Steam & Excursion > For Some Of Us These Were The First Steam Locomotives We Touched!

Those of us who have been fascinated with Steam locomotives for most of our life often can trace our earliest memories to park locomotives like the one shown here.

Placed on display in Fleishhacker Zoo in the 1950's, Southern Pacific 0-6-0 #1294 was intended to be used as a jungle gym by  young children and, as we see here, the plan worked.  I am confident that this was the first steam locomotive that I touched as a young boy.  I distinctly remember trips with my parents and brother to visit the locomotive and climbing all over it.

Unfortunately the close proximity to the ocean and the accompanying salt air took quite a toll on the locomotive.  Finally, when the rust took over and she was deemed no longer to be an asset of the zoo, but now a liability, she was scrapped.  Very sad for those of us who remember her so fondly from our youth.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/20 03:21 by LoggerHogger.

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Yes, I remember that at the San Francisco Zoo, and it may well have been the first steam locomotive I ever touched. Too bad they scrapped it...

I see oh so many potential law suits there.  That would never happen today.  The lack of this intimcy is just one of the reasons most young people today are totally disconnected from railroads.  They have never touched one.  Gerry

Can't say I climbed on here, but you triggered a memory of climbing around sister 1285 at Dennis the Menace Park, in Monterey. Evidently still there, but fenced off. Still seems t have the added "monkey bars."

Wasn't there another in Alameda?

Arved Grass
Fleming Island, FL

Yes there was one in Alameda.  Today it is in Ft. Bragg.

Martin

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=15.6pxSP1294 was nice to be around. As a kid growing up in the Outer Sunset Dictrict about a mile from the zoo, I remember playing on it and the California Street cable car in the background of the photo. It wasn't the first SP steam locomtoive I touched (maybe the second), but it was the one I saw the most. Also the 18" gauge Cagney 4-4-0 pulling the zoo train was, and still is a treat today. - Tony J.

Small world Tony.  My first 5 years on this planet were also in the Sunset District.

Martin

There was one in Hartnell Park in Salinas, CA, SP1237.  It had a similar handrail arrangement and I played on it in my early years.  It has since been moved to a historical museum next to the Salinas Amtrak Station.  It seems the SP was quite generous about donating 0-6-0's to parks.

Climbed all over Pickering Shay at Standard, CA when I was a boy. We would park right next to it and it was no big deal.

Tom

LoggerHogger Wrote:
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> Small world Tony.  My first 5 years on this
> planet were also in the Sunset District.
>
> Martin

We lived on 31st Avenue between Lawton & Moraga. Went to school from kindergarten to high school there. SP historian Tom Dill and I went to the same Junior high School at the same time. Small word indeed.

I drew up at 1926 30th ave. Went to St.Anne's and then S.I.class of 66.  Climbed all over that engine and the jet in front of  Larsen pool. Good times

I never crawled around on one as a kid because they were hot and just sitting long enough in my home town to drop off and pick up freight, that dad loaded.  I may have gotten into a cab or two, maybe on one of these, from my Vollrath collection.

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Remember both the engine and the cable car from visits to the zoo. Rode the elephant train from school in SF to the zoo, the aquarium, and the museum in GG Park.

One of my first was this one, and I was right behind the tender in the 1st seat (my Mom by my side).
August 1, 1953.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/20 15:11 by xcsrm.

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xcsrm Wrote:
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> One of my first was this one, and I was right
> behind the tender in the 1st seat (my Mom by my
> side).
> August 1, 1953.

I love it. Rode that old layout so many times. The carosel was a short walk from there, but first I had to buy some pink popcorn.