Steam & Excursion > A Lazy Sunday Afternoon Is A Perfect Time For An Excursion!

By 1948, with the War over for 3 years, the railfan community had returned to it's tradition started in the late 1930's, namely that of the Sunday steam excursion.  These events were cherished as the only chance to capture on film some of the rarest of steam motive power still in operation.

One of the lines visited on just such a Sunday excursion was the Stockton Terminal & Eastern of Stockton, California. The star attraction of this line was their ancient 4-4-0 #1 shown here stopped on the Stockton City streets during one such excursion.  Built in 1864 by the Norris-Lancaster Locomotive Works this engine spent over 50 years on the Central Pacific before being sold to the ST&E in 1914.  She served them for nearly 40 more years before finally being retired in 1953.  She was seen as the oldest operating steam locomotive in the U.S. at the time of her retirement.  For that reason she was donated in 1953 to Travel Town in Los Angelas and is still on display there today.

Who among us would not have jumped at the chance to use our Sunday off from work to take a ride behind this fine old girl?

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/15 03:33 by LoggerHogger.

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Amazing history to go with a beautiful image.
Bob

This was a California - Nevada Railroad Historical Society excursion that ran on August 29, 1948.  The trip originated in Oakland, CA behind WP 4-6-0 #77, and the ST&E portion also included an appearance by their rare Midwest centercab diesel #10.

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/ste10.jpg

Flyer and photos of the WP portion of the trip are in this old thread:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,3569268,3571655#3571655

Here's a roster shot.

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I'm guessing everything above the drivers had been replaced at one time or another. I'm pretty sure that is not the original boiler, domes, cab, front pilot etc. more that likely a replacement tender tank also. It's not quite "grampa's axe" but I'm guessing 50% of her is not "original fabric"

Posted from iPhone

I'm thinking that the photo shows the train westbound in Linden, returning to Stockton.

The whole engine may not be original, but the historical fabric is still there.