Steam & Excursion > A Morning With #3 on the Sierra

The Sierra Northern at Jamestown, Calif., operates 4-6-0 #3 (Rogers, 1891) on Saturdays.  #3 is the “Movie Star Locomotive,” having appeared in numerous movies and TV shows filmed on the Sierra over the past decades.  She’s probably most well known for appearances in the classic western movie “High Noon,” and later gussied-up as the “Hooterville Cannonball” for the 1960’s TV series “Petticoat Junction.”

Not wanting to pass up an opportunity to shoot steam in action within a reasonably short distance from SoCal, we drove to the Sierra’s home at Oakdale in preparation for shooting the weekday diesel-powered revenue freight operations on Friday 5/13, followed by steam on Saturday 5/14.  I’ll post shots of Friday’s chase later on the Western Board.

We were able to shoot the morning steam activities at the roundhouse in Jamestown as well as the first excursion trip before having to head back home.  Thanks to RSD5 for doing the driving.
 
Thanks for looking,
GK

1.  #3 is hot in the roundhouse a couple hours before departure time.
 
2.  Backing out of the classic Jamestown roundhouse on to the turntable.
 
3.  After a ride on the turntable, #3 has backed adjacent to a waiting tank car to take on oil.
 
More to follow.

 

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4.  Taking on oil, as seen from the opposite side of the turntable.
 
5.  Backing to the water tank.
 
6.  Taking on water at the “Petticoat Junction” water tank.
 

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7.  Running light to couple up to the excursion train.  #3 ran tender-first on the outbound westbound leg from Jamestown approx. 3 miles to the siding at the quarry.  From there, she ran around the train and proceeded eastbound front-uncoupled.
 
8.  Returning to Jamestown.
 
9.  Arrival at Jamestown.
 

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10.  Running around the train at Jamestown.  Last shot of the day; had to head home after this.  
 

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Nice photos of beautiful engine and wonderful place.   Sierra RR roundhouse, etc is a real time machine.

Unless something has changed the "Sierra Northern" has nothing to do with the operation at
Jamestown, it's run under the California State Parks system.

Out

Do they have any appropriate equipment to run with this fine looking loco? Pete Lerro was going to run a photo charter there last year but was told the wooden stock could only be used in the yard.until it met some overreach government safety standard if I recall correctly. Any update on that situation. The charter could have been run but the majority of participants voted against using the newer equipment seen in this photo thread.

callum_out Wrote:
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> Unless something has changed the "Sierra Northern"
> has nothing to do with the operation at
> Jamestown, it's run under the California State
> Parks system.
>
> Out
Yes.  I was conflating the present operations with the prior days of the Sierra RR operations.

Navigator.....You said it all with these great shots of the sierra #3

Great shots Gary, good looking countryside as well.

Very nicely done!

Looks as though you two had a good day up there Gary. Nice stuff!

KC

Excellent series!

Cheers,
Jack

Great to see the old girl running again. Looking good!

BTW, it looks like they removed the old ex-WP cabeese that served as the ticket office. When did they remove them, anyone know?

Tom

andersonb109 Questioned: 
Do they have any appropriate equipment to run with this fine looking loco? Pete Lerro was going to run a photo charter there last year but was told the wooden stock could only be used in the yard.until it met some overreach government safety standard if I recall correctly. Any update on that situation. The charter could have been run but the majority of participants voted against using the newer equipment seen in this photo thread.
 
If Pete Lerro wants to run non-compliant equipment he can do so as a work train.  He just has to sign in the photographer as temporary workers employees, give them a shovel or tool, and get work orders to work between the ends of the railroad.  This also gives the train authority for numerous back up moves. The FRA has no jurisdiction over any company private work equipment, or over any work train.  A work train is Industry and the FRA or ICC only had jurisdiction over interstate or foreign commerce. (per commerce clause of US Constitution)
This is the way the C&TS snow flanger train was operated out of Antonito this spring over track covered with snow that had not been inspected in the week prior of carrying passengers, so a passenger train was illegal but a work train cannot be looked at by the FRA as it is beyond their jurisdiction, a work train is Industry.

The photos are beautiful and the enginehouse is a gem.  The No.3 is beautiful all black as God intended and the museum did a wonderful job to make it look so original. Thanks for posting all these great photo.
 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/16 04:55 by PlyWoody.

In 1958 I made my first visit to the Sierra's roundhouse. Looks the same even now!
 

Railfan4Christ Wrote:
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> Great to see the old girl running again. Looking
> good!
>
> BTW, it looks like they removed the old ex-WP
> cabeese that served as the ticket office. When did
> they remove them, anyone know?
>
> Tom


The two cabooses were removed in the mid-1990s. One was moved to the opposite end of the Jamestown Freight Shed, and the other is stored elsewhere on the property, for volunteers to use as sleeping quarters.

SierraSidewinder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PlyWoody Wrote:
>
> > If Pete Lerro wants to run non-compliant
> equipment
> > he can do so as a work train.  He just has to
> > sign in the photographer as temporary workers
> > employees, give them a shovel or tool, and get
> > work orders to work between the ends of the
> > railroad.  ...
>
> There is just one more factor to consider in this
> example: Whether or not the host railroad (in this
> case, the Sierra Northern Railway) would allow the
> use of such equipment on its tracks.  The answer
> to this would very likely be a resounding "NO".
>  

Exactly. Since RT1897 (CSRM's Railtown Railraod as 'Sierra Rwy') only owns the trackage immediately within the state park and simply has trackage rights of a limited scope for the museum's operation, the host railroad, the Sierra Northern, owns and operates the track from Oakdale to Standard.

SV

That is a nice looking engine, I need to get out there and see it in operation one of these days.  I've only ever seen it parked.

Nathan