Nostalgia & History > located somewhere in Central California (Merced County)?

Someone posted this photograph of the handsome American type locomotive.
I believe they said it was located at Newman California (Merced County).
Would someone, somebodies, educate me as to the exact location
and the history of this engine?
Any thing else regarding the location and history sure would be welcomed.
Than you in advance says I.

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An engine I know really well.

The 216 is was built in 1887 by Burnham, Parry, Williams & Co. (AKA the Baldwin Locomotive Works). It was numbered UP 737 and may have been lettered for subsidiary Omaha and Republican Valley Railroad. The engine is the oldest UP locomotive in existence.

In 1904 the 737 was sold to a unit of the Southern Pacific, either the Texas and New Orleans or the Louisiana and Texas Railroad and Steamship Company (accounts vary). Reportedly it was renumbered 246. In 1913, during a system wide renumbering, it acquired the number 216.

After 42 years of service, SP 216 was retired on December 4, 1929. She was sold her to the Erath Sugar Company of Louisiana. In August 1947, Erath Sugar sold the 216 to the Vermilion Sugar Company at Abbeville, Louisiana. Vermilion Sugar finally retired the 216 in 1956, when the engine was 69 years old.

In 1957, Nelson Blount acquired the engine for Steamtown at Bellow Falls, Vermont. It later moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania with the rest of the collection and was still there when Steamtown was deeded to the National Park Service. In 1995 the engine went to the Nevada State Railroad Museum - Southern Division at Boulder City, but the engine came from Scranton to Portola and the Western Pacific Railroad Museum where it was put on display and loaned to the WPRM. The WPRM later acquired ownership of the engine.

I got involved in 216's story when it came to Portola. In 2003 we began negotiations with Double T Acres, an Old West themed venue in Stevinson, California. The UP 737 / SP 216 was traded to them in a deal that brought Western Pacific 0-6-0 165 to the WPRM and set the stage for 165's current restoration work. I helped with some of the negotiations in that deal.

The 737 / 216 went to Double T where it is the backdrop for weddings and parties, protected under the pavilion cover shown in the photo. She leads a train consisting of a baggage car, business car and caboose from the Santa Fe and a Pennsy diner. http://www.thedoublet.com

Last year, the 737 / 216 celebrated its 130th birthday. The next oldest UP engines in existence are the two T-57 4-6-0s built by Cooke in 1890, UP 1242 and 1243.

There are 3-4 older SP owned engines out there, of course, including the famous C. P. Huntington, which had 24 years of service by the time UP 737 was built!

Z
WP 165 Restoration: http://steam.wplives.org



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/18 10:33 by zephyrus.

I would not have believed there would again be tracks and trains in Stevinson. The things you learn here on Trainorders!
Many years ago the Tidewater Southern Ry ran down from Turlock to Stevinson, or at least to nearby Hilmar. You could still see the right-of-way in the 1970s, minus ties and rail.

I love all 216's. My "name" on TO was Union Pacific 216 (2-8-0) but I am glad to the first UPRR 216. wag216

Another little tidbit: there was actually some talk VERY BRIEFLY in 1997 or 98 about restoring this locomotive to be featured in the big screen adaptation of Wild, Wild West. As I recall, the modifications that would have been required would have been too extensive and costly.

Z

Thanks for everyone who added information about the UP et.al. railroad locomotive.
I guess what I am confused about is how did it wind up in Merced County at the Double T Agriculture Museum and amusement park at Stevinson? Says I.