Steam & Excursion > From the Last Days of Logging - Two Amazing Journeys

The year is 1960 and Pickering Lumber Company Shay No. 11 and caboose 04 are returning to Standard at the close of another days work. Steam has only 3 years left in the woods, but both pieces of equipment will be preserved and in the process will make unique journeys to their new homes.

Number 11, Lima Locomotive Works construction No. 3327 was built for stock in October 1929, and was later sold to Hofffus Steel and Equipment Company, in Seattle, Washington. Her first job in the woods was as No. 5 of Forest Lumber Company at Pine Ridge, Oregon. Pickering was her next employer. She became their second No. 11 in October, 1941 and served until the close of the 1963 logging season when she and sister No. 33 were no longer used. Tom Irion bought her in April, 1965 and moved her to The Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction, California.

With her line shafts atop the tender, No. 11 made the trip from Standard to Rio Vista Junction via the Sierra Railway to Oakdale, then on the S.P. to the Sacramento Northern at Canon, and over the SN branch to the museum – all on her own wheels!

Caboose 04 was sold to a Sacramento scrap dealer with the unlikely name of Harry Surprise, where she was later purchased by Warren Smith and moved to a siding near his mother’s house in the San Leandro area. Here 04 was transferred to his mom’s property which was adjacent to the WP. Incredibly, the entire journey, including a run over Altamont Pass was made on the rear of a Southern Pacific freight! The little caboose sat on his mother’s property where it was visible from BART commuter trains until Warren donated it to the Pacific Locomotive Association at Niles Canyon in 2011. The PLA has since restored the 04 and it now trails steam powered trains once again.

Readers, please see Warren Smith's corrections regarding caboose 04 below. Thanks, Jack.

No. 11’s stay at the Western Railway Museum was marked by a change in ownership as Tom soon sold her to Gus Peterson for use on his Klamath & Hoppow Valley Railroad at Klamath, California. However, she never made the move to Klamath and in 1980 Gus sold her. Today she is back in the Pacific Northwest and resides at the Mount Rainer Scenic Railroad in Mineral, Washington as one example only a handful of surviving Pacific Coast Shays

Cheers,



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/14 22:04 by africansteam.

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Here are a couple shots of #11 as she appears today in the "House Of Gears" at MRSR.

The last photo was taken in 1996 showing PLC #11 during a 5-Engine event at MRSR.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/14 07:40 by LoggerHogger.

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Looking forward to seeing her back in operation, Martin!

Cheers,
Jack

I agree, Jack, but it is hard to say when that will be.

Martin

Great post and photos....

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Here's a link to some of the work done to restore Pickering Caboose 04:
http://plasteam.ncry.org/Pickering4/restoration.html

It is now in operation and was featured on the recent steam freight after Winterrail.
See: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,3348413,3348679#msg-3348679

africansteam Wrote:
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> The year is 1960 and Pickering Lumber Company Shay
> No. 11 and caboose 04 are returning to Standard at
> the close of another days work. Steam has only 3
> years left in the woods, but both pieces of
> equipment will be preserved and in the process
> will make unique journeys to their new homes.
>
> Number 11, Lima Locomotive Works construction No.
> 3327 was built for stock in October 1929, and was
> later sold to Hofffus Steel and Equipment Company,
> in Seattle, Washington. Her first job in the woods
> was as No. 5 of Forest Lumber Company at Pine
> Ridge, Oregon. Pickering was her next employer.
> She became their second No. 11 in October, 1941
> and served until the close of the 1963 logging
> season when she and sister No. 33 were no longer
> used. Tom Irion bought her in April, 1965 and
> moved her to The Western Railway Museum at Rio
> Vista Junction, California.
>
> With her line shafts atop the tender, No. 11 made
> the trip from Standard to Rio Vista Junction via
> the Sierra Railway to Oakdale, then on the S.P. to
> the Sacramento Northern at Canon, and over the SN
> branch to the museum – all on her own wheels!
>
> Caboose 04 was sold to a Sacramento scrap dealer
> with the unlikely name of Harry Surprise, where
> she was later purchased by Warren Smith and moved
> to a siding near his mother’s house in the San
> Leandro area. Here 04 was transferred to his
> mom’s property which was adjacent to the WP.
> Incredibly, the entire journey, including a run
> over Altamont Pass was made on the rear of a
> Western Pacific freight! The little caboose sat on
> his mother’s property where it was visible from
> BART commuter trains until Warren donated it to
> the Pacific Locomotive Association at Niles Canyon
> in 2011. The PLA has since restored the 04 and it
> now trails steam powered trains once again.
>
> No. 11’s stay at the Western Railway Museum was
> marked by a change in ownership as Tom soon sold
> her to Gus Peterson for use on his Klamath &
> Hoppow Valley Railroad at Klamath, California.
> However, she never made the move to Klamath and in
> 1980 Gus sold her. Today she is back in the
> Pacific Northwest and resides at the Mount Rainer
> Scenic Railroad in Mineral, Washington as one
> example only a handful of surviving Pacific Coast
> Shays
>
> Cheers,
> Jack


