those years- starting today in our Classic Trax segment.

Every railroader has a clear mental image of their own ultimate 'train scene'.

For me and many it's where the final spike of the transcontinental railroad was driven.

Some years back, we visited that exact spot- the Golden Spike National Historic Monument.

(♪music♪) NARRATOR: On May 10th, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah, there occurred an event so significant that it literally shaped the course of American history.

A ceremonial golden spike was driven to simulate the anchoring of the final rail joining the tracks of the Union Pacific's westbound expansion from Omaha with the Central Pacific's eastbound tracks originating in Sacramento.

This single act completed the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, linking both coasts of a growing nation by rail, and paving the way for westward expansion.

Today that event is re-created in great detail by volunteers and the dedicated employees of the National Park Service at the Golden Spike National Historic Site.

John Ott: The re-creation, or the re-enactment that we do is done at the exact location where the original ceremony was held in 1869.

The re-enactment consists basically of a script that was put together about 20 yrs.

ago and reflects the newspaper articles and some of the actual speeches that had been written and recorded.

And so we try to duplicate as closely as possible the actual verbiage and the sequence of what happened here on May 10th,1869.

ACTORS: We are met this day to celebrate the completion of a remarkable example of the vision, determination, and the labor of thousands of men in a union which this day shall be consummated forever.

We are assembled at the Promontory Summit of the Utah Territory to link Europe and Asia with a new route of travel and commerce and to join the raw riches of the American West with the finished goods of the industrial East.

NARRATOR: Of course, no re-creation of such a monumental moment in railroading history would be complete without a working tribute to the steam technology of those bygone days.

John: The the 2 locomotives that we have here, one named Jupiter #60 is the Central Pacific loco, and the other is the 119 Union Pacific loco, our live steam locos operating at steam pressures of 140 to 150 lbs.

per square inch, and are replicas of the original 2 that brought the dignitaries here from the east and the west on May 10th,1869.

NARRATOR: Approximately 1000 people attended the original ceremony, while President Grant and the entire nation awaited news of the actual moment of completion... news delivered by telegraph.

ACTORS: Promontory to the country.

Bulletin.

We have got done praying.

The spike is about to be presented.

NARRATOR: Gold and silver ceremonial spikes were tapped into place and then removed, while the crowd, and the nation awaited the actual completion, effected by the driving of a common iron spike (applause) (Applause & train bell) ACTORS: Alright gentlemen are we ready to drive the last spike?

Alright, let's get on with it.

All ready now.

12:40PM.

Dr. Durant has adjusted the spike.

The spike will soon be driven.

Signal will be 3 dots for commencement of the blows.

(actors joking about being able to drive the spike) Promontory to the country: Bulletin!

D---O---N---E Done!

(applause and train whistle blowing) Henceforth there's but 1 Pacific Railroad of the United States.

(applause) At that moment, 1 era ended & another began.

The golden spike became a symbol of hope for a better way of life & a renewal of faith to face future challenges that have yet to be conquered.

NARRATOR: Nearly a century and a half after this notable event took place, it lives as a fresh experience in the minds of the thousands of visitors from around the world who have come here to relive history at the Golden Spike National Historical Site.

(♪music♪) Spencer: Like originating producer Dave Baule said, we'll revisit some of the favorite pieces we've featured in 25 years of Tracks Ahead.

I can't wait to relive some of those incredible memories.

Well, that's all for this episode.

Please join us next time for more, Tracks Ahead.

Announcer: Tracks Ahead.

Brought to you by: Kalmbach Publishing Company and its on-line video magazine, Model Railroader Video Plus.

Walthers.

Manufacturer and supplier of model railroading products, serving the hobby since 1932.

(♪music♪)