Steam & Excursion > Only A Steam Locomotive Could Create A Scene With This Feel!

No wonder we are all partial to steam locomotives.  One look at this 1954 bucolic scene near Jamestown, California shows just what these iron monsters of steel mean to those of us bitten by the steam bug.

Sierra Railroad's fabled 2-6-6-2 #38 may have only been rostered on the Mother Lode Shortline for 3 short years, however, she left a lasting impression on railfans of the day and ever since through images such as this.  The rolling foothills of the Sierra never have looked so serene as they did when steam motive power of the Sierra, like #38, plied the rails on a daily basis.

No diesel, first generation or otherwise, could evoke the emotion we see here as #38 clanks along past a pair of horses on her way back to the yards at Jamestown to deliver her train of freight cars.  As we see, even the brakeman atop the first boxcar cannot help but pause and take in the scenery as #38 steams down the line.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/19 02:30 by LoggerHogger.

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Beautiful shot, Martin. It sure helped that the Sierra passed through some of the prettiest scenery in California, which was especially beautiful in springtime.

Tom

The engineer’s “got her hooked-up, right under the chin..”
Nice clean stack,
Sweet!


Stilts.
 

Martin....any chance of #38 being restored to service?

The restoration of #38 will be expensive.  Here are only a handful of railroads or persons that would invest the time into a project of that magnitude.
She had 37 years of hard service behind her when she was retired and she was in need of  much work when she was finally parked by Rayonier.
Time will tell if she runs again.

Martin

Martin.What sort of money would something like that eat up.What would a new boiler cost to have fabricated.
Regards,DK

I would guess somewhere north of 7 figures.

Before you’d jump off the cliff, do an complete ultrasonic test of the boiler shell...

Do the investigation & research before condemning the boiler.

I gauge the condition of the candidate locos by evaluating the driver tires...

Fairly new profile tired means that
( late in the steam era) owners had decided that the loco was worth the investment of time and money to apply a new set of tires...

If they’re thin and badly worn, then they had decided to run that loco into the ground —- predictably an extensive rebuild project...

Looking at such a worn candidate would convince me to search for a ‘younger’ engine. A total rr instruction is not my cup of tea.

Also, a loco in basic good shape would not materially benefit from a complete tear-down and rebuild.

Amateurs, even skilled amateurs, tend to ruin perfectly good work that had been professionally completed, back in the day..

Get them hot and earning money, before fiddling with everything.
IMHO...

W.

Posted from iPhone

Love it !   Makes me smile.   Another shot where the spacious landscape makes the train look like a toy.  I was six when this was happening, and I'll be seventy-one tomorrow.  Yikes !

Thanks Martin

Craig Hanson
Vay, Idaho