Re: Another day on the Madera Sugar Pine Grades

I rode the Yosemite Mountain & Sugar Pine train this last Sunday. It operates on a former Madera Sugar Pine roadbed.

A "spot fire" that was associated to the "Railroad Fire" burned an area that the train runs through. You could see where some trees were cut down after being burned. Most of these were close to the track. Some were left on the ground and some were removed. Other parts of the ride goes through areas not burned.

The YM&SP has three former West Side skeleton log cars that were equipped with a two large logs for seating down the sides of the car with a board walkway installed over the wooden center still . One of these was burned during the fire and is now being rebuilt. If I recall correctly, the two big logs being prepared for the seating were salvaged from trees cut down after the fire. Just another case of keeping the hardware and replace the wood. Other passenger carrying cars are rebuilt from flat cars (now with sides and roofs);

Many of the tall pine trees in the burned area along the railroad still have green tops. The lower bark looks chard, but intact.

The large "Railroad Fire" started across the highway from the entrance drive to the YM&SP shop, store and parking -- thus it's name.

Brian Norden