Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway

Mount Tamalpais And Muir Woods Railway

The Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway was a scenic tourist railway operating between Mill Valley and the east peak of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California, covering a distance of 8.19 miles (13.18 km), with a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) spur line to the Muir Woods. The railroad incorporated in January 1896, closing only a little over three decades later, in the summer of 1930. Although originally planned as a standard gauge electric trolley line, the railroad was powered by a succession of geared steam locomotives. Billed as the "Crookedest Railroad in the World," the line was a popular diversion for many, renowned for its peculiarly steep and serpentine route, winding through picturesque terrain to a mountaintop tavern that provided striking views of the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite its popularity, the railway met its ultimate demise following a devastating fire in 1929, accompanied by diminished ridership resulting from both increasing automobile competition and the Great Depression.

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