Steam & Excursion > This Steam Crew Was Part Of History, But Did They Even Know It?!

Posed here beside their locomotive is what could be any steam crew from the 1930's.  However, on this day this crew had just made history.

The date was May 16, 1937 and the location is the yards in Colfax, California.  This crew had just returned with their train on the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad.  On this day, they had not hauled freight to Grass Valley and back as was the norm.  Instead, on this day they hauled passengers on what was the very first railfan excursion to take place in the West.

This was the start of what would become more than 2 decades of early railfan excursions behind the remaining steam power in the West.  Fortunately for us, Guy L. Dunscomb was on hand that day to not only record the event, but also to pose the crew for their photo.  They had, after all, just made history.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/20 00:37 by LoggerHogger.

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Wonder who was the engineer?  :-)))

Love the Fireman's "do I gotta be here" look.

When I see pictures like this of crews on shortline or logging railroads I always wonder where these guys worked after their railroads shut down.  

This was a Railway & Locomotive Historical Society excursion.

It started at Oakland.  On the way to Colfax, the excursion stopped in Sacramento for a tour of the shops.  Fare was $3.25.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/20 13:17 by johnsweetser.