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Re: The End of Dunsmuir Railroad Days--it doesn't have to be
Author: David Dewey
Date: 03-15-2014 - 00:22
Before anyone thinks I'm an outsider who doesn't know anything, I am a Native of Dunsmuir, I researched and wrote most of the history of Railroad Days (back in 1977) and was very involved in its rebirth
Rebirth?? Yes, Railroad Days died once before, around 1961, both because of reaction against the SP for eliminating all the backshop and roundhouse work when dismals took over, and because the economy stunk--almost everywhere, but especially in Dunsmuir with the loss of the RR jobs and the bypassing of the town with one of the first completions in Northern California of the Interstate 5 freeway (folks no longer passed through town buying gas & food--back then travelers were not used to "pulling off the highway" for such things).
The celebration was renamed "Canyon Days" to "revive" it. Didn't work; celebration floundered about, becoming not much more than a School Fair type event. Another idea came about--River Daze! We'll have raft races, fishing contests, a run, etc. Well, that idea died the winter of '76--"No Celebration in '77" was the headline. A few of us got together in January and said, "no way" and we put together a parade and a button design that included SP 1727 in it (my contribution) and on things went. I kept bugging folks--"This is a Railroad Town, it should be Railroad Days!" I declared at one meeting; Brian Hembling replied,"Stop beating that Dead Horse." I said, "The horse ain't dead yet!" and the next year it was again Railroad Days, because, that's what Dunsmuir was, and is; a Railroad Town.
Back then we didn't have trains coming to town, but we held things like spike driving contests. Knuckle races (hard to run carrying a coupler knuckle!) and we were working on other stuff--also a group of us did Guided Tours of SP 1727, showing a lot of kids how steam engines worked, and what the Engineer and Brakeman did--and let them ring the bell--that was a BIG hit for them.
Two years later some of the kids would take the tour and tell me what the parts were--so they were listening & learning!
Anyways, the celebration can go on, it just has to "think out of the box" and find other things to do that are "railroady" One idea was to make up 15" gauge track panels, have a timed track laying contest down Dunsmuir Avenue, and then have timed handcar races on that track (this requires a LOT of prep and some $$$$ to put together, we never quite got it together, and then I moved out of town) and then a track unlaying contest (sneaky way to clean up the street!). We did do a whistle blowing contest with a steam traction engine too, another railroady thing that doesn't require anything on the rails.
And remember, Dunsmuir's big railroad history is SP not UP! :)
Rebirth?? Yes, Railroad Days died once before, around 1961, both because of reaction against the SP for eliminating all the backshop and roundhouse work when dismals took over, and because the economy stunk--almost everywhere, but especially in Dunsmuir with the loss of the RR jobs and the bypassing of the town with one of the first completions in Northern California of the Interstate 5 freeway (folks no longer passed through town buying gas & food--back then travelers were not used to "pulling off the highway" for such things).
The celebration was renamed "Canyon Days" to "revive" it. Didn't work; celebration floundered about, becoming not much more than a School Fair type event. Another idea came about--River Daze! We'll have raft races, fishing contests, a run, etc. Well, that idea died the winter of '76--"No Celebration in '77" was the headline. A few of us got together in January and said, "no way" and we put together a parade and a button design that included SP 1727 in it (my contribution) and on things went. I kept bugging folks--"This is a Railroad Town, it should be Railroad Days!" I declared at one meeting; Brian Hembling replied,"Stop beating that Dead Horse." I said, "The horse ain't dead yet!" and the next year it was again Railroad Days, because, that's what Dunsmuir was, and is; a Railroad Town.
Back then we didn't have trains coming to town, but we held things like spike driving contests. Knuckle races (hard to run carrying a coupler knuckle!) and we were working on other stuff--also a group of us did Guided Tours of SP 1727, showing a lot of kids how steam engines worked, and what the Engineer and Brakeman did--and let them ring the bell--that was a BIG hit for them.
Two years later some of the kids would take the tour and tell me what the parts were--so they were listening & learning!
Anyways, the celebration can go on, it just has to "think out of the box" and find other things to do that are "railroady" One idea was to make up 15" gauge track panels, have a timed track laying contest down Dunsmuir Avenue, and then have timed handcar races on that track (this requires a LOT of prep and some $$$$ to put together, we never quite got it together, and then I moved out of town) and then a track unlaying contest (sneaky way to clean up the street!). We did do a whistle blowing contest with a steam traction engine too, another railroady thing that doesn't require anything on the rails.
And remember, Dunsmuir's big railroad history is SP not UP! :)
