JAMESTOWN, Calif. – On Saturday, May 11, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (SHP) will proudly participate in the sixth annual National Train Day, an event designed to celebrate American railroading, trains and train travel in cities all across the country.   Coordinated in conjunction with California State Parks and Amtrak^®, the event offers a variety of special activities at Railtown 1897 SHP that remains as the only intact steam-era roundhouse and shop facility in California, and one of just two in the U.S.  

On National Train Day, visitors to Railtown 1897 SHP will enjoy steam-powered excursion train rides behind the “Movie Star Locomotive” Sierra No. 3 and aboard the famous Caboose No. 7, and behind-the-scenes tours of the historic Roundhouse and Shops. A number of historic locomotives, equipment and vehicles will also be on special display this one-day-only, including the No. 28 & 2 locomotives, historic track maintenance vehicles such as the 1920s Ford Model T custom-adapted for use on the Railroad, and the Hetch-Hetchy 19 car, custom built for use in the construction of the Hetch Hetchy Dam (which will be operational and available for rides). To the delight of Park visitors, the historic belt-driven machine shop will also be up and running on National Train Day so guests can see it in action and understand that on a shortline, much of the work was done “in house” at the shops (with exception of major engine rebuilds). 

Except for ste am-powered excursion train rides, all National Train Day activities are free to the public with paid Park admission.  Railtown 1897 SHP admission costs are as follows:  $5 for adults, $3 for youths ages 6-17 and free for children five and under.  All train ride tickets are available for advance purchase at www.railtown1897.org as well as at the ticket window beginning at 10 a.m. the day of the train ride (based on availability). Capacity is limited for tickets for the steam-powered excursion train rides so visitors are encouraged to arrive early. Excursion train rides are available hourly from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and tickets aboard “Movie Train Consist” (enclosed suburban car and caboose)” are $15 for adults, $8 for youths ages 6-17 and kids five and under are free.   More information about Railtown 1897 SHP is available online or by calling 209-984-3953.  More information about National Train Day is available by visiting www.nationaldaytrain.com.

JAMESTOWN, Calif. – Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (SHP) plans to treat moms extra special this Mother’s Day — on Sunday, May 12 — by pulling out the famous “Movie Star Locomotive” Sierra No. 3 for weekend excursion train rides and also giving away complimentary commemorative Belgian chocolate bars to all mothers who take a train ride (while supplies last).  For those wanting to treat mom extra special on Mother’s Day, there will be a first-class train ride available as well.

With beautiful wildflowers still in bloom on Mother’s Day,  Railtown 1897’s excursion trains will depart on-the-hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The six-mile, 45-minute roundtrip ride takes passengers through the rolling Gold Country foothills, passing through meadows and along grassy hillsides covered with ancient oak trees.  Families are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on-site on the sprawling Roundhouse lawn.  In addition, the Railtown 1897 SHP Depot Store, Interpretive Center and grounds are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and guided Roundhouse tours are available, too.  

Tickets for steam train excursion rides are $15 for adults, $8 for youths ages 6-17 and kids five and under are free.  For those desiring a first-class experience, tickets are $24 for adults, $10 for youths ages 6-17 and kids five and under area are free (with free upgrades to Railtown 1897 SHP members depending on space availability). All train ride tickets include Park admission and are now available for advance purchase at www.railtown1897.org as well as at the ticket window beginning at 10 a.m. on the day of the ride (based on availability).

 Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (SHP) will now offer special, behind-the-scenes Shop Tours on Tuesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon on an ongoing basis beginning March 26, 2013. Interested visitors will be treated to an up-close and personal view of routine maintenance and specialized work happening on current projects in the historic Roundhouse as well as in the Tri-Dam shop (a Cold War-era machine shop used to repair, replace or service parts for operating equipment, cars, steam and diesel locomotives). Keep in mind, parts for steam engines — and sometimes vintage diesel locomotives — cannot be purchased and must be manufactured on-site making Railtown 1897 SHP one of the most accessible places around to watch this specialized work being performed.  Along with educating visitors about our fascinating rail history, maintaining and repairing steam engines and diesels is an important part of the mission of Railtown 1897 SHP.

The weekly two-hour Shop Tours begin with a brief slide show that provides background of current projects to date.   After the video, a knowledgeable volunteer host will guide visitors to the historic shops to meet and ask questions of skilled paid and volunteer staff who are actively working on projects and activities that keep the historic shops alive.

Open daily, Railtown 1897 SHP Shop Tours are included with Park admission, which is as follows: $5 for adults, $3 for youths ages 6-17 and free for children five and under.  More information about the Shop Tours or Railtown 1897 SHP is available by calling 209-984-3953 or visiting http://www.railtown1897.org.

The Sierra Railway Company was the shortline branch which supported many other railroads, bringing lumber and mining products out of the foothills, and goods in.  The Sierra Railway played a role in the building of the Hetch Hetchy, Tullock, Beardsley, Donnels, Melones and Don Pedro dams.  It hauled lumber products brought out of the Sierras by the Sugar Pine Railway, Westside Lumber Company, and others. 

At times during the history of the railroad, passengers could travel from stations in Angels Camp, Tuolumne, Sonora &  Jamestown, to Oakdale, and on to anywhere in America served by a rail line. 

 In 1938, the railroad ended regular passenger service— as with most passenger service, operational costs exceeded revenue.  However,  freight operations have been continuous throughout the railroad’s 115 year history.   Today,  modern diesel locomotives from the Sierra Northern Railway haul lumber and propane, and a different type of passenger service— excursions— run on 3 miles out of Jamestown, from the old shops and roundhouse of the railroad–preserved as Railtown 1897 State Historic Park.

Without passengers, the depots lost much of their use.  When the Sonora depot burnt down in 1946, it was rebuilt as a freight station only.  Today the Sonora Post Office sits at the same location.

1911 Sonora Lumber Company Plant in Sonora– near where today’s Grocery Outlet now stands.

Looking down onto the depot (seen in the approximate left-center of image) from the hill above today’s JS West. This photo was probably taken in the early 1940s.

This unique panorama, taken in 1912 shows the depot on the left, hospital in center (behind rail cars), and ice plant on the right

Old Sonora Depot. The wainscotting on the bottom is marble quarried from Columbia– another product the railroad transported at one time.

Come see the Sierra No. 3 lit for the holidays, and with Santa on board!

Sonora, Calif. – On December 1^st, for one night only, The Sonora and Twain Harte Rotary Clubs and the Kiwanis Club of Sonora in cooperation with Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, the Sierra Northern Railway, the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, J.S. West, and Sierra Pacific Industries will bring “movie star” Railtown’s Engine No. 3 to Sonora to say “Thank You!” to the community for helping “Keep Railtown Rolling” and to show off the recent restoration of this historic locomotive.

The event will be held in front of the Tuolumne General Hospital (Hospital and Washington Streets) from 5 to 8 pm.

For the first time since 1992, the Sierra No. 3 will make an appearance in Sonora, on Saturday December 1^st from 5 until 8PM, at S. Washington Street and Hospital Road.  Visitors will have the opportunity to climb aboard and visit with Santa while the train is in Sonora.  Hot Chocolate, carolers and lots of holiday lights will be part of the free event. Parking is available in the Tuolumne General Parking lot.

Thank You Tuolumne County

The Sonora and Twain Harte Rotary Clubs have joined together for this unique event as a way to thank the people of Tuolumne County for stepping up to help ‘Keep Railtown Rolling’.  Members from the community donated thousands of dollars in 2012 to support the park which was threatened with closure this year for the third time in 10 years.  The last operating weekend for train rides at Railtown will be December 15^th & 16^th, and will be pulled by the Sierra No. 3, with Santa on Board!

