Steam & Excursion > Sierra RR #38 Went to Tuolumne City Only One Time?

     I have seen it stated in several TO posts that Sierra RR #38 only went to Tuolumne City one time.  On March 6, 2016, LoggerHogger posted a photo of #38 on an excursion train, in Tuolumne City in August of 1953, and he states that this was the only time that #38 ever went into Tuolumne City.
     A couple of days ago, I was looking at videos of Sierra Nevada logging railroads on "that" website (YT are it's initials).  A video titled "Logging Railroads in the Sierra - Pickering Lumber Corporation & West Side Lumber Co" has some real interesting scenes, including stills and video of Pickering, West Side, and Sierra RR trains (the narration includes several inaccuracies).  The very last video scene, at 18:47-minutes, shows Sierra RR #38 leading a westbound freight train past the Pickering Lumber engine house/shop complex in Standard!  #38 is running "smokebox first" (as opposed to "tender first").  It appears to me that #38 took a freight train to Tuolumne City, turned on the wye in Tuolumne City, and is returning to Jamestown with a freight train.
     What do any of you out there think about this scene on the video?  Did #38 venture into Tuolumne City more often than thought?

I have never seen any record of #38 taking freight all the way to Tuolumne.  She did go to Sonora on occasion and drop off cars and then to the Standard depot to drop off cars.   That may be what was shown on the video.

Her trips even to Sonora were very limited.  I have attache a photo of her switching in Sonora in October 1953.

She certainly could have take freight to Tuolumne but there is no record of her on film that has been produced showing that.

We do know she only did one excursion to Tuolumne.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 15:29 by LoggerHogger.

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In the three week period from June 27, 1953 to July 20, 1953, Engine 38 ran into Sonora (Milepost 45) 19 days.  A few years ago I also saw the film of 38 that lynnpowell describes. This film is indisputable proof that 38 handled freight in and out of Tuolumne (at least once).

If the #38 ran through from Oakdale to Tuolumne seems she would not have been able to get back to Oakdale until very late. Maybe they ran her through to Tuolume when she was going to be going to the Jamestown shops for some work. Usually, they ran as a lower division and upper division and the 38 stayed on the lower division and one of the other locos handled the upper division. I have seen photos with three engines in Sonora at one time and I presume it was one of those days the upper and lower division trains met there instead of Jamestown.

In any event it would have been nice to have her photographed on Black Oak or Curtis Creek Trestle.

John

A former Sierra employee told me that Mike Pardina, a long time employee and steam fireman for the Sierra, related to him that he fired 38 on a round trip from Oakdale to Tuolumne and return.  He asid it was the toughest day he ever put in on the Sierra RR.

Never say never.  It will get you in trouble every time, especially on a railroad.