Railroad Author Jeff Moore Shares McCloud History at Festival

While there was so much going on during the Apple Harvest Festival in McCloud on October 11th, the McCloud Heritage Junction Museum took the opportunity to host a book signing and talk with Jeff Moore, who is the author of two local books about the McCloud River Railroad. He first created a website, then a magazine called ‘Shortline’, but then in 2006, he decided to seriously start researching to write a book and ended up writing two books about the famous railroad history of McCloud.

The two books about the McCloud’s Railroad and its history are called The McCloud River Railroad and California’s Lumber Shortline Railroad. Both books were published in 2016.

Jeff Moore lived in Burney Falls as a child and became fascinated by the McCloud Railroad. As an adult, he spent many years researching through the archives at the McCloud Heritage Junction Museum and exploring the old train cars that still exist today around the outskirts of the little unincorporated town of McCloud. He gave his talk in the McCloud River Bed and Breakfast which drew about 30 people. He is still seen around McCloud though his home is now in Elko, Nevada.

His talk reflects the passion he has held through the years, writing about the railroad and the history of McCloud which ended with the steam train in 2005. It was soon after that he started on his first book. His books give details about the people who were involved and how it was first predicted that the life expectancy of the McCloud River Lumber Company would probably end in 1935. But the lumber company bought more timberland and moved the life expectancy to 1950, and then again to 1965. Both the books detail how it all evolved and ended as the Union Pacific.

There were about 350 visitors to the McCloud Heritage Junction Museum during the festival and his books are popular for train enthusiasts like Randy Rouse from Redding who is a history teacher and attended Moore’s talk. Rouse says, “I am a huge fan of Jeff Moore. I have always been excited about the railroad and the course it has taken in our local history. The town of McCloud is my favorite. It was great to hear first-hand of Jeff Moore’s research. It is a great read.”