Steam & Excursion > A Star Fallen From The Silver Screen But This Gig Saved Her Life!

Few who passed this scene in the 1960's would ever have guessed that this piece of advertising was once a very famous movie star.  That's right this locomotive starred with such actors as Errol Flynn, Mae West, Ronald Reagan, Gregory Peck, Eddie Arnold, W.C. Fields and many others.

It was in 1951 that the tube time finally ran out for Sierra Railroad 2-8-0 #18 and her movie career came to an end.  The was stored at the roundhouse in Jamestown for a few years intact but then parts were taken from her to keep the other steam locomotives in the fleet running.  Finally in the mid-1950's her tender was removed and give to former Sierra RR #32 who had her damaged at her new place of employment.

Give her illustrious movie career, the Sierra could not bear to simply scrap #18 so she stayed for years on a siding up behind the roundhouse and car shops.  Finally in 1966 she was purchased for use as a piece of advertising for a trailer sales lot in Sacramento, California.  It was there that Doug Richter found her one sunny morning in the late 1960's and snapped this photo.

While her new job was certainly far less glamorous than her past life on the Sierra, it did serve to save her from scrapping.  In the mid-1960's she was removed from her trailer lot display by Fred Kepner who has preserved her today along with 3 other former Sierra RR steam locomotives.

Who knows?  Perhaps someday this former movie star can mount a come-back.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/16 04:00 by LoggerHogger.

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I take it that its with his others in Merrel OR?

BAB Wrote:
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> I take it that its with his others in Merrel OR?

Correct.  Here she is in the middle with the red cab.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/16 08:15 by LoggerHogger.

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Using the term "Preserved" when referring to the Kepner collection is kind of an overstatement.

I would love to get a 0-4-0 to restore. To bad the collection would not be sold until the passing of the owner....

Posted from iPhone

My late father took this photo in 1966 Sierra #18 on a flat bed destined for the trailer park 

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