Riding the Rails
Shasta Railbikes Celebrates McCloud’s Railroad Heritage…
“We wanted to bring something new to McCloud that also pays homage to what this town was originally built on,” says Alayna Jones, operations manager for Shasta Railbikes. Now, visitors can take a two-hour excursion on battery-assisted pedal railbikes along eight miles of historic railroad. “We leave straight from the old engine shop in downtown, which still has two McCloud railroad engines in it,” Jones says. “Then we go past the old lumber mill, out behind Hitchcock’s shop, over Panther Creek on this old wooden bridge, and all the way toward Pilgrim Creek where we have a turnaround. It’s gorgeous out there.”
Jones argues that the ride, however, is about far more than scenery. “Most people come here for the waterfalls, skiing or hiking. They walk around downtown, but they don’t really get to experience what McCloud was like. We want people to imagine this place 100 years ago when there were train whistles going off, people working everywhere, and the railroad was the heartbeat of the community.”
According to Jones, the idea initially came from a visiting railroad enthusiast who stumbled across McCloud while exploring abandoned rail lines in Northern California. “He started talking to some locals and learned about our awesome dinner train we used to have,” Jones says. “He was like, ‘What?’”
He began talking about someday restoring the Shasta Dinner Train. While that larger project slowly inches forward in the background, Jones says a family vacation inspired another idea. “He went on one of these railbikes with his son while he was on vacation, and he came back so amazed by them that he said, ‘Why don’t we do this on our other tracks?’ This lets people start experiencing the railroad now.”
The four-seat e-bikes are currently on loan while custom railbikes are being built. They are all battery-assisted, making the ride more relaxing than strenuous. “I would not be signing myself up for this if it was really hard,” Jones says with a laugh. “People hear the word ‘bike’ and think it’s going to be hard, but it’s not. As soon as you start pedaling, the battery kicks in and just carries you along. It’s super leisurely.”
Jones adds that it’s also a way for families to enjoy an excursion together. “Our demographic loves hunting, fishing and hiking. This activity gives those same people something that isn’t so solo. It’s a guided, family-friendly experience where you’re enjoying the outdoors, but you’re also part of something with other people. And then it’s a history lesson, too, that gives people a chance to be integrated with the community instead of just going hiking by themselves for 10 hours.”
Born and raised in McCloud, Jones moved away only once, and briefly. “I left for about six months. I thought I’d try Sacramento. Then COVID happened, and I hurried home.” Today, she hopes projects like Shasta Railbikes help strengthen the town she loves. “It’s definitely changed,” she says. “We’ve got more visitors than ever, but we’re also losing year-round families. Our schools are getting smaller. Businesses are short-staffed. We’d love to see more people stay here instead of just passing through.” Jones hopes the railbikes become more than another tourist attraction. “This is going to create jobs, and I hope we can keep some people here year-round instead of them having to leave after ski season. More jobs means more kids in our schools, more people volunteering, more people shopping locally. That’s really the goal.”
Jones smiles as she explains why the project matters so much. “I just love my town. I grew up watching people volunteer for the Chamber, put on festivals and Halloween parties for the kids. I want to be part of that now. That’s why I’m excited about this. It isn’t just tourism,” Jones explains. “It’s creating jobs and helping our community and businesses stay strong. We want people to have fun, but more than that, we want them to leave understanding why this railroad mattered, why this town is here and why we all care so much about keeping its story alive.”•
Shasta Railbikes
www.shastarailbikes.com
