Steam & Excursion > Scrapping Sierra Engines-They Left That Up To Other RRs

This photo of former Sierra RR #22 raises an interesting fact about the Sierra RR that many people do not know. With all the engines that the Sierra RR had over the years they only sold one engine to a scrapper to scrap. That was Sierra #24 in 1955. All the rest of the engines retired by the Sierra RR that went to scrap were sold for scrap by subsequent operators of the engines.

A case in point is former Sierra RR #22 shown here. She had been sold in the 1940's to the California Western out of Ft. Bragg, California where she served that road as their #41 until the 1950's. When the Calif-Western was done with her they sold her to scrap in South San Francisco as we see in this photo.

Fortunately, a handful of Sierra RR engines were not scrapped at all and are still with us. For those that went to the scrappers, the Sierra saw to it that (but for #24) that sad task was left to the next owner of a former Sierra RR locomotive.



Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/14 03:31 by LoggerHogger.

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Sierra #18 came darn close to being directly sold for scrap. See how she looked in 1964, after 12 years of sitting down the tracks behind the Jamestown roundhouse. Last I heard, it was still part of Fred Kepner's "collection", along with the #32, which was mated with #18's tender after TS wrecked #32's original tender in the 1950's.

One can always hope that the CSRM will someday...

-E.O.

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Sierra #32 was scrapped by the Tidewater Southern along with #18's tender. The Sierra engines in Kepner's collection are #18, #34, #36 and #38.

Martin

> Sierra #32 was scrapped by the Tidewater Southern
> along with #18's tender. The Sierra engines in
> Kepner's collection are #18, #34, #36 and #38.
>
> Martin

I guess that I have arrived at an age where I should never try to recite from memory. At least I got the tender thing right.

If i can add a few pictures here is #22...sitting in front of the roundhouse..

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The 18 sitting in derelict condition...Photo 2..My dad just happened to be in Jamestown And caught the old girl sitting on a tractor trailer..Off too the Trailer sales business in Lodi...Hopefully someday she will return too her home rails..

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Here she is in better days

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The last photo shows Sierra #18 in 1947 filing in as the West Side switch engine at the mill at Tuolumne diring the time that West Side #3 was being converted to standard gauge to take over the mill switching from retired West Side Heisler #1.

Martin

Martin, are you sure about the 1947 date?

It was 1947 that #1 was stripped of parts for #3. Both were laid up for a time in the process.

Martin

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Martin, this photo of the 18 at Tuolumne has to be from March or April, 1948. Sierra Railroad records indicate that #18 never turned a wheel during all of 1947, and finally went back into use in March, 1948.

Brian,

I feel the 1947 date is correct for several reasons.

1. The negative sleeve for this photo in Tuolumne is marked by the photogrpaher as 1947 "during rebuild of #3".

2. The West Side change over from Heisler #1 to Heisler #3 occuring in 1947 is well documented.

3. I have several other negatives taken by more than one photographer showing Sierra #18 under steam at Jamestown on the same day in May 1947.

Martin

I still maintain that #18 never traveled to Tuolumne in 1947. The Sierra Railroad locomotive records show that during 1944, engine 18 traveled Zero miles. During 1945 engine 18 traveled 396 miles. During 1946 engine 18 traveled Zero miles. During 1947 engine 18 traveled Zero miles. During 1948 engine 18 traveled 721 miles. During 1949 engine 18 traveled 720 miles. During 1950 engine #18 travled 780 miles.

I would surmise that they may not have counted her miles since she was on lease to the West Side who likely had no interest in or means of tracking the mileage of a leased switch engine.

Martin

The travel of engine 18 between Jamestown and Tuolumne would have been recorded by Sierra Railroad inspite of a West Side Lumber Co. lease of the locomotive. There is absolutely no evidence of this travel other than your "speculation". Sierra Railroad locomotive #18 never left Jamestown In the year 1947!

I will trust the the notations of 3 different photographers who photogrpahed #18 in 1947 in person and the author of a late 1940's first person article on the change from Heisler #1 to Heisler #3 over your blind reliance on a single set of records that are often incomplete.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/14 14:23 by LoggerHogger.

Martin, you said earlier that your "photographers" took the photos of #18 at Jamestown. Is that correct? What I want to see is a DATE going with any photos of the 18 used as a West Side switch engine at Tuolumne. So far, nothing. The Sierra Railroad's locomotive records are not "incomplete". They are extremely factual and accurate!

You need to read more carefully, starting with my messages. One photo of #18 is at Tuolumne and 2 others in Jamestown all in 1947.

West Side Heisler #3 was done and in service as a standard gauge engine by the late fall of 1947. #18 was retuned at that time.

Martin

I say again, Sierra Railroad #18 never left Jamestown in 1947. Who took the photo of 18 at Tuolumne mill? What is the date on the photo?

Brian,


You have demonstrated in this thread that you are not interested in asking questions to learn something that you do not know. Rather you ask your questions to find a way to argue with the facts that are news to you. That is not what this board is about.

My 4 different independent first hand sources show with out question that Sierra #18 was sent to Tuolumne in 1947 to fill in while the #1 to #3 Heisler conversion was done.

You can can ignore the facts that you were not aware of and cling to you your simple business record if you want and believe that business records are never wrong if that suits you.

I for one know better and will leave it at that.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/14 17:27 by LoggerHogger.