Re: McCloud runaway coaches and the SP Subs
Author: Jeff Moore
Date: 01-19-2017 - 21:27
To Bill K, there were only three of Kepner's SP Subs on the YW. Oregon Coast Scenic got all three, but only one of them has gone to Oregon, they own both of the remaining ones in Yreka, both the intact car in front of the depot and the body behind the shop. They did not come from the OP&E...that road did have a half dozen or so nearly identical cars in the first year or two of the Blue Goose operations on the OP&E, but then quickly sold them all. I suspect Kepner got the cars direct from SP, as they were getting rid of a lot of these in that middle 1980s time frame.
To David, both the written references I've seen and a few people I have talked to are firm on both of the old MR Harriman coaches getting away from a SP crew in Dunsmuir, one of the "rails" told me after the wreck a complete inspection turned up a bolt inserted in the chain on one of the handbrakes that prevented it from being fully applied. I have heard at least three stories of what happened to the second car, your Weed story is a variation on one of them (I've also heard Yreka area), the second is it was moved somewhere in the mountains south of Dunsmuir, and the third had the carcass hauled off to Mojave to be cut up. I'd be more than happy to meet up with you anytime to sign...chances are we will have some sort of event in McCloud sometime later this spring, I may also get to the Western Railway Museum yet again. Stay tuned. In the meantime, thanks for picking the book up, I hope you enjoy it!
Jeff Moore
Elko, NV