G.E. Nordell's Travel / Railroads Pages
Sierra Railway [est. 1897]
page under construction {started in early 2015}
The Sierra Railroad Corporation operates several divisions. The Sierra Northern Railway [est. 2003] hauls freight in three locations in California (73 miles from Oakdale to West Sacramento, 40 miles from Ft. Bragg to Willits, and 28 miles from Davenport to Watsonville. The Mendocino Railway [est. 1996] operates dinner trains out of Oakdale, Willitts, and West Sacramento. Sierra Energy Corp. [est. 2004] operates waste gasification & renewable energy sites; that company is based in Davis, California. The Sierra Railway itself is headquartered at the state-run Railtown 1897 State Historic Park [est. 1992] in Jamestown, California; trains run from April to October over the 53 miles of track west to Oakdale and back.
The Sierra Railway Company of California was incorporated in February 1897 by banker William H. Crocker, lumberman Thomas S. Bullock, and Prince Andre Poniatowski. Construction began in May northward from Oakdale and reached Jackson in November. An extension to Tuolomne was finished in 1900. The railway was sold at auction in 1937 and reorganized as the Sierra Rail-road Company. The company switched to diesel locomotives in 1955, but kept the old steam locomotives for lucrative movie & television work. The privately-owned Rail Town 1897 opened in 1971. The Crocker family (then sole owners) closed Rail Town in 1979 and put the Jackson facility and the railroad on sale separately. Silverfoot bought the railroad in 1980; the State of California purchased Rail Town in 1982 and quickly reopened it as a state park. Silverfoot sold the railroad to Sierra Pacific Coast Railway, which closed in 1999, then became Sierra Northern Railway in 2003.
Sierra Railroad Company operated the Hetch Hetchy Railroad [1917-49] from 1935 to 1949.
The Rail Town operation runs steam- and diesel-powered trains from April thru October, with four round trips on Saturday and Sunday, and special excursions at other times, including December holiday dinner trains. Tours are available of the shops and roundhouse; the main station at Jackson has a museum and a gift shop (but no food).
Oakdale-based Sierra Dinner Train [est. 1999] operates the Saturday Night Dinner Train, Beer Train, Christmas Train, Champagne Brunch Train, Thanksgiving Supper Train,
Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Train, and Saturday Scenic Lunch Train.
official Sierra Railroad website
Sierra Railway entry at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Railway_28
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_No._3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Northern_Railway
http://www.sierranorthern.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_RiverTrain
http://www.sacramentorivertrain.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Western_Railroad
http://www.skunktrain.com/
http://www.sierraenergycorp.com/
http://www.sierrarailroad.com/dinnertrain/
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park [est. 1992] in Jamestown, California
![Sierra Railway of California [1897-1937] herald](images/SierraRailroad-herald.gif)
![b&w logo for Railtown 1897 State Historic Park [] at Jamestown, California](images/Railtown1897-b&w.jpg)
Sierra Railway Route and Stations
view much larger map in new window | The Sierra Railway Company began construction in May 1897 northward from Oakdale, California and reached Jackson in November; an extension to Tuolomne (to connect with the West Side Lumber Company sawmill) was finished in 1900. The Standard to Tuolumne portion was abandoned in the 1960s (after West Side Lumber & Pickering Lumber closed down). The Southern Pacific RR abandoned the Stockton to Oakdale line in 1986; Sierra Railway purchased the B.N.S.F. right-of-way from Riverbank to Oakdale in 2008 to prevent its abandonment.
