A southbound Eureka Southern freight pokes its nose out of the Island Mountain tunnel. It is interesting to consider that during the Christmas 1964 floods the water rose to just below these bridge spans, so the the original (lower) deck trusses were swept away. You can see where the concrete piers were raised by the NWP to accommodate the new higher through trusses, a change designed to keep the new bridge out of harms way. The bridge did survive the next big flood in February of 1986. Today the line has been out of service for over ten years, along the Eel River the line is badly damaged by sides, flooding and erosion and it is unlikely to see another train. However after a hiatus of eleven years the south end of the former Northwestern Pacific will soon see freight service again.