Jack thank you for the post, but if I may could I make a couple of corrections.
Yes I did purchase caboose No.4 from Harry Surprise but it was never moved to Sacramento, it was purchased in Standard California and that's were I moved it from in May of 1966. You are correct in saying that Harry Surprise did represent the Sac. scrap dealer.
The Western Pacific never moved the caboose. It was picked up by the Sierra Railroad and was taken to Oakdale were it was interchanged with the Southern Pacific. SP then moved it to San Leandro (via Roseville) and it was switched out onto the Old Caterpillar Tractor Co team track in San Leandro by SP. From that point I had it moved by low boy to my parents property a distance of about a half mile. I know it was sorted out in Roseville it could have gone through the Altamont but it would have been on the SP.
I'm sorry to say I never got any photos of it in transit, I was 19 at the time and I was to busy working to pay for the darn thing.

Warren Smith

Warren,

Thanks for the great additional info on the movement of your Caboose #4! I sure hope someone got a photo or two of that amazing ride she took over the SP.

What a sight that must have been. Thanks for preserving this piece of Pickering history.

Martin

Here's a couple of photos of the No.4 on the low boy in San Leandro. Paxton Trucking Co. did the move.

Warren

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Warren,

Thanks for the photos. That is quite a daunting task for a 19-year old to take on.

Martin

Great stories! And beautiful restore job on the caboose by Niles.

I wish my last name was "Surprise"...that would be so much fun.

During my various trips to Japan they would have call me Mike Supplies.

-M

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

28hogger Wrote:
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> Jack thank you for the post, but if I may could I
> make a couple of corrections.
> Yes I did purchase caboose No.4 from Harry
> Surprise but it was never moved to Sacramento, it
> was purchased in Standard California and that's
> were I moved it from in May of 1966. You are
> correct in saying that Harry Surprise did
> represent the Sac. scrap dealer.
> The Western Pacific never moved the caboose. It
> was picked up by the Sierra Railroad and was taken
> to Oakdale were it was interchanged with the
> Southern Pacific. SP then moved it to San Leandro
> (via Roseville) and it was switched out onto the
> Old Caterpillar Tractor Co team track in San
> Leandro by SP. From that point I had it moved by
> low boy to my parents property a distance of about
> a half mile. I know it was sorted out in Roseville
> it could have gone through the Altamont but it
> would have been on the SP.
> I'm sorry to say I never got any photos of it in
> transit, I was 19 at the time and I was to busy
> working to pay for the darn thing.
>
> Warren Smith

Warren, thanks for the corrections. I have made a note in my post to see your post.

Cheers,
Jack



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/14 12:10 by africansteam.

Thanks Jack. Here's another photo of the 4 taken in San Leandro in 1968 were is sat for 40+ years.
People in the photo are myself, my dad, my grandmother, and two sisters. My third sister can just barely be seen in the cupola.

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Great photos! I'm looking forward to seeing the car out again next month. I gotta say, seeing that little Pickering bobber ride up and down the canyon back in March was a real treat, really made my day!

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