The original stations or water stops were/are (moving eastward and uphill from the grain fields): Oakdale, Occidental (now called Arnold), Paulsell, Warnerville, Cooperstown, Hetch Hetchy Junction, Keystone, Quinn Spur, Chinese Camp, and Jamestown; the extension of 1900 connected Lime Kiln, Sonora, Fassler. Standard, Black Oak, Ralph, and Tuolomne. |
Riverbank, California
interchange with AT&SF north & south
Oakdale, California
interchange with Southern Pacific to the south
Occidental/Arnold, California
Paulsell, California
spur to Atlas Rock
Warnerville, California
Cooperstown, California
Hetch Hetchy Junction
interchange with the Hetch Hetchy Railroad [1917-1949]
Keystone
Quinn Spur
Chinese Camp/Station, California
Hatlers Rock
Jamestown, California
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park [est. 1992] in Jamestown, California
spur to Melones
Lime Kiln, California
Sonora, California
Fassler, California
Standard, California
Black Oak, California
Ralph, California
interchange with Sugar Pine Railroad [1899-1931], later Pickering Lumber [1931-1965]
Tuolomne, California
interchange with the West Side Lumber Company [1900-1962]
Sierra Railway Equipment Rosters
Sierra Railway locomotive roster listing at Wikipedia
Sierra Railway Steam Locomotive Roster
year whyte name/number history disposition/status 1886 H.K. Porter 2-6-0 #1 ex-Prescott & Arizona Central #2; purchased in 1897 sold to West Side Lumber; converted to 0-6-0 as mill switcher 'Old Betsie'; fate? ?? 4-4-0 first #2 purchased in 1897 scrapped circa 1899 1889 New York Works 0-6-0 2nd #2 ex-Northern Pacific RR sold to Lassen Lumber & Box; scrapped in 1940 ?? 3-truck Shay 3rd #2 -- in operation circa 1979-2010 
1891 Rogers 4-6-0 #3 ex-Prescott & Arizona Central #3; purchased in 1897
Sierra Railway #3 entry at Wikipediaretired in 1932; rebuilt 1948; donated to Railtown 1897 in 1982; new boiler/rebuild finished 2010
in regular use1882 Baldwin 4-4-0 #4 ex-Northern Pacific RR #99 sold to Pickering Lumber as #14; scrapped in 1938 1899 Schenectady 0-6-0 #5 purchased new sold to Hawaii Consolidated; converted to 2-6-2; scrapped in 1947 1883 Baldwin 4-4-0 #6 ex-Northern Pacific RR #144 sold to Atlas-Olympia; stationary boiler service; scrapped in 1937 1882 Baldwin 4-4-0 #7 ex-Northern Pacific RR #93 sold; fate unknown -- -- no engine #8? -- -- 1899 2-truck Heisler #9 purchased new sold to Standard Lumber/Pickering as #8; later West Side Lumber; scrapped in 1947 1902 Lima 2-truck Shay #10 purchased new sold to Hofius Stell, to Walville Lumber Co., then to Diamond Match Co.; scrapped in 1942 1903 Lima 2-truck Shay #11 purchased new sold to United Commercial Company, to Pickering Lumber, to Verdi Lumber Co., to Clover Valley Lumber Co.; scrapped in 1952 1903 Lima 3-truck Shay #12 purchased new sold to Pickering Lumber Co.; now owned by the Pacific Locomotive Assn., stored serviceable at Niles Canyon Railway in California 1906 Baldwin 2-8-0 #18 purchased new sold to private owner, in storage at Merrill, Oregon; tender sold to Tidewater Southern in 1952, tender scrapped in 1955 1916 Baldwin 2-8-0 #20 purchased new sold to U.S. Army as #6814, resold to Kurth Lumber as #20; scrapped in 1955 1906 2-truck Climax #21 purchased new sold to Sugar Pine Railway, to Grant Rock & Gravel, to Stillwater Lumber, to Zimmerman Wells, to Brown Sigardson & Bartholomew Logging, and finally to Jamestown-Oregon Lumber Co.; fate? 1920 Baldwin 2-8-0 #22 purchased new sold to California Western as #41; scrapped in 1950 1912 Baldwin 2-8-0 #24 ex-Nevada Copper Belt #3 scrapped in 1955 1908 Baldwin 2-6-0 #26 ex-Ocean Shore Railroad [1905-1921] sold to Davis-Johnson Lumber Co.; scrapped in 1939 1922 Baldwin 2-8-0 #28 purchased new
Sierra Railway #28 entry at Wikipediadonated to Railtown 1897 in 1982; firebox repairs 2014-2019 back in operation 6/2019 1922 Baldwin 2-6-2 #30 
purchased new sold to Howard Terminal Railway as #6 and rebuilt as 2-6-2T; now owned by Pacific Locomotive Assn. and undergoing restoration as 2-6-2 at Niles Canyon Railway shops 
1923 Baldwin 2-6-2 #32 purchased new sold to Tidewater Southern in 1940 & renumbered 132; scrapped in 1955 1925 Baldwin 2-8-2 #34 purchased new sold to Reed Hatch in 1966, to Fred Kepner circa 1987; stored at Railtown 1897 1930 ALCO 2-8-2 #36 purchased new sold to Reed Hatch in 1966; used on White Mountain Scenic RR; now privately owned in Merrill, Oregon 1934 Baldwin 2-6-6-2 #38 ex-Weyerhauser Timber Company #4 sold to Rayonier Inc.; now privately owned in Merrill, Oregon
Roster of Other Sierra Railway Motive Power
year whyte name/number history disposition/status 1925 Plymouth DLC6 0-4-0 Motor A ex-H.C. Collins -- 1922? Sheffield model 33 Motor B 2-stroke, 3-cylinder engine with self-starting direct drive in storage at Railtown 1897
1922? Model T railcar #8 -- on display at Railtown 
1919 White Motor Company railcar track bus #19 built for the Hetch Hetchy Railroad in 1919, used during dam construction, parked at Moccasin for 32 years, rescued circa 1980, donated to Railtown in 1997 on display at Railtown 
? Fairmont A-8 motorcar MW-80 known among crew members as 'the Great White' recently in operation 
1937 Fairmont A5 series B-4 motorcar #104 -- -- 1937 Fairmont A5 series B-4 motorcar #106 -- operates today, but is reserved for very special occasions mid-1950s Fairmont A5 motorcar #108 -- -- 1955 Fairmont M19-AA two-man light inspection car #110 from the Western Pacific operable ?? Fairmont A-5 motor car #114 from the Western Pacific currently running as primary 'fire patrol' speeder 1953 GE/ALCO diesel switcher #613 -- in operation circa 2009-2014 
? diesel switcher #1265 -- in operation circa 2010 
Western Pacific S-2 speeder
Western Pacific S-2T speeder
The 613 is a military Veteran, too!
Lima 1914 Southern Pacific RR S-11 class 0-6-0 steam switcher #1227 is owned by Golden Gate RR Museum
and stored at the Sierra Railroad yard in Oakdale.
Roster of Other Sierra Railway Equipment
Sierra Coaches #5 & #6 are original to the Sierra Railway; both were custom built in 1902 by W.L. Holman & Co. in San Francisco.
wood cupola caboose #7 
Reading Material
 | "A Brief History of The Sierra Railroad / 1897 - Farewell To Steam - 1955" [1955] by Arthur C. Hender & Guy L. Dunscomb Originally issued for the 'Farewell To Steam Excursion' sponsored by the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society; issue #186 of The Western Railroader The Western Railroader pb [1955] out of print/used The Western Railroader pb [1955] out of print/used |
 | "Sierra Railway" [1960] by Dorothy Newell Deane Howell-North Books hardcover [1960] out of print/used Howell-North Books hardcover [1960] out of print/used |
 | "When Steam Was King: Sierra Railway, Pickering Lumber Company, West Side Lumber Company" [2006] by Gerald French illustrated with outstanding, never-before-published photos of steam railroads in Central California: Pickering Lumber, West Side Lumber, and the Sierra Railroad; also includes rare shots of the 30-inch gauge Empire City Railroad Eureka Publng hardcover [12/2006] for $62.00 |
 | "Sierra Railway (Images of Rail)" [2016] by Stephen D. Mikesell Kindle Edition from Arcadia Publng [2/2016] for $9.99 Arcadia Publng 9¼x6½ pb [2/2016] for $20.99 |
 | "Hollywood's Railroads, Volume Two: Sierra Railroad" [2018] by Larry Jensen Author covers the Sierra Railroad, the central California short line that became Hollywood's most popular destination to shoot railroad scenes - silent films beginning in 1919 and more than 300 films since then; generations of television viewers saw it on "The Lone Ranger", "Tales of Wells Fargo", "Rawhide", "The Big Valley", "Petticoat Junction", "Green Acres", "Gunsmoke", "The Wild Wild West", "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", and "Little House On The Prairie"; book includes a list of films and 140 photographs with 25 in color {Volume 1 is V&TRR, Volume 3 is SW Colorado RRs} Cochetopa Press 11x8½ pb [2018] out of print/used "Hollywood In The Mother Lode: The Story of Film Work On The Sierra Railroad" [1973] 36-page L.S.J. Publns brochure [1973] out of print/scarce |
Films & TV, Other Media
location credits [130 titles, 1914-1994] for 'Sierra Railroad' at Internet Movie Database
location credits [152 titles, 1914-2012] for 'Jamestown California' at Internet Movie Database
"Dodge City" (1939) Dir: Michael Curtiz with Errol Flynn /tt0031235/
"Union Pacific" (1939) Dir: Cecil B. DeMille /tt0032080/
"My Little Chickadee" (1940) with Mae West, W.C. Fields /tt0032828/
"Duel In The Sun" (1946) Dir: King Vidor /tt0038499/
"Whispering Smith" (1948) /tt0040965/
"The Texas Rangers" (1951) /tt0044118/
"The Cimarron Kid" (1952) Dir: Budd Boetticher with Audie Murphy /tt0043408/
"The Wild Wild West" (1965 TV Series) /tt0058855/
 | "The Sierra Railroad, Railtown 1897, and Iron Horse Roundup" [Machines of Iron circa 2002] Disk 1 contains both steam and diesel power of the Sierra Railroad; disk 2 covers the Sierra Railroad's first Iron Horse Roundup steam festival on Labor Day Weekend of 2001, featuring Sierra #28 and Mason County Logging #7 and former Southern Pacific Baldwin 4-6-2 #2467 2-disk set available from producer website for $29.95 + s/h |
"The Sierra Number 3 Locomotive: A Star Is Reborn" (2012 Documentary) /tt2422386/
Image Gallery
Railroad Links
official C&TSRR website
C&TSRR entry at Wikipedia
official C&TSRR photos website
official C&TSRR equipment & shops website
Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad [est. 1981, incorp. 1988]
C&TSRR article at the Antonito Whistle Stop Guest House website
American Railroads Pages at Spirit of America Bookstore
Railroad Film Festival Pages at Spirit of America Bookstore
'Railroads in Fiction' Pages at Spirit of America Bookstore
Spirit of America Bookstore's Railroads in Fiction - Books For Young Railfans Page
'Non-Fiction Books About Railroads' Pages at Spirit of America Bookstore
here on G.E. Nordell's Sierra Railroad in California Page
top of page short history route & stations equipment rosters
reading material films & other media image gallery links
Carson & Colorado / Nevada & California / Southern Pacific Narrow-Gauge Railroads [1880-1960] Page
Cass Scenic Railroad [built 1901] of West Virginia Page
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad [est. 1970] in New Mexico & Colorado Page
Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad [1870-1988] Page
Florida East Coast Railway [est. 1885]
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad [1876-1942] in California Page
Virginia & Truckee Railroad [1869-1950, rebuilt 1972 & 2006] in Nevada Page
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