Skunk Train Depot

Aside from being a popular coastal town for tourists, Fort Bragg is also famous for its Skunk Train. With a large amount of trees in the area, the railroad was built for the logging industry in the 1880's.
Passenger service started in 1904 with steam engines until 1925 when diesel engines took over. Originally named the California Western Railroad, it was eventually renamed to the "Skunk Train" when people said "you can smell 'em before you can see 'em."
You can see an old 1965 video about the history of Fort Bragg and the Skunk Train.

We arrived into town as the sun was setting and no train service was in operations for the rest of the day.
Typically, the train leaves from Fort Bragg once or twice a day and returns back in the afternoon.
Many people make it a day outing for a ride through the the redwood forest, over bridges, through tunnels, and pass-through open meadows.

The empty train platform in the early evening.

I spotted a few old trains in the railroad yard.
They seemed to be out of commission or waiting to be restored.

Not far away is a mural depicting the days of the California Western Railroad painted by Prete Giacinto in 1993.
- Karen