Steam & Excursion > Looking At Her Here Hides This Locomotive's Colorful Background!

When we first see this view of Southern Pacific #3295 at Dunsmuir, California in 1946 we could easily believe we are simply looking at yet another 2-8-2 in the SP MK-Class. However, this engine has more to her history than that.

Her low drivers give away that after Baldwin built her in February 1923, she was shipped to her new original owner, the Minarets & Western Railway Company of Fresno, California. This shortline had the primary task of bringing loaded log trains down from the interchange with the company owned Sugar Pine Lumber Co. logging line to the mill in Fresno.

So how did this locomotive built for log hauling duties end up on the SP? Well. the SP was the first mortgage holder on the M&W when the shortline defaulted in 1933. It was the SP that acquired the entire M&W at sheriff's sale including the 4 Mikado-type locomotives, including M&W #102 that soon became SP #3295.

She would last in service for SP far longer than her brief stint on the M&W. SP used her for many years as the Dunsmuir switch engine until she was retired and finally scrapped in 1953.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/17 03:17 by LoggerHogger.

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Beautiful historic image.
Bob

Interesting to note what remains in Dunsmuir, the near building on the right and the two buildings in the distance on the right have been removed (I didn't know the school building was that big but it fits the empty lot). The wooden pedestrian bridge was pulled down in the early 60's, but the brick building behind it is standing, the turntable remains, the building by the tracks is now the Amtrak depot.
t4p.

Martin,
Would love to know what the SP paid at the sale for this engine. Thanks again for all your pics.


Nudge

spnudge Wrote:
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> Martin,
> Would love to know what the SP paid at the sale
> for this engine. Thanks again for all your pics.
>
>
> Nudge


SP bought the entire M&W railroad and equipment (including this engine) for a bid of $140,000.00. As they had a mortgage they were foreclosing for $14M they did not have to "spend" any money at the sale. They simply bid in the $140,000 out of the mortgage and then sold off the track and everything they did not need and wrote off the rest as a loss.

Martin

Great lines on the MK 10

Plus that $140K ga ve them a line into Pinedale without other traffic.

Out