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Gravity Train, Marin County
Well before the Golden Gate Bridge was built San Franciscans would take ferries across the Bay to Marin County to ride the Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railroad. Each day steam engines would pull hundreds of passengers, in these open cars, past giant redwoods and up the 2,571-foot mountain. The riders would be treated to stunning views of the Mountain, the Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. Once at the top the visitors might decided to hike or simply relax at the mountaintop dance pavilion. But the real excitement was during the trip back down. The detached train cars, without an engine, would descend the mountain equipped only with brakes and a brakeman. The thrilling 281-turn trip took an hour to reach the bottom.The Railroad ran from 1896 until 1930 when a road was built and people began to drive in automobiles to the top of Mt. Tamalpais.
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