Steam & Excursion > Yolo Shortline 1233

In June 1999 I visited Railfair 1999 in Sacramento. One of my catches from the area was ex. SP 0-6-0 now Yolo Shortline. Not being from California I wasn't all that familiar with the area and actually I just stumbled on this train. The image was taken near Hebron. Is the locomotive still running?  

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srman Wrote:
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> In June 1999 I visited Railfair 1999 in
> Sacramento. One of my catches from the area was
> ex. SP 0-6-0 now Yolo Shortline. Not being from
> California I wasn't all that familiar with the
> area and actually I just stumbled on this train.
> The image was taken near Hebron. Is the locomotive
> still running?  

I had a similar experience, was in Woodland, saw a plume of smoke, chased it down and found this little gem switching the local industries, then running it's freight down to Sacramento......speeding along at 10 MPH.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Despite what is printed on its tender, that engine breathes Southern Pacific. These 0-6-0s were once found in just about every SP yard, working at all hours, with a whistle that sounded just like the larger locomotives. I once saw one running on the mainline near Livingston, CA far from any yard, as we passed by on old Highway 99. Even as a boy I knew it was in an unusual location but all that mattered to me was that it had steam up and was running. 

Answer to is it running is no. Appears the 1233 last operated somewhere around that 1999 time frame, it then went down for some needed work, and negotiations to continue the lease between the Sierra management and the 1233’s owner fell apart. It was stored on industrial spurs on the YSL for a few years and is now on a display track along with a SP steel cupola caboose and the old YSL 45-tonner next to the SP Woodland depot. There are some older threads on this site with some details from that time.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

Wow, there's some imaginative Engineering on that trestle.The concrete work is notable but check the first ,,, tower and then check the scour mark from the high water.

The train itself was running earlier this year, also happened across it and was surprised by the number of riders.

Classic photo and good backgrund info. Downtown Woodland has changed quite a bit through the years, I'll have to check out the Depot, easy drive on SR 113 between I-80, I-5, Sacramento and the ever popular Sacramento Airport.

Sadly not running, went down for repairs shortly before the Yolo Shortline became history. The line itself between Clarksburg and Woodland is now partially abandoned. 1233 was recently given a nice new paint job after looking fairly shabby for a few years.

Posted from iPhone

Checking around apparently this is now rolled into the Sierra Railroad group of Companies including a number of shortline tourist railroads:

https://www.riverfoxtrain.com/

https://www.sierrarailroad.com/

YSL had two lines, their original one ran from West Sacramento south to Clarksburg, some time later they added the West Sacramento to Woodland line. The Clarksburg line has been gone for a long time, Sierra Northern lost the outer part of the Woodland branch a year or two ago. Yes, the River Fox passenger train still runs from a point almost directly underneath the I-5 bridge between Sacramento and Woodland.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

The line ran over the top of one of the Yolo Bypass (detours excess water off the Sacramento
River at flood stage, turns a zillion acres into a large lake) bridges. When it was necssary to
enlarge the structure the cost of the new railroad improvements was such that the decision was
made to divert the remaining traffic to trucks and sever the rail line. It was subsequently deemed
out of service though never fully abandoned. There was a possibility of connection either from
a half mile North or at the depot but the traffic wouldn't support the cost.

Out 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/24 08:17 by callum_out.

On 22 June 2020 the STB issued a decision granting Sierra Northern to abandon 0.70 miles of the Woodland Branch, roughly from Milepost 3.10 to Milepost 3.80, which is the stretch sitting on top of the Weir the city planned to enlarge.  

https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/DCMS_External_PROD/1592852816607/50279.pdf

This abandonment had the effect of severing the line, during the proceedings Sierra stated the section from Milepost 3.80 into Woodland would be isolated from the national rail network but they were not seeking formal abandonment until they could how a potential realignment of rail lines in the area might play out, and if it failed they would then proceed with abandoning the orphaned part of the line.  I see no further records indicating Sierra has yet started a further abandonment process.  The last several years of Google Earth imagery show five freight cars- four boxcars and a tank car- still sitting in the Woodland yard near the end of track, and then two passenger cars, a baggage car, and the SP RDC #10 on various industrial spurs.  

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV 

Thank you for putting what I just said into correct English.

Out 

The last few TO discussions seemed to be pointing to an awkward set up but there would be some sort of tourist operation running. Also note that all of the tourist ops are seperate from the very nearby California Northern operations. re the RDC, so close, but so far.

Thanks for the updates.