Shay #6 pushing hard up the grade to Whiittaker Station


Shay #11 returning from Whittaker Station waits with her train for #6 to push her train into a switchback


#6's train enters the switchback while #11's train waits


#6 continues upgrade to Whittaker Station


When logging trains ran on these tracks, their very heavy loads required considerable braking as trains descended the mountain, sometimes literally making the rails slide downhill under the rail spikes. To avoid problems and derailments, small gaps were left in the rails at joints and the uphill part of each rail section had a bit of excess rail protruding to the side. When rails slid downhill, this excess section would be pulled in to preserve integrity of the track. The lower part of the same rail piece would be cut off as the gap started to close to compensate for the shift in the rail.


Rounding a sharp curve before arriving at Whittaker Station


#6 arrives at Whittaker Station