The Sierra No. 3 will be on display in front of the freight shed on Friday & Saturday November 23rd & 24th, and will be pulling the train on Sunday, November 25th.

Santa is taking some time out of his busy schedule to make special daytime and nighttime appearances at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park  this holiday season.  Special train rides with Santa will operate over the three-day Thanksgiving weekend (November 23, 24 & 25) and again the weekend before Christmas (December 15 & 16).  Advance tickets to ride with Santa are available now but seating is limited so don’t delay!

 Nighttime Rides Aboard “Santa’s Starlight Express”

For two nights only — on Friday, November 23 and Saturday, November 24 — visitors are encouraged to bundle up and join Santa and his musical friends for two lighted Christmas trains departing at 5:30 and 7 p.m.   

 The special train rides — lighted and filled with the music and magic of Christmas — will get visitors in the holiday spirit with live holiday music, hot chocolate,  and caroling on the train.  Santa will arrive at the station aboard the Sierra No. 3, then join riders on a train of festively lit cars pulled by a vintage diesel.  Every child will have plenty of time to whisper their wishes to Santa as he and his elves make their way through the train, accompanied by live music onboard, while hot chocolate is served to all.   

 Tickets for the nighttime rides aboard “Santa’s Starlight Expre ss” are $24 for adults, $12 for youths, and free for children 2 and under (traveling on a lap).  Discounts are applied to members. 

Santa, hot chocolate, smiling faces, live music and lots of good memories!

Rides Aboard “Santa by Daylight”

Popular “Santa By Daylight” train rides also continue this year during daylight hours, on November 23, 24 & 25, and again on December 15 & 16.  Trains run hourly from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Santa will be on board to greet visitors and will be accompanied by wandering minstrel Richard “Tater” Learned.  Ticket prices are $13 for adults, $6 for youths, and free for children 5 and under.

 Advanced tickets are strongly recommended and are available online at www.railtown1897.org or by calling the depot store at 209-984-3953. 

Due to budget-related service reductions, the park is closed on Tuesdays & Wednesdays.  Store hours Thursday-Monday are 10-3, with extended evening hours on November 23rd & 24th.

The Railtown water tank- October 2010. Photo by Jerome.

There is no doubt that the Jamestown water tank is an icon almost as familiar as the No. 3.  It can be seen on the park’s logo, and visitors from around the world ask for it by name.  Car Hosts point it out on each excursion as ‘the water tank from Petticoat Junction’.  But is it?  Can we separate the facts from the legend?

First, let’s consider the context of our tank.  Water tanks were vital to the operation of any steam-powered railroad, and the Sierra Railway was no exception.  At various times during its history, water tanks were operational at Cooperstown, Warnerville, Quinn Spur, Standard, Canyon Tank, Paulsell, Jamestown, and Angels Camp.  Water columns were available in Oakdale, Tuolumne, and later in Jamestown.  The distance between most water tanks throughout the country was 4-12 miles, depending upon the nearby grades and other factors. Functioning water tanks were so important to the operation of the railroad that employees were assigned solely to the task of checking their status  on a regular basis, to ensure that water was always available to the locomotives.

A tender is attached to the back of each steam locomotive, to hold water and fuel.  When the locomotive stops for water, the fireman climbs to the rear of the tender pulls down a water spout, and then pulls on a rope to open the valve, which releases water into the tank of the tender.  From there, the water is piped to the boiler where it is heated to create steam to provide the propulsion for the pistons and drive the locomotive.  Diesel locomotives do not require water, therefore, the demise of the steam locomotive in America also correlated with the demise of the water tank.  While it is difficult to determine exact numbers, today very few water tanks survive, compared to the number in operation a century ago, and fewer still are in regular use.

