One Man & A Mule Railway
Posted by: 
showbizkid
N 34° 13.287 W 118° 06.553
11S E 397830 N 3787266
The old One Man & A Mule Railway railbed is now a fire road and access to Mt. Muir.
Waymark Code: WM8T4
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 03/11/2006
Views: 45
This Rails to Trails entry is for the One Man and a Mule Railway rail bed which has been converted to a fire road/trail in Angeles National Forest in California. This Rails to Trails route can be reached by hiking up any one of five trails to Inspiration Point. At the shelter there is an interesting display on the OM&MRR. Photos from the display are below.
The OM&MRR was an unusual mule-powered railway which ran about 8/10th of a mile from Inspiration Point above Altadena to Panorama Point, a viewpoint overlooking the San Gabriel Valley (at an elevation of about 4500 feet).
The OM&MRR operated for about 20 years, from roughly 1915 until 1935. The sole operator of the railway was a Mr. Zetterwall, who came to the San Gabriel Mountains to recover from tuberculosis. The mule, Herbert, pushed the open-bench car both ways to keep dust off the passengers. When Herbert strayed, a cut-down Model-T Ford was used for locomotion.
Access to Inspiration Point was via the Mt. Lowe Railway to nearby Alpine Tavern. Guests then walked the 1/4 mile or so to Inspiration Point (a scenic overlook with a shelter) and boarded the OM&MRR there.
After the OM&MRR ceased operation, the rails fell into disrepair. The steel rails were salvaged for scrap during WWII and the timbers removed. The Forest Service now maintains the rail bed as a fire road and trail. This route provides access to a single-track trail to Mt. Muir.
To record your visit to the OM&MRR Waymark, please post your own photo of the trailhead along with some comments. Logs without photos will be archived. Thanks.
Overlook of Inspiration Point area. In the shelter, you’ll find the display about the OM&MRR. The rail route can be seen winding its way in the upper center of the picture:
The start of the trail from ground level is in the center of frame:
The map at Inspiration Point showing the OM&MRR route:
Display at Inspiration point shows the railcar and Herbert the Mule, who pushed the car rather than pull it. This kept dust away from passengers during the 8/10 mile trip to Panorama Point:
A vintage shot from the 1930’s of the start of the OM&MRR:
