As noted, the large plow in the Railroad Park Resort is a former McCloud River Railroad plow. As originally envisioned, what is now the Railroad Park Resort was supposed to be a major railroad museum, and as such it received many donations of equipment, including five or six cars from McCloud River. MR donated bucker plow #1701, flanger #1773, bucker/flanger #1787, outfit car #01, and caboose #031, along with maybe a log flat, to the proposed museum. Sometime later on the museum fell apart and the current resort rose in its place. The #01 and #031 are now part of the resort restaurant; the #1701 and #1773 are on display; and a flash flood destroyed the #1787 shortly after it arrived on site; its frame is said to now be supporting part of the steak house kitched area.

As to the plow's history, Central Pacific built it many years ago, then sold it it McCloud River circa 1902. McCloud operated it as their #700 until late 1906/early 1907, when it received its current number. The railroad rebuilt the plow from the ground up in December 1911, then rebuilt it again to provide greater clearence in 1932.

Finally, could you provide some more information on the logging railroad you saw? If it was on the east side of Cascade Summit and still in evidence it probably is the Klamath Northern Railroad. The only other logging railroads tributary to the SP in the cascades (that I can think of) would be the Edward Hines operation out of Westfir (Oakridge) and the Weyerhaeuser line out of Springfield.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV