Steam & Excursion > Decades Apart And Doubleheaders Still Block This Same Road!

While motive power may change over the years it is still comforting when certain railroads continue to operate their trains in settings made familiar to us all.

This point is well demonstrated by this pair of photos taken decades apart of the Sierra Railroad doing it's job in the heart of the town of Sonora, California.  Both scenes show the former site of the Sierra Ry Chinese styled railroad depot that had unfortunately burned down years ago.

In the first scene, captured by Ted Wurm, we see Sierra 2-8-2's #36 and #34 heading a railfan excursion in August 1948 bound for the end of the line in Tuolumne, California.  The next scene, captured in April 1974 by Harre Demoro, shows Sierra #44 and #40 on the head-end of the daily freight bound for the Fiberboard mill at Standard, California.

Even today, traffic in downtown Sonora comes to a stop at this same crossing when the Sierra Northern Railway (as it is now called) comes through town with its freight train just as it has done for over 100 years.  History continues on the Sierra.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/15 04:25 by LoggerHogger.

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Wonderful photos from my hometown! Thanks for posting.

Tom

In the fist photograph the Depot had only been gone for 2 years...In 1946, the Sonora Depot caught fire, and burned down to its marble foundations. The Sonora fire department watched it burn from the city limits, 200 feet away, out of their jurisdiction.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/15 12:56 by spicolli1864.

Look at the nice stone wall and park like area to the left of the first picture.  It's gone in the second.  What was that?

Is this location near the present day Lowes,and WalMart.
Regards,DK

I love pictures of the Sierra Railroad.  Thanks for posting, Martin.  Even the diesel shot makes me feel good inside.

Stan Praisewater

wingomann Wrote:
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> Look at the nice stone wall and park like area to
> the left of the first picture.  It's gone in the
> second.  What was that?

Tuolumne County's "Old Mens Home".

DKay Wrote:
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> Is this location near the present day Lowes,and
> WalMart.
> Regards,DK

Photos were taken about one mile west of Lowes parking lot.

The switch is long gone and the trees and brush are crowding the scene but the railroad is still there and the trains still block the traffic.
Today's Sierra Northern train crossed the same street on this rainy afternoon. Two centerbeams and three LPG cars didn't warrant a double header.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/15 17:32 by cbk.

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Same crossing different angle..Sorry about the sign....Ultimate grab shot Taken April 76

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Note ex-UP 6-4-6 sleeper National Border in background.  It was part of the Great Western Tours private car fleet during that era.  Car still in private hands, currently stored in City of Commerce, CA.

Martin:

Once you leave Sonora and get into the sharper curves near what today is called "The Junction Shopping Center" the Sierra 40 & 42 are leading 14 cars and a caboose towards Fassler, Standard and Buckhorn Hill. By this time (February 1964) the Westside's Tuolumne Mill was gone, but the Sierra would deliver beer loaded refrigerator cars for deliver to the Coors distributor using the spur at Ralph's Station. So, instead of turning back to Oakdale at Fassler or Standard, they would occasionally make a run up Buckhorn Hill. Unfortunately, due to scheduling that was usually early evening and the light was fading. I've a few shots of such an event, but they are grainy and dim. I was using an old 616 film camera which was pretty basic and my photography skills are nill.

The second shot is of the 40 & 42 just west of Fassler and about to cross the last grade crossing before entering the Pickering Yards. Also taken in 1964.

Sorry for the B/W but in 1964 color film was expensive!

John

 

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So much has changed in Sonora since I began photographing the Sierra in the eraly 1970's that I can barely find my way around the town.  All my usual landmarks are gone and the highway has changed the town considerably.  Every time I go back I nearly get lost.  I can still find my way easily around Jamestown, Standard and Tuolumne, but Sonora has me baffled.

Martin

Martin:

Don't feel too bad about being baffled about Sonora. It has changed significantly over the last 45 years. There's not too much of the old Sonora yards left these days and aside from propane car spotting near the old rock delivery spur, nary a car is left in Sonora. The street layout in down town is essentially the same, however mostly the stores downtown are tourist oriented. As for the people since 1970 over 90% of the population growth has been people moving into the area from somewhere else, as opposed to births exceeding deaths. That too, has changed Sonora significantly. Having been born in where a hospital used to be in downtown Sonora, I can say way back then it was about as close a replica to the Andy Griffiths show's Mayberry as you could find - except we also had the Sierra!

John

spicolli1864 Wrote:
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> In the fist photograph the Depot had only been
> gone for 2 years...In 1946, the Sonora Depot
> caught fire, and burned down to its marble
> foundations. The Sonora fire department watched it
> burn from the city limits, 200 feet away, out of
> their jurisdiction.
>

Classic government nonsense in action.