Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway
[2][page needed] Originally planned as a 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge electric trolley line, the railroad was powered by a succession of geared steam locomotives.
[3] Billed as the "Crookedest Railroad in the World", the line was renowned for its steep and serpentine route, winding through picturesque terrain to a mountaintop tavern providing first-class hospitality and panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area.
[4] Despite its popularity, the railway met its demise following a fire in 1929,[5] and dwindling ridership when the automobile could finally drive to Tamalpais' summit.
[7] During the late 19th Century, Marin County was regarded more as a source of lumber than as place of natural beauty and respite from the densely populated areas just south across the San Francisco Bay.
[10] Due to ease of access provided by the ferry and rail service, entrepreneurs realized the potential for transforming the undeveloped hills north of San Francisco into a recreational destination.
[11] He had recently acquired the Blithedale Hotel summer resort just north of downtown Mill Valley in Corte Madera Canyon.
[14] It was initially named the Mill Valley and Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway due to the fact the Muir Woods branch had not yet been planned.
Considering his family's financial interests in the railway, Kent spearheaded the movement to form the Muir Woods National Monument, a popular destination on the line.
Originating at the North Pacific Coast Railroad depot in Mill Valley, the line was planned to ascend the surrounding hills to the summit of Mount Tamalpais, then over the top of the peak and down to Bolinas Beach.
[17] Despite these labor concerns and some local enmity from residents who opposed noisy locomotives running adjacent to their property, construction ensued.
Trains headed north, across Throckmorton, between two buildings, behind the Masonic Hall and past a water tank and shed at Lovell Avenue.
[21] From this point, the tracks then headed west past another water tank, reaching Milepost Six at an elevation of 1,730 feet (530 m), where Boot Jack Siding was located.
From here, the tracks wound around a broad curve for just less than a quarter of a mile to the railroad's final destination, Tamalpais Tavern, at an elevation of 2,436 feet (742 m).
According to an article entitled "Geared Locomotives on the Mount Tamalpais Railway" from the July 16, 1898 edition of Scientific American, the mainline had only 3.282 miles (5.282 km) of straight track, with the remainder composed of the following 266 curves:[22] The railroad became famous for its gravity cars — four-wheeled coasters introduced in 1902 that took advantage of the steep, uninterrupted grade.
[24] On July 2, 1929, a wind-driven wildfire swept down the slopes of Mount Tamalpais through Blithedale Canyon and came within two blocks of the Mill Valley depot as nearly one hundred homes burned.
Snakes sought refuge from adjacent flames on the railway and were crushed under the train wheels, making the rails slippery and requiring liberal use of sand to prevent excessive speed.
[36] Although the railroad quickly repaired the damaged tracks and resumed service, it stopped for good not long after with the final passenger train running on October 31, 1929.
