Gravity Falls Railroad

The Gravity Falls Railroad was a relatively short lived railroad company operating from Gravity Falls, through the Floating Cliffs and into the state of Oregon.

### History

Starting as a single spur line in 1850 - to serve the Flannel rush in the Gravity Falls hills - the Railroad was a very simple concern with very little traffic, though this was soon to change following the establishment of Nathaniel Northwest as the town's founder in 1862. Newly buoyed with insane amounts of money from the United States Government, Nathaniel set to work industrialising the town with Northwest Realty, Northwest Mudflaps, Northwest Weather Vanes and more, dedicating the town into money making enterprise for his family.

This included investing in the railroad, to bring more people to live in the growing township and develop its factories - not to mention provide a growing bargaining tool for a hopeful career in politics.

The railroad was never enormous; infrastructure costs were massive, with tunnels running through The Floating Cliffs and a bridge built by Granpappy Wentworth creating an impressive level of engineering but a very slow route, thanks to the town being in such low ground.

Train services into town took an hour to descend from the bridge, and two hours to climb back out of town, creating an incredibly slow moving journey to travel very little distance. As a result, the Northwest family ceased funding health and safety training, replaced some staff with wild stoats (wearing trenchcoats and false moustaches) and ceased properly maintaining the railroad's locomotives, including Old Number 4.

As a result, a disaster was waiting to happen - which look place in 1883.

### The Great Train Wreck of 1883

Though publicly this is unknown, the Great Train Wreck was caused by a combination of Blendin Blandin appearing on the railroad bridge and a Manotaur picking its teeth on the railroad line, according to The Ghost of Greasy's.

The bright flash from Blendin's appearance obscured the Manotaur's presence, while the crew's poor level of training - and lack of attention - meant that the The 11:53AM Pacific North-Woodsman, hauled by No.4, hit the Manotaur face on, rolled off of the damaged track and plummeted to the floor in a horrific, fiery explosion - killing every passenger, crew member and destroying wagonloads of stickers, pillows and haybales.

Parts from the wreck were reused in the construction of Greasy's Diner in 1960.

This planned incident was an insurance write-off, according to The Historic Horrors of Family Northwest, and was part of a twisted tribute to Bill Cipher, in a hope to appease his love of chaos, disaster and human suffering. It was ultimately unsuccessful, and when Cornelius tried to whistleblow on the incident, his twisted father forced him into the Communication Chamber, where he became part of an interdimensional communication device, with the collaboration of Curzon Cankerblight.

A memorial to the train wreck was placed outside the diner after the events of The Ghost of Greasy's.

### Dissolution

The railroad company was dissolved in 1883, shortly after the accident, leaving the locomotives and carriages sold off, the line abandoned and the tunnels closed, with the wreckage of the train wreck left dormant until the construction of the Diner, and the Northwest Family absolving any blame or suspicion with the disappearance of Cornelius Northwest. They did, however, blame the Wentworth family for accident, claiming that the bridge and locomotive were both dangerous. This smeared the family's name.

A further railroad link was built from the Dinkies Factory on Eyeball Hill, strictly for freight, which is also where Blubs and Durland loaded the Pines and Quentin Trembley onto a railroad carriage in Irrational Treasure.

When the Dinkies factory closed, this line, too, was abandoned.

Old Number 4, the only known locomotive