OIL and trains

[steinjr]

I think the point of the railroad is not to get workers to the oil fields, although if it is remote enough that may be the only way to do it. A bunch of the ranches along the "Skunk" railroad (can't remember the correct name, California Northern maybe) in Northern Calif. between Ft Bragg and Willets be in great difficulty without the railroad. There are no roads in the area, so the only way in or out is either the railroad, horse back, or mule.

In this case the railroad was built to get the oil out.

How did the ranches get there in the first place, and how have they survived so far? They would have to generate enormous profits to justify the construction of a railroad.

A brief google search establishes that the railroad known as the Skunk railroad was built to haul redwood logs out of the area, not to haul produce from local farms out.

As for roads, a brief look on the map and overhead images e.g. on bing maps show that there of course are roads both in Fort Bragg (on the coast) and Willets (inland), plus a fair standard road between the two. And a patchwork of smaller (probably dust) road through the forests in the area between the two towns (almost impossible to spot using e.g Bing maps without the labels - pretty dense forest canopy).

Smile,
Stein