Steam & Excursion > Used Steam Locomotives Sometimes Came With Their Problems!

By 1952, buying a new steam locomotive was largely out of the question.  The major manufacturers of steam locomotives and all but completely abandoned building steam power in favor of building diesels.  Thus, when a railroad went to look for a steam locomotive to purchase, they were left to those on the used locomotive market.  We see one such used locomotive here.

Built new in 1934 by Baldwin for Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. as their #4 this 2-6-6-2 had spent 18 years in logging service on the WTC West Block logging lines out of Klamath Falls, Oregon before being sold in 1952 to the Sierra Railroad in Jamestown, California.  Once on the Sierra property in August, 1952, the big Baldwin Mallet was sent to the Jamestown roundhouse to be refurbished.  The logging years had been hard on her and she even survived a damaging roundhouse fire in 1941.  When she first emerged in September, 1952 she had been given the number "38" and a new paint job to match.

After some initial test runs, #38 was put in to freight service between Oakdale and Sonora.  While she performed well, her crews still had a list of items that needed addressing.  #38 had been scheduled to pull a railfan excursion to Tuolumne in October, 1952, but instead she found herself back in the Jamestown Roundhouse undergoing repairs instead.  Sierra 2-8-2's #36 and #34 were substituted for the #38 on the excursion.

Here in January, 1953, Stan Snook found #38 still undergoing repairs.  She would soon emerge with all her problems finally resolved and she went back into service hauling freight on the Sierra.  Finally, in September, 1953 she would get her chance to finally pull a railfan excursion to Tuolumne.  This time all was well with her and she pulled the trip off just fine.

When the Sierra abandoned steam power in favor of diesels in April, 1955, #38 was again on the market as a used locomotive.  By August, 1955 she was purchased by Rayonier Inc. and was returned to the logging duties for which she had been first built to handle.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/21 04:14 by LoggerHogger.

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Martin:

Nice photo of the #38 in the Jamestown Roundhouse.

The #38 was supposed to displace the need for a second engine crew and therfore one of the helper locomotives typically needed on Chinese HIll west of Chinese Station. What with the Sierra's predominantly empties east, loads west, the concept might have worked as planned. However, as you noted the #38 came with a lot of problems to be sorted out that took a lot longer than planned. However, the #38 even when operating only ran the lower division which was usually Oakdale to Jamestown or Oakdale to Sonora. The upper division was handled by any of the Sierra's other locos of that era (#24, 24, 34 and 36). But the #38 was reported by crews to be a rough riding tea kettle and wasn't as "nimble" at switching the yards as the other locos.

Given all the hours the shop crew put in on her, and all the down time, one is left to wonder wheather her acquisition was either warranted, or a success from a bottom line perspective.

John Mills