The Crookedest Railroad in the World was on Mt Tam

Everyone wants to be the best in the world. How about the crookedest in the world?

The Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Scenic Railway had that claim to fame from 1896 to 1930. It was just 8 miles long, but included 260 curves, 22 wooden trestle bridges, and climbed 2571 feet to the East Peak of Mt Tam. Therefore, the promoters proudly billed it as the “Crookedest Railroad in the World.”

The reason roads and railroads wind back and forth is so that you can climb the hill without it being too steep. They built all those turns in order to average a 5% grade: a 5-foot rise every 100 feet traveled. This is steeper than any freight or passenger rail today, and is about the same as Highway 80 to Truckee’s grade.

Even with all those turns, it was so steep it required special geared engines. Plus, they ran the train backwards: the engine was in the rear pushing uphill! This was safer and kept the smoke away from passengers.

By 1915, the trains carried 700 passengers per day, including some names you may recognize: Susan B. Anthony, Jack London, and John Muir.

Here is the thrilling part: downhill gravity cars! Rather than taking a loud and slow train down, they used special wooden bench-seat cars. There was a brakeman to limit it to 12 miles per hour, but this was more like a thrilling roller coaster ride than a train. These only existed on Mt Tam Railway!

The growing popularity of cars and a fire put an end to this once popular attraction. Today you can hike the same route. Also check out, the Gravity Car Barn Museum.

One word: curved. See you later corners.

Smack dab in the heart of downtown San Anselmo are three condos by award-winning Marin architect Jerry Kler. And one could be yours for just under one million dollars.

There are two bedrooms and 1,264 square feet, but the location is the incredible part. It’s a stone’s throw from the Coffee Roastery on the main drag.

Zillow link

Thanks for reading. We will be back with the regular events and activities email Wednesday morning!

— Allison + Brian

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