Steam & Excursion > A question about McCloud #19

It is my understanding that the McCloud #19 (ex-OP&E #19) was sold to the Nevada State Railway(road) Museum for about $400,000, correct? It is also my understanding that this engine will be used to power the V&T trains that run out of Virginia City on an expanded (lenghtened) railroad. So, my question is: Is the engine still on McCloud property? If so, why hasn't it been moved to Virginia City? What has to happen before it is moved? How will it be moved? I have a few more questions but I'm sure they will be answered in any responses to this thread.

Thanks in advance...

JDE

The locomotive in question is the #18, which has been sold to a group independent from the NSRM for operation on the rebuilt V&T. The #19 (which Willis Kyle ran on the OP&E) is still on the Yreka Western and, reportedly, may see service again this season.

We sold the McCloud #18 to the V&T Restoration Society, not the #19. The McCloud #19 is still at Yreka, CA on the Yreka Western. She is not in operable shape and will likely not run there again.

The #18 is still at McCloud and will likely not leave till next year for Nevada.


Martin

Ah Contrare!

directly from the YW's Webpage.... http://www.yrekawesternrr.com/

"* Notice: 30 March 2006: It is anticipated that the Blue Goose Excursion train will be back in operation by 1 June 2006. Every effort is being conducted to have our steam locomotive ready for opening day.

The Yreka Western RR is currently seeking volunteers to help re-assemble the steam locomotive. If you are interested in helping, notify the webmaster. Thank you.

Please open this webpage often for updates. Thank you."

William Diehl
SouthWestRails.com

Adding to the recent info on Yreka Western 19...she is currently having boiler work done on her with a goal for steamup by sometime this summer. I can say this with some surety as I know the people involved in doing the work.

Tom

I hate to disagree with Tom and others ... but I make my comments with information not available publicly.
#19 is a great engine and we all hope to see her run again. I'm suire she will some day. She just won't be running this year and not at YW.

Martin

Thanks to all for the info. You're all correct. It was the 18 I was asking about. Not the 19. Another senior moment strikes again! I'm getting too old to remember all of this stuff.

JDE

"WE"??? Hmmmmm

I love messages like this. The computer gives the passive agressives such a forum to shoot from the cheap seats.

Martin

Martin-

I can only assume that you know what you are talking about...you do have at least some involvement in just about every logging locomotive up and down the west coast, and you seem to know a lot of what is going on behind the scenes with all of them.

I posed the statement you made in a post above to Bill Killion, who has been around the #19 and the Yreka Western for the better part of the last two decades. Bill is actively working on the #19 right now, and he had the following to say:

"Jeff - I have been told the 19 will be pulling the Blue Goose Steam Excursion train, and is expected to be operational by 1 June 2006. The boiler work has been completed. Now they are working on replacing the studs on the steam dome, safety valve mounting and turret manifold in the cab. Additionally, Mr. Hammond is having the bearings on the driver and side rods rebuilt. While the rods are off, a crew is polishing the siderods, etc and they really look spiffy! There's lots of work to do yet so I'll have to sort of wait and see if it's going to run by 1 June. I hope so. Oh yeah ... he is returning the lubrication of the driver / side rods back to the heavy block grease. That should help keep the 19 quite abit cleaner. The zerk-lube grease that was used before would get flung all over the place! Additionally, Mr. Hammond has spent a ton of money on getting the rails in shape to support the 19. Unless there's something else going on that I do not know about, the 19 will be working at YWRR. Stay tuned!"

I can only assume that if what you say is correct that Mr. Hammond is being substantially less than truthful with those working for him on the project. I find that kind of treatment very, very unfortunate...but that is Mr. Hammond's call, and far be it from me to pass judgement on how he runs his business.

Many people in his community have villianized Jeff Forbis for dismantling the steam program down at McCloud...I hear quite a bit about that. However, at least he was very honest with his employees and the community about what he was doing before he did it and why he was being forced to do what he did. A lot of people may not have liked it, but at least they could accept it. I hope that the YW extends this kind of courtesy to its employees, volunteers, and community if they are in a similar situation.

I just hope that if the #19 does not have a future in Yreka that someone else will be able to offer a good home for it.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

...and lawyers never take cheap shots?

Things may be starting to come into focus. Bob Larson posted the following earlier today on the northwestrails.com Yahoo! group:

"There are a number of Court Cases filed in the Siskiyou County Court
system that could hit the Yreka Western Railroad real hard. Checking
with court records the Yreka Western Railroad has been ordered by the
court to pay the former receiver of the railroad O. J Labaron $20,000
for his work when the entire railroad was in receivership.(Case #
SCSCCVPT040002038). Also on file is a claim by the CPA Ross P.
Singleton: Case # MCYKCVG1060000417, and the Lebaron Family Limited
Partnership: Case # SCSCCVCV060000036. The amounts of money that the
Yreka Western owes seems to be large and summed together could be in
excess of $100,000.00 plus.

Also a note of record, O.J Lebaron has attached some of the earnings
that come from Yreka Western's only shipper "Timber Products". This is
in reference to the Court Judgement that has ordered Yreka Western to
pay.

Yreka Western Railroad also owes "Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad"
for track work done on the line.

Other claims are starting to come in, some have been settled before
court action. But the above cases do have some teeth to them that
could bring the railroad to full stop.

All of the information listed here is in Public Record at the Siskiyou
County Courthouse in Yreka."

This could explain why the #19 does not have much of a future on the YW. They may need to sell it to get some cash just to stay in business.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV