The Feather River & The Hillcrest Railroads

Flooding behind the Oroville Dam eventually drowned the Feather River Railway and its magnificent canyon scenery, but not before Glenn Beier had the chance to commit almost the entire line to film. This includes the 90-ton monster Shays barreling across an S-curved trestle above the awesome gorge of the South Fork to tackle the famous 5.3% grade. The refurbishing and delivery of surplus Shay #1 to Oroville for exhibition follows in this in-depth film of California’s last steam-operated common carrier.

More than 25% of all logging locomotives in British Columbia, including rod engines, were Climaxes. Here you’ll see the company that specialized in Climaxes, The Hillcrest, and their #10. The engine works the mill yards at Honeymoon Bay and Lake Mesachie and takes off on the main line to Lake Cowichan, winding between the dramatically lit lakes and mountains of Vancouver Island. With its cylinders canted at a rakish 45 degree angle, a Climax in action resembled nothing so much as a fireworks pinwheel, but the men who worked them in the woods swore they were the world’s best geared locomotives. Finally, there is a brief look at the rod engines of the Comox Railway working at Headquarters and Ladysmith.

Narration. Sunday River Productions programs may feature Color film, B&W film, Music, Dubbed Sound and still photos.