Iron Graveyard
This is a collection of work inspired by the old railroad in McCloud, California. The McCloud River Railroad has a long history that dates back to the late 1800's when lumber was in high demand during a time of gold rush and booming towns built over night. The McCloud River Lumber Company gave birth to a small company owned town and used the railroad to haul lumber until 1963. Both the McCloud River Railroad and Lumber Companies were then sold to U.S. Plywood who preferred hauling timber through the use of trucks. The train was slowly put out of commission as some of the cars and engines were sold to locomotive enthusiasts. Civil War re-enactments, excursions and a dinner train kept a portion of the railway active. Today however finds the remnants of what once was a thriving industry now a ghostly "Iron Graveyard." The McCloud Museum provides photographs of these same railcars in their prime and gives evidence that they were built during a time of innovation by very imaginative thinkers.