Crews work to reopen Skunk Train next week

Mendocino County's famed Skunk Train is still on track to resume operations from Fort Bragg on Aug. 17 barring unforeseen issues with final repairs to a tunnel, a train official said Thursday.

Crews are adding a second layer of metal mesh and shotcrete and installing more bolts to shore up the 120-year-old tunnel, which collapsed unexpectedly in April and largely closed the railroad.

The train resumed operations from Willits to the midway point of Northspur on July 31.

The service hasn't been without its hiccups, however. Passengers were stuck on the train for awhile Wednesday after it broke down and repairs needed to be made.

"They had an extended stay in the forest," General Manager Robert Pinoli said Thursday. The train completed its journey, he said.

Pinoli said advance ticket sales for fall trips have been brisk. Train personnel are "very anxious" to resume normal operations, he said.