Steam & Excursion > This Steam facility Is Crumbling, But This One Vestige Remains!

The large engine house at Colfax, California was well known for it's servicing of helper engines that called Donner Pass their home.  This facility was located just a few hundred yards west of Southern Pacific depot in the heart of Colfax and for some reason was rarely photographed by visiting railfans.  In her later years this steam shop held quite an attraction for those who bothered to check it out.

In December 1945 the boiler for the Colfax enginehouse failed and SP decided that the best replacement would be in the form of newly retired 1886 Baldwin-built narrow gauge 4-6-0 #14 off their Keeler Branch.  This fully serviceable former South Pacific Coast narrow gauge Ten Wheeler was dispatched by flatcar to Colfax and #14 was set on a section of track immediately behind the Colfax enginehouse where she was plumbed to take the place of the failed boiler.  She would serve in this duty for the rest of her life.

Finally, by October 1951, the Colfax enginehouse was being dismantled as her useful days were over.  This too, spelled the end for #14 and she vanished along with her last home for all time.

Martin



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/20 15:05 by LoggerHogger.

---

#14 was built in 1886 for the South Pacific Coast as that road's #18.

Stationary boilers?   My assumption is these particular locomotives were removed from the active roster, ICC oversight, to a facilities maintenance account, state regulation.   This would be the case of number 14/18 in Colfax and extending her life for a few more years.  Obviously there where cases when active roster locomotives are temporarily assigned stationary status only to return to active roster duty.

What were the rules over stationary boilers?

KMiddlebrook Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> What were the rules over stationary boilers?

Varied widely by state.  Some were so lax they might as well have made 'em non existant.  In Minnesota, OTOH, you were better off sticking to Federal Regs.

-LD

I've poked around Colfax alot--where would this engine facility have been?  Way back behind the sheds that now serve as businesses along the tracks?  There are some tracks back there that make a wye, I believe.

This should answer your question.  This map is found in John Signor's book on SP's Donner Pass Route.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/18 10:59 by LoggerHogger.

---