The absence of construction records for the Sierra Railway makes it very difficult to date structures at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park– including the Jamestown water tank.  As a result, to determine an accurate history of the tanks over the years, we are dependent upon photographic evidence and the few source documents that survive.  From these records and existing structures, it appears that in Jamestown, the Sierra used water tanks (at least three, over time) and a water standpipe.  The water standpipe that currently exists, across the tracks from the current water tank, appears to be from the early 1920s.  It was returned to service in the 1970s, but subsequently discontinued because the ditch water it delivered contained a good deal of silt and sand, which infiltrated the tank. After the State took over operation in 1982, a smaller, Tulolumne Utilities Distric pipe was installed to supply the tank and the water column.  The reduced volume of delivery didn’t impact the operation of the water tank, but the reduced capacity water main on the water column, made it inefficient for filling tenders, and its use was abandoned.

The current water tank appears to be adjacent to the site of the original Sierra water tank, which was probably used until installation of the water standpipe.  The builders of the present foundation marked the year ‘1938’ in the concrete, which allows us to accurately date the footings.  As is common, over the years, many repairs and changes were made to the structure. The concrete footings appear to be the only original elements of the 1938 water tank.

Historically, Sierra Railway water tanks built through the early 1930s had roofs over them.  This added protection to the tank from weathering, and also reduced the algal growth caused by direct sunlight. Photos taken in Jamestown through the early 1930s show the water tank with a roof.  In 1938 the Sierra built a new water tank at Jamestown (date in concrete footings even today) which did not have a roof.  This is the water tank that appeared in Petticoat Junction in the 1960s.

In the 1970s, the Sierra replaced this tank with an inferior, two-inch thick tank (instead of the standard 3 inch type) and was also significantly smaller and shorter in height in diameter than the earlier tank.

At the time of acquisition in 1982, the platform was rebuilt by the State (Department of General Services, Direct Construction Unit), but the 1970s-era water tank was re-used.

DCU was not familiar with railroad construction practices, so in building the new platform they modified the design.  For “earthquake security” they also created a collar at the base of the support posts – which captured water and led to rot.  In addition, the tank was not sufficiently supported on the platform, resulting in failure as the wood rotted.  These issues necessitated replacement of the tank and platform in 2001.

Since interpretively most of the Railtown facility represents a period through the 1920s-30s, and because a roof on the water tank will make it last longer, the decision in 2001 was to rebuild the tank to represent the appearance of the earlier known Jamestown water tank.  The numerous changes over the years made adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation a challenge, although photographs of water tanks along the Sierra were consulted as part of the design process.

So, what is the main message for our visitors? Over the years, the Sierra built at least three water tanks, as well as a water standpipe, at the Jamestown site to provide water for steam locomotives.  The current water tank is a reconstruction, based on photographic evidence and is similar to the earliest known water tank on the site.  The only original elements of the 1938 water tank (the one appearing in Petticoat Junction) are the three concrete footings, the spout and other hardware.

On operating days, the water tank is used at least twice a day to water the locomotive, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to observe an activity that was once common throughout the country.  In interpreting the history of the water tank to passengers, it would be most accurate to describe the tank as a reconstruction, in the same location of the Petticoat Junction tank, but emphasize how the watering process ties in to our overall theme of perpetuating the lost art of steam railroading.

Chronology

1897 Through early-mid 1930s – one, (and possibly two) roofed tanks

Early 1920s – water column installed

1938 – completely new tank and platform installed, without roof (Petticoat Junction tank)

Early 1970s – new much smaller tank installed on 1938 platform

1982 – State constructs a new platform, reusing the 1970s tank

2001 – now water tank and platform constructed on 1938 footings – design follows style of early (pre-1938) tanks and platforms, including roof.

Taken in the early 1920s, this image from the ICC valuation, shows the Sierra No. 28 with the water tank and trestle. Notice the hip roof, and graduated sides of the water tank. The oil trestle was used to bring a tank car to the oil bunker, so the oil could drain by gravity into the large oil tank behind the water tank. The trestle was built about 1912, replacing the track that ran up the hillside on the opposite side oft he mainline, with an overhead pipe to the oil tank. The fireman in this image is filling the oil tank of the locomotive, by use of the oil spout.

