Steam & Excursion > Sierra Railroad triple header

Sitting hear confined - scanning old photos.  This was a Jumps Tours to the Sierra Railroad - in this case we had a triple header 3, 28, 34.  
Anyone else go on any of the Jumps Tours?  There was a hobby store near me that was also doing competing tours at teh same time.  I wonder what ever happened to Charles Jumps?

 

Jeff Smith
Lakewood, CA
RailMaster Hobbies

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Charlie Jumps ended up here in Reno, living with his mother until she passed in 2012.  He passed away in a retirement home sometime after 2013.
He was quite a character - even with his disabilities he was able to drive and he frequented the hobby shop that I worked at, High Sierra Models in Reno, quite a bit.

Joel Kirk

Thankss for closing the chapter on Jump.  I had forgotten about him.   He showed up on lots of Sou Cal fan trips.

As Joel said he was feisty little dude, had lots of history as I remember with contacts in the movie industry. Surprised to
hear of his demise as I was just asked to visit him if I got through Reno.

Out 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/20 20:24 by callum_out.

Photo #1 catches the train part of the way up Chinese Hill (the westbound ruling grade on the Sierra) and just a bit east of Quinn Spur and water tank. Photo #2 is at Cooperstown facing east with the Y on the right side of the photo. Cooperstown was always good for finding some "buzz tails" out in the weeds along the tracks!

Nice photos! I recall the Triple header and took a few photos when it was coming eastbound through Keystone. Interestingly, waaaaaay back in the Sierra's history they ran occasional triple headers for freight purposes according to the Conductors Wheel reports.

Thanks for posting!

John Mills

 

There is nothing like sitting in the back seat while Chuck was driving.  Interesting being a passenger in a car going done old dirt roads with someone with no arms driving.

Jeff Smith
Lakewood, CA
RailMaster Hobbies

I rode a Jumps Tours charter from Jamestown to Oakdale and back behind #28 & #34 in early November 1979.  The Sierra was closing its doors to passenger service, and at the time, it was the last scheduled steam run to Oakdale.  The Pacific Locomotive Assoc. later came along and did the final trips in the end of Dec. 1979 to close the operation out.  It was a great trip in the rain, my only trip to Oakdale behind steam and the last time I saw #34 hot.  Lots of memories.

That was Nov. 3, 1979. Nine-car train, with cars 3176, 12, 15, 11, 17,597, 16, 599, and 2901.

SierraRail Wrote:
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> That was Nov. 3, 1979. Nine-car train, with cars
> 3176, 12, 15, 11, 17,597, 16, 599, and 2901.

Yep, sounds right.  I snagged the left front seat in the 599 going west and spent the trip home with my recording gear in the front door of the 3176....

I remember the Dec 30 trip as raining all day. The Nov trip was nice fall weather