California's North Coast Logging Railroads

In 1854, the first railroad in the western U.S. was built to haul logs from northern California's vast stands of coastal redwoods to the tideland. For the next century, railroads played a vital role in a thriving lumber industry. "California's North Coast Logging Railroads" features operations of the Caspar, Union, Holmes-Eureka, Northern Redwood, Simpson Redwood, Hammond, Dolbeer and Carson, and Pacific Lumber Companies and their railroads. Also shown are the Arcata and Mad River and the Northwestern Pacific Railroads.

Outstanding, mostly color footage from Jim Bucholzer and other cinematographers has been assembled by film archivist Don Olsen to provide a fascinating view of steam-era logging, from 1904 to 1954. From felling timber to shipping the lumber, this tape provides a remarkable fifty year record of northern California's dominant coastal industry.

Warren Haack directs this "must see" show from an earlier era, when steam was king. Interviews with eminent author/historian Ted Wurm and Henry Sorensen highlight the action; and the tape concludes with the saga of Henry's retrieval and restoration of Mattole Lumber Company's 0-4-0T #1.

70 minutes • DVD
Black and White, color and full sound track.