Steam & Excursion > Then and Now: Alton & Pacific

The Alton & Pacific was a lesser known 2ft gauge tourist railroad located south of Eureka along the Northern California Coast, and operated from 1969 to 1989.

Frank Bayliss acquired a 1935 Orenstein & Koppel locomotive that had been brought to the US from Germany after World War II. He Americanized the engine (but the flared stack was actually original) and build a tender for it and fired it on local wood.

There was a coach and a combine that rode behind the engine on the 3/4 mile loop around a former mill property. There were also a couple of flat cars and another passenger car painted pullman green that was apparently finished late in the railroad's history.

In these gorgeous historic photos taken by Robert Hogan in October of 1969 and posted here with permission from the photographer, the little train at Alton can be seen in glorious steam one fine fall morning.

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/16 22:55 by Harlock.

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Today, the railroad is long gone, and the equipment has been scattered to the winds, but it does survive, and the little O&K will be returned to steam at a private railroad on California's Central Coast in due time.

I photographed her two months ago in a lineup of her European brethren awaiting restoration.

The coaches were purchased by another private party and trucked to a new home where they sit on display track. A photo shows the coach being lowered on to the track.

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

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That's pretty cute.  The headlight is almost as big around as the boiler.  It makes those Pyle class lamps look tiny.   Is this loco. and railroad still around ?

C.Hanson
Vay,ID.

I guess I didn't wait till the whole story loaded.

C.H
Vay, Idaho

Another train that was on static display at the Alton & Pacific has an entire story of its own.

The 18" gauge Snug Harbor Railroad was operated by Leonard Hall in Coos Bay, OR to the delight of many public passengers. The locomotive was constructed by lesser known park train manufacturer Oscar Coffman of Reseda (and later of Arizona). It had previously been run in Southern California before heading to oregon.

Frank Bayliss acquired the train from Mr. Hall and placed it on static display in front of his engine house.

The first photo shows the train running at Charleston in Coos Bay.

A second photo shows the train stuffed and mounted at Alton.

After its time at Alton, the locomotive was acquired by Aldo Albarigi and then wine vinter David Stare in Healdsburg.

It was in Healdsburg in 2009 that I came to see the locomotive in person though the acquaintance of a friend. By this time the locomotive was in pretty sorry shape, being stuffed in an out building in the grape fields along with its rolling stock, track and spare parts.

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

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I visited in 1974, and was given a cab ride. My lasting impression is that enormous (for the engine) whistle. Regarding other equipment there, the dieselized Heisler now belongs to the Timber Heritage Association, while the two Napa Valley interurban cars (last used by Pacific Lumber) are at Rio Vista Junction. There was also a two foot-gauge British 0-6-0 (I think from Fiji)--whatever became of it?

Fortunately the little 2-6-2 Coos Bay Flyer has a happy ending as well.

The locomotive was recently acquired by the Oregon Coast Historical Railway society and restored. They currently do not have any property to re-lay the 1/2 mile of track, but plan to do so in the future and have a grant to overhaul the boiler, the last step needed to return her to operation.

-Mike

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

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For the background material, a big thanks goes to Bob Hogan, Photographer, Dick Jamsgard of the OCHR, Ranee Hall (niece of Leonard Hall) and Harry Marnell, who up until recently ran an excellent website which was the only major source of information on the Alton & Pacific online. (It is fortunately preserved on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)

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

Here is a scan of an early flyer for the Alton & Pacific.

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

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wpamtk Wrote:
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> I visited in 1974, and was given a cab ride. My
> lasting impression is that enormous (for the
> engine) whistle. Regarding other equipment there,
> the dieselized Heisler now belongs to the Timber
> Heritage Association, while the two Napa Valley
> interurban cars (last used by Pacific Lumber) are
> at Rio Vista Junction. There was also a two
> foot-gauge British 0-6-0 (I think from
> Fiji)--whatever became of it?

Have not heard of that one, but there was a 2ft gauge plymouth on site that is supposedly in the town of Dorris in Siskiyou County.

And also the defiled heisler in question.

Edit: Several people mention the 0-6-0 being a Fowler (c1900) from Fiji Island cane fields. Don't seem to have any pictures of that one.

EDIT #2: it is in the same collection with the O&K engine. I probably have a picture of it. I did not realize it when I was there.

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



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/16 22:33 by Harlock.

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If I recall correctly Frank Bayliss had a hotel in Eureka in 1960 - 61 era and he had an O Scale model railroad in one area of the hotel, I saw it a couple of times when I was in Eureka in that time frame.   A friend on the NWP took me.

Malcolm
New Zealand

All bundled up in the gondola on the Snug Harbor RR.

Martin

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We went by the Alton and Pacific on one of the only Eureka Southern trips out the Carlotta branch. Don't remember the
exact year but mid-eighties or so and everyone remarked how forlorn it all looked. I'm really happy so much of the unqiue
equipment ended up in good homes, oh and be nice to the Heisler, it's really unique!!

Out

Fantastic stuff!  Thanks for posting this, Mike.