Railroad Operations

A panorama of one day's tourism on the mountain.
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The railroad was profitable almost immediately; and starting in 1902 the company paid quarterly dividends of $1.25 per share -- a five percent dividend. The company was also able to upgrade its track, putting the road on a firm footing and putting in improvements to the line.

The Tamalpais tavern, completed in 1896, was added on and redesigned until by 1910 the grounds straddled the tracks. Hundreds of people (at its height the railroad hauled over seven hundred people up and down the mountain in a day) would have a good time within the tavern, and it was not an unusual sight to see firemen putting out fires at the archway.

But probably the biggest attraction of the railway was the gravity cars. The cars would be loaded with people at the top of the hill, then they would coast down the hill with a "gravity man" manning the brakes. The ride would go on for the better part of the hour, winding its way down the mountain with new views showing themselves at every turn. The views would be especially beautiful at night, with the moon shining through the trees.

The railroad was often in the forefront of innovation. By 1902, the railroad had converted its trains to Oil burning, thereby affecting a cost savings and reducing the chances that the engines would cause a fire in the forest. Another innovation to come from the railroad operating on its twisting route was a slight tapering of the axles towards the center, giving the car axles enough flexibility for the winding, constantly-rising route. This innovation was eventually implimented by the Northewstern Pacific and Pennsylvania Railroad in response to similar problems.