In the mid-1890s, the winding railroad was constructed along Mt. Tamalpais’s south slope. The railroads had come to Marin in previous decades, linking the county and acting as its principle form of transportation until the 1920s. Scenic railways were becoming popular, and the one up Mt. Tam was constructed during the height of their popularity.
The railroad opened in 1896 and became very popular. From around 1897 to the early 1920s, the railroad enjoyed its heyday. Tourists and residents would ride the rails up the mountain, then take gravity cars down. They sent out postcards displaying the views from the railway, landmarks that were scattered along the track, pamphlets that were distributed. The railway achieved a very large, very positive reputation, earning its nickname “The Crookedest Railroad in the World” due to its winding track.
If you were to ride the railroad, you would start in Mill Valley. There, the trains would board at a stop along the main north-south route. Once on, the train traveled along the gentle reaches of Blithedale Canyon. Back then it wasn’t covered in houses, as Mill Valley was far less developed than today. The railroad passed by one of Mill Valley’s most prominent hotels, the Blithedale Inn.
Once you passed Bridge # 7, the grade got steeper, and the winding began. The railroad twisted up the mountain, passing a section named the “McKinley Cut” after the president who, had it not been for illness, would have ridden up the mountain in 1901. The railway eventually reached Mesa Junction, where another line ran to Muir Woods. This branch wasn’t built until a decade after the original railroad was constructed, but proved to be a more than worthy addition to the system. This railroad went to the Muir Inn, which was nestled in the middle of the massive Redwood forest on the southwestern slopes of Mt. Tam.
Continuing on the main route, the railroad wound around 4 sharp curves that became known as the “Double Bowknot” due to its shape. This section was built as a switchback section to avoid the rather steep section in the railroad’s midsection. It became the most well known part of the railroad, and to this day forms a distinct shape on the mountain.
Above the Double Bowknot, the railroad climbed higher up the bare slopes of the mountain until it reached the West Point Inn. The Inn is the only part of the railroad still in operation. It was built in 1904, and served as one of the stops for the railroad itself, finding new life with the hiking community in later years. The Inn building itself was accompanied by multiple cabins, forming a nice spot right before the final stint to the summit.
After the inn, the railroad climbed to a small plateau-like region between the East and Central Peaks. There stood the destination: the Tamalpais Tavern. A distinct archway welcomed guests to the summit. The tavern had a covered deck for viewing the vista to the south. Bedrooms, kitchens, a dancing hall, and a lounge greeted the guests in the two taverns, which were linked by the archway over the railroad. In 1923, the tavern burned to the ground after a kitchen fire spread out of control, and a replacement tavern was built, which featured an enclosed deck, but was far smaller and less grand than its original counterpart.
Now that you were at the top of the mountain, the best way to get down was to take a gravity car. These cars were small and carried passengers down the winding railway fast. The locomotives also carried people and supplies down; there was only one way to go on the railroad, and the engines were never turned around.
The railroad operated from 1896 to 1929. During its life, it saw attendance rise and fall multiple times, with its peak being in 1915. But by the late 1920s, things were starting to turn against it. Ridgeway Boulevard was constructed, and people could now drive a crooked street to the top instead of ride it in a train. The second tavern was far less attractive than the first. Trains themselves were on the way out, as buses and cars themselves gradually became the norm. But still, the railroad was popular.
Then in 1929, a massive fire swept across Mount Tamalpais. It destroyed the railroad, melting railway cars where they stood. While the destroyed portions were hastily replaced, it was at great cost and to little benefit. In 1930, the entire railway was stripped off the mountain and sold for scrap. It had operated for 34 years as one of the most iconic features of Marin. But it could not escape the decline of the railroads as a transportation medium. Ten years after the last rails were yanked out of the soil, the railroad from Sausalito itself fell into disuse. Buses and cars took over, and the age of the railroad ended.
But the Crookedest Railroad in the World is still remembered. Every map of Mt. Tam features a winding fire road called the “Old Railroad Grade.” It traces the steps of the Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway, from above Blithedale canyon all the way to the summit. The Muir Woods route is now the Old Stage Grade, which links itself to the Panoramic Highway. The second Tamalpais Tavern was torn down in the 1950s, but its stone foundations are now popular with hikers, who use them to admire the view. A locomotive engine sits on the slopes of Mt. Tam, a permanent tribute to the railroad. And today, if you want to ride down the railroad in a gravity car, you can do it with the next best thing - a mountain bike.
Looking south to Richardson Bay from the tavern.
The Double Bowknot is in the foreground.
This post was created by Jason, an intern at the Marin History Museum.
