On May 3, 2009… it was the Grand Opening for the public of the new Gravity Car replica barn and Museum at East Peak which is the Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway old top station.Â
The Barn will be the permanent home of the Gravity Car replica (N° 22) which is part of a was constructed by Jerry Coe in 1996. The Barn has been constructed over a section of the 84 feet of standard gauge track at the historic rail siding of the old top station.
Mount Tamalpais – Un nouveau hangar pour la voiture
Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway (1896 – 1930) was located in California on the north side of the Golden Gate.
Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway was a fantastic Gravity Railroad!
A Gravity Railroad is a natural Roller Coaster… passenger carriages which was pushed to the top of the Mount Tamalpais mountain and then the carriages were dropped on the descending slope… moving with only the gravity and only a brake to control the speed!
I am so fascinated about this kind of railway… a natural Roller Coaster!
Gravity car filled with passengers in front of train from Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway sitting in Mill Valley station. Steam is emanating from the locomotive. A detached open air passenger car is on another track to the right of the train. Passenger cars from the Northwestern Pacific Railroad can be seen on the next track to the left of the photo in the shade behind the sheltering structure covering the passenger platform. The station, some houses on the hill and the top of Mount Tamalpais can be seen in the background…
The morning train has arrived at Mesa Station, the Double Bow Knot, halfway to the summit of Mount Tamalpais. Here the passengers for Muir Woods changed to gravity cars, seen on the left, to be coasted down into Muir Woods while the train continued up the mountain. Engine No. 4, emanating steam, is at the far left of the photo near the water tank. The small tank car in back of the engine will be filled with water and hauled to the summit by the train. The open air passenger cars are filled with passengers. The gravity train cars to the lest of the photo are empty. The summit of Mount Tamalpais may be seen in the background.
Â
Muir Woods Inn
Six guests are seated outside in the courtyard of the Muir Woods Inn. Three hotel staff members are standing in a door way. There is a small sign near the door that says “Cottages for Rent”. There are trees beyond the hotel.
Â
West Point Inn
The West Point Inn shortly after its completion in 1904; Railroad passengers would disembark and take the Pipe Line trail to the left to the Mountain Theater; The Tamalpais Conservation Club guest registry is at the foot of the sone walkway.
Â
Mount Tamalpais Tavern
Shay geared steam locomotive
Â
Mount Tamalpais top station and Tavern
Mount Tamalpais and Tavern
Â
(Photos Mill Valley Public Library and Alamedainfo)
On May 3, 2009… it was the Grand Opening for the public of the new Gravity Car replica barn and Museum at East Peak which is the Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway old top station.Â
The Barn will be the permanent home of the Gravity Car replica (N° 22) which is part of a was constructed by Jerry Coe in 1996. The Barn has been constructed over a section of the 84 feet of standard gauge track at the historic rail siding of the old top station.
This is what “Andreas G” said in a Quiz #15 comment:
“Passengers rode to the top of the mountain by steam train. Downwards they had the choice of steam train or gravity car. It was not allowed to ride the gravity cars on the way to the top. Whenever he accompanied a gravity train about to roll downwards, Superintendent Bill Thomas announced: «OK men, turn on the gravity!» The gravity cars did not ride to Mill Valley – they used a branch line to a nature reserve called Muir Woods. From Muir Woods, a steam train carried passengers up the hill to Mesa station (where the branch to Muir Woods began) and towed the gravity cars. At Mesa, the steam train turned on the wye (the locomotive was always below the cars) and proceeded to Mill Valley, while the gravity cars waited for another steam train that would push them to Mount Tamalpais.”
This was the Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway (1896 – 1930) in California on the north side of the Golden Gate. Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway was a fantastic Gravity Railroad! A Gravity Railroad is a natural Roller Coaster… passenger carriages which was pushed to the top of the Mount Tamalpais mountain and then the carriages were dropped on the descending slope… moving with only the gravity and only a brake to control the speed! I am so fascinated about this kind of railway… a natural Roller Coaster!
Il s'agit donc du Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway (1896 – 1930) situé en Californie sur la rive nord du Golden Gate à côté de San Francisco. Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway était un fantastique chemin de fer à gravité (Gravity Railroad)! Un chemin de fer à gravité, c'était comme les Montagnes Russes mais dans la nature… des wagons de passagers étaient remontés au sommet du Mnt Tamalpais et de là elles étaient relâchées pour descendre de leurs propres poids dans la descente… avec juste un frein pour contrôler la vitesse! J'ai toujours été fasciné par ce genre de chemin de fer qui a complètement disparu… des Montagnes Russes dans la nature!
The summit. The beginning of the descent! Look how funny it was!!! Le sommet. Le début de la descente! Ce devait être une superbe expérience! Surtout avec 4 voitures attelées bourrées de monde! Peut être un poil dangereux tout de même!
Great pict! Details of a carriage… the guy at the front on the right side was the brakeman with two handles in front of him. Note also the big bell on the right side! Great pict! Détails d'une voiture… le type avec la casquette est le préposé au frein qui est actionné par ces deux manettes verticales devant lui. Notez le gros timbre qui servait de klaxon! Magnifique photo!
Another great picture!!! I really love the curves of the track! Encore une magnifique photo!!! J'adore ces courbes de la voie!
The carriages were took back up to the summit with a steam locomotive. Les voitures étaient remontées au sommet accrochées à une locomotive à vapeur.
Detail of the steam locomotive… which was a Shay geared steam locomotive! Détail de la locomotive Shay à pistons verticaux qui actionnent un vilbrequin qui commande deux axes moteurs horizontaux (avant et arrière) lesquels sont équipés de pignons côniques pour chacune des roues! Toutes les roues de la locomotive sont motrices!
