Steam & Excursion > This Engine Had A Long History And She Is Still Not Quite Done!

Some steam locomotives had what appeared to be nine lives just like a cat.  That was especially true of many logging locomotives.  We see one of those here.

Built in 1910 by the Lima Locomotive Works for the Truckee Lumber Co. this 2-truck 3-foot gauge Shay soon went on to serve the Butte & Plumas Ry Co. out of Oroville, California.  She later would serve the Swayne Lumber Co there as their #3 and stayed on long enough to be the engine used to scrap the railroad when it shut in 1938.

Even at that late date this venerable engine was not done.  While the market for narrow gauge 2-truck wood burning Shays must have been slim in 1940, she did sell for the princely sum of $680 to her new home at the Michigan-California Lumber Co. line out of Pino Grande, California.  There she became their #4.

When she first arrived a Mich-Calif. she was used to switch the camps and was operated as a wood burner.  Later, in 1942 she was converted to burn oil and was assigned the run from North Cable to Pino Grande.  We see her operating in that service in this fine old photo.  #4 has a string of empty lumber cars that have each just ridden the cable across the American River Canyon one-at-a-time.

In 1949 the cable burned thus putting #4 out of work.  However, she did have one last task given her.  Just as when she was used by Swayne Lumber to scrap their narrow gauge railroad when it was done, Mich-Calif used #4 to scrap the north side track in 1951.  This finally ended her career for good and she was the very last north side engine to be scrapped later in 1951.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/18 03:49 by LoggerHogger.

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