Kirk - The "forward and backward in see-saw fashion" is the train
equivalent of trail switchbacks, needed for getting up steep slopes.
It's hard to get those trains to turn on a dime (smashing dimes might be
another random stream for this thread to go down), so they go forwards
on one leg of the switchback and backwards on the next. Obviously this
takes a lot of room to maneuver. Fortunately, there's a lot of space in
the Santa Cruz mountains.

Joe Parker Los Gatos, CA - at the base of those mountains

On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 8:23 AM, Kirk Eppler <eppler.kirk@g...> wrote:
>
> On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 6:05 AM, James Thompson
> <oldmillrat@m...> wrote:
>
> >
> > I rode a narrow gauge logging train, I believe at Felton Ca, (maybe
> > not, it has been a very long time ago) where the train has to go
> > forward and backward in see-saw fashion to get up and down the
> > mountainside. A train can't climb a very steep grade. I am told this
> > is common where there is no way to go around the mountain, but I had
> > never seen it before. I had always imagined that trains were for
> > long distance transport. I never thought about getting up and down
> > the side of a mountain range that goes on forever.
> >
>
>
> That would be Roaring Camp, in Bill Kasper's backyard.
>
> http://www.roaringcamp.com/
>
> I think the back and forth might be in part due to vandals burning one
> of their bridges, haven't been there in a few years.
>
> Here is a list of their engines http://www.roaringcamp.com/history
>
> They also run a diesel from Santa Cruz to Felton and back. =A0Not
> quite as nostalgic as the narrow guage
>
>
> Kirk in Half Moon Bay, CA
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