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Christmas with the Skunk Train

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The Skunk Train is a popular nickname for the 40-mile California Western Railroad.  Said line is located in the Coastal Redwood regions of Mendocino County between Willits and Fort Bragg.  

The initial portion of what would become the California Western Railroad opened east of Fort Bragg in 1885 and would ultimately reach Willits by 1911.  The "Skunk Train" nickname is derived from 1920s era when gasoline powered motorcars were introduced to the line.  The California Western Railroad was ultimately sold to Mendocino County investors in 1996 and turned into a heritage line.  During the Christmas season each year the so-called Christmas Tree Train departs from Willits west to the claimed world's largest Christmas Tree in the Noyo River Canyon.  



Part 1; the history of the California Western Railroad (more popularly known as the Skunk Train)

The genesis of the California Western Railroad was in 1885 when the Fort Bragg Railroad opened between Fort Bragg eastward 6.6 miles to the Redwood mill at Glen Blair.   The Fort Bragg Railroad was an operating division of the Union Lumber Company and was subsequently extended upstream eastward on the Noyo River to Alpine by 1904.  The connection to Alpine was the beginning of passenger service on the Fort Bragg Railroad.  The siding in Alpine was connected further east via stage route to Willits.  In 1905 the line was renamed to the "California Western Railroad & Navigation Company."

By 1911 the California Western Railroad reached Willits and connected to the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.  The inland rail connection to Fort Bragg proved to be popular with San Francisco Bay Area residents which led to a tourism boom in Willits and Fort Bragg.  The beginning of the Skunk Train era of the California Western Railroad came in 1925 when gasoline powered motorcars were introduced to the line.  These single unit motor cars had crude oil burning stoves which coupled with the gasoline engine gave off a pungent smell.   

The California Western Railroad can be seen branching west from Willits on the 1922 United States Geological Survey map.  The line can be seen passing through a summit tunnel near the Noyo River towards a series of switchbacks.  The line passes by sidings called Crater, Crowley and Soda Springs in the switchbacks.  Upon reaching the bottom of the switchbacks the line began to run along the Noyo River where it passed the sidings of Burbeck and Shake City.  



The California Western Railroad can be seen following the Noyo River pasts the sidings of Irmulco, Northspur, Alpine and Southfork on the 1920 United States Geological Survey map of Glenblair. 




The 1920 United States Geological Survey map displays the California Western Railroad crossing the Noyo River and entering a tunnel towards Puddy Creek.  The line followed Puddy Creek into Fort Bragg where it terminated at the lumber yards near Fort Bragg Cove.


A broader view of the California Western Railroad can be seen on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Mendocino County.  



In 1947 the line name was officially shorted to California Western Railroad.  The California Western Railroad retired all steam locomotives in favor of diesel in 1952.  A Skunk Train (M-100 motorcar) can be seen crossing the Noyo River in the 1960s in this photo hosted by skunktrain.com.


In 1970 the Union Lumber Company and California Western Railroad were purchased by the Georgia-Pacific Corporation.  Georgia-Pacific sold the California Western Railroad to Kyle Railways in 1987.  Kyle Railways continued to operate the California Western Railroad as a subsidiary of the Mendocino Coast Railway.  The California Western Railroad was later shuttered due to not being profitable and was sold to local Mendocino Coast investors in 1996 who turned it into a heritage railroad.  



Part 2; the Skunk Depot in Willits

Willits Station (also known as the Skunk Depot) can be found on Commercial Street about a quarter mile east of Main Street.  Willits Station opened in 1915 as a replacement for the original 1902 station.  Numerous California Western Railroad locomotives and rolling stock can be found at the station.  







Several derelict locomotives and cars from other railroad lines can be found south of Skunk Depot along Railroad Avenue. 






Part 3; the Skunk Train terminus in Fort Bragg

The Fort Bragg Skunk Train Depot can be found on Laurel Street. 


The California Western Railroad rolling stock at the Skunk Train Depot can be seen below.










Part 4; the Christmas Tree Train out of Willits

The Christmas Tree Train departs out of the Willits Skunk Train Depot during the Fall/Winter season.  The Christmas Tree Train trip is approximately 16 miles in length looping from the Skunk Train Depot to the claimed largest Christmas Tree in the world in the Noyo River Canyon.  The photos in this segment were taken on December 20, 2025.



 



The Skunk Train passes just south of the Willits Arch.  The Willits Arch in actuality is the refurbished second Reno Arch.  The second Reno Arch was originally installed on Virginia Street (former mainline US Route 395) as a replacement for the first arch in 1963.  The second Reno Arch was replaced by the current Virginia Street structure in 1987.  The second Reno Arch was subsequently put into storage until it was donated to the city of Willits.  The second Reno Arch was redesigned as the Willits Arch in 1995 and was installed on Main Street.  The Willits Arch now reads "Heart of Mendocino County" headed south on Main Street and "Gateway to the Redwoods" headed north.  


A rail car can be seen in Christmas decor approaching the summit tunnel. 



The Christmas Tree Train passes through the summit tunnel and enters the Noyo River Canyon. 


The Christmas Tree Train terminates in the switchbacks in the Noyo River Canyon at the world's largest Christmas Tree.  This Coastal Redwood is also featured on the Wolf Tree Turn which also departs out of Willits. 


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