This detail of a larger image, taken in 1933, shows the hip roofs on the water tank and oil bunker.

In this Jim Wren photo, taken in 1965 during the filming of Petticoat Junction, the uncovered water tank can be seen. Image courtesy of Ken Rattene.

1971 image of the water tank in action.

This 2002 image shows the water tank just after reconstruction. The oil bunker in the rear lost its roof in an early 1970s brush fire.

As an interesting side note- this image, of the Quinn Spur water tank (near Chinese Camp), taken in 1953 during the filming of Man of the West, was the inspiration for the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park logo.

If you have any of your own images, comments, or questions to share, please visit us on facebook.

Written by Kim Baker & Kyle Wyatt

Music on board all weekend!

Excursion trains will depart on-the-hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, delighting visitors from near and far during a six-mile, 40-minute round trip ride along the rails of the famous “Movie Railroad,” passing through California’s scenic Gold Country.

Tickets for the weekend excursion train rides during the holiday weekend are $13 for adults, $6 for youths ages 6-17 and free for children five and under. All train ride tickets include Park admission and are now available for advance purchase at http://www.railtown1897.org as well as at the ticket window beginning at 10 a.m. on the day of the ride (based on availability). For visitors interested in a first-class ride aboard No. 2901 (available on Sunday only), cost is $21 for adults, $9 for youths ages 6-17 and kids five and under are free. First-class train rides are only available at the ticket window beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning.

 Tuolumne County’s Rotary clubs will host a “Spotlight on Railtown” fundraiser on Saturday evening, June 9, at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (SHP) in Jamestown. This special fundraising event is one of several that local Rotary clubs are holding in an effort to keep Railtown 1897 SHP open and in continued operation. Tickets are $50 per person and all proceeds will directly benefit the Park and its continued operation.

The festivities will begin at 6 p.m., with local wines and delicious appetizers served in and around the Park’s signature facility, the Historic Jamestown Roundhouse and Shops. As guests tour the facility, they will enjoy live music; turntable demonstrations; historic railcar rides; and “Movie Star” locomotive Sierra No. 3 in operation. Next will be a silent auction, followed by dramatizations and short speeches in the historic Depot. Then, for a relaxing grand finale to the evening, guests will enjoy a ride aboard Railtown 1897’s excursion train, with silent auction results announced as the train arrives back at the Depot.

Rail enthusiasts and the community at large are encouraged to play a supporting role in Railtown 1897’s future.  Tickets for “Spotlight on Railtown” are available f rom local Rotary club members, at the Park itself during regular hours, or online .

“Spotlight on Railtown” is presented by the Sonora Rotary Club, Sunrise Rotary Club, ‘49er Rotary Club, Twain Harte Rotary Club, and Groveland Rotary Club, and sponsored by the Black Oak Casino, California State Parks, and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation.   Featured wines will include Gianelli Vineyards of Jamestown, Indigeny Reserve Hard Cider and La Bella Rosa Vineyards both of Sonora, and Zucca Mountain Vineyards of Murphys.

Railtown’s popular Wildflower Trains feature Interpretive Park Rangers from the nearby Bureau of Reclamation’s New Melones Lake, answering questions and pointing out flower groupings along the way.  Wildflower Trains take guests on a six-mile, one-hour roundtrip ride through the scenic, rolling landscapes of California’s Gold Country.  Along the way, trains encounter meadows and rolling hills, with such local flora as “meadow foam,” “gold fields” and other colorful flowers typically in bloom.   Train capacity is limited, and advance reservations are suggested.  Wildflower train tickets aboard the “mountain observation cars” (open-sided cars that allow for visitors to enjoy the spring weather) are available online now at www.railtown1897.org  and  cost $21 for adults, $10 for youth ages 6-17, and children five and under ride free.