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Steam & Excursion > Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Did!Date: 02/19/20 02:54 Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Did! Author: LoggerHogger Back in the late 1930's and into the 1940's, when railfans visited scrap yards around the country, if they saw a steam locomotive parked in the yard, no matter who good she may have looked, they figured this would be the last chance they would get to take a photo of her before she was cut up. We can be certain that was the feeling held by the camera man who snapped this photo in the South Scan Francisco scrap yard in December, 1938. Fortunately for us, this locomotive would actually live to leave the scrap yard and start a whole new life.
Even though she looked to be in fine shape in this 1938 photo, this Baldwin had already had 2 prior owners and had put in 68 years of service. Her first owner was the Eureka & Palisades Railroad Operated he under the name "Eureka" in the desolate region of Eureka, Nevada. She worked for them on both passenger and freight trains until 1896 when she was sold to the Sierra Nevada Wood & Lumber Company out of Hobart Mills, California. There she hauled log trains out of the woods for nearly 4 more decades before that line shut in 1937 and she was sold to this scrap dealer in San Francisco along with the rest of that lines motive power as we see here. Fortunately, her antiquity would actually be her saving grace. She languished among the pile of other scrapped locomotives until 1939 when she was discovered by a representative of Warner Brothers Movie Studio. She was perfect for their plan to include old time Western trains in their up-coming Western movies they had in production. She was purchased and shipped to the Warner Brothers lot in Southern California where she would spend nearly the next 40 years in various movie roles. Her last movie appearance would be in John Wayne's movie THE SHOOTIST, which coincidentally, was that film star very last movie as well. Warner Brothers sold her to the amusement company "Old Vega" who used her as a display on their grounds until a fire destroyed much of their set and damaged the "Eureka". Fortunately, she was "discovered" once again, this time by Las Vegas lawyer Dan Markoff, who proceeded to painstakingly restore her back to her original condition and back into steam operation. Today, this survivor of the scrap yard has operated in several states on special trips to the delight of thousand. What a survival success story! Martin Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/20 03:13 by LoggerHogger.  Date: 02/19/20 05:23 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: NKP779 Great photo and history! What are ths boxy things parked behind the EUREKA?
Posted from Android Date: 02/19/20 05:33 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: LoggerHogger Behind the Eureka are the narrow gauge Milwaikee electric locomotives that witched the mill a Hobart.
Martin Date: 02/19/20 06:41 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: tomstp A most interesting history.
Date: 02/19/20 07:48 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: heatermason Is that a set of Shay cylinders at the right?
Date: 02/19/20 07:59 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: LoggerHogger Yes, those are Shay Cylinders on the right.
Martin Date: 02/19/20 09:41 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: Earlk Here is Eureka as she is lovingly preserved today. Picture taken last Dec.
 Date: 02/19/20 15:21 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: nycman Great history lesson, Martin. Some of us really appreciate learning this stuff.
Date: 02/20/20 18:28 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: LodiCharley Where does it currently reside?
Date: 02/21/20 04:01 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: LoggerHogger She is at Dan Markoff's property in Las Vegas.
Martin Date: 02/21/20 10:49 Re: Few Locomotives Made It Out Of Here Alive, Here's One That Di Author: Earlk I should have mentioned the pic was taken at the Nevada State Railroad Museum - Boulder City, Nevada while Eureka and her family were visiting for the Holidays.
Eureka is scheduled to be operating on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR in August of this year, along with other Victorian age locomotives. |