Another bent R.R.

[Gwizz]

Another railroad that claimed to be the crookedest in the world.

It had passenger trains that were pulled by gear locomotives up heavy grades, one over 5%.

It was a 5 hour rail trip.  In later years, long after the RR was gone, I could drive to the same end of line in 1.5 hours.

I had 2 great uncles that helped build the power lines and rode on the trains.  Another uncle took a summer job on the old abandon right-of-way that I was able to explore as a kid.  I had some heartwood redwood RR ties from the RR that were stolen, found and I was paid well for the ties. 

http://www.sierrahistorical.org/archives/sjerailroad.html

[thomasjordan]

Interesting article.

One misstatement in the article, though.  The Argentine Central in Colorado also only owned geared locomotives, and it too hauled passengers to the mines and small community at the top of the mountain from Silver Plum (upper end of the Georgetown Loop).

[Gwizz]

Actually a fair number of railroads used gear locos in passenger service.

Often it was the curves more than the grades that required the articulation of the flexible gear locomotive.

The San Joaquin and Eastern RR used rod locos for the lower half of the journey until the curves got too sharp and grades to steep.

If I remember correctly there was a fair number in just Pennsylvania alone that hauled passengers with these locos.