Builder Construction No. Date Type Cylinders Drivers Boiler Pressure Gross Weight Tractive Effort

Baldwin Locomotive Works 55412 May, 1922 2-6-2 15 x 24 inches 42 inches 175 psi 98,860 pounds (50 tons) 19,130 pounds

History

 –   Built new as Sierra Railway No. 30, Jamestown, CA
 –   Howard Terminal Railway No. 6 (Converted to 2-6-2T), Oakland, CA
 –   Acquired by PLA, October 1962
 –   In service, Castro Point Railway, 1969 to 1972 as 2-6-2T+T;
      Ex-Santa Maria Valley tender added in 1970
 –   Ex-SMV tender traded for ex-Rayonier No. 101 tender in 1998
 –  Undergoing restoration, NCRy BrightsideShops, Sunol, CA

Sierra No. 30
The Club Car, December, 1994

By C. G. Heimerdinger, Jr.

Locomotive Number 30 is probably one of the most historic locomotives in the possession of the Pacific Locomotive Association. Not only does the Number 30 have a distinct history before becoming the property of the Association, but she also has a very specific history as part of our organization.

The little 2-6-2 was originally built for the Sierra Railway as their Number 30. She is slightly smaller than the standard logging 2-6-2 of that era. In all, the locomotive weighs about forty-nine tons, and has forty-two inch drivers, as compared to the more common forty-four inch drivers that are found on logging locomotives.

The Number 30 was built for the Sierra's branch that existed between Jamestown and Angels Camp. The branch had heavy grades, tight curves, and four switchbacks, which required a very flexible, yet gutsy locomotive. The branch had been built in 1902, and prior to the arrival of the Number 30, geared power had handled most of the traffic. In addition to their 2T Shays, and 2T Heisler, Sierra's 3T Shay, Number 12, which is also now owned by the Association, probably worked the branch. With the arrival of the Number 30, Sierra disposed of the last of their geared power.

The Number 30 was just what the Sierra wanted, and she was to spend most of her Mother Lode career working the branch. One distinct feature on the locomotive was a large five pointed star painted on the front of the smoke box. The combination of highway development and the Great Depression doomed the branch, and in 1937, the line was abandoned and the rails removed.

With the end of the branch, the little 2-6-2 was no longer needed, and she was sold to the Howard Terminal Railway, which was located in Oakland. On the H.T., the locomotive was numbered "six." Initially the only change made to the locomotive was the substitution of footboards for the pilot. However, within a year of her going into service, she was converted into a tank locomotive. It is not clear who constructed the saddle tank, except that it was not done by Howard Terminal. At the same time, the locomotive had all the firing levers moved to the engineer's side so that she could be handled by one man.

By the time [World War II] ended, there were at least three steamers on the [Howard Terminal] railroad. These included the 6, an 0-6-0T, and an 0-4-0T. When diesel Number 8 arrived on the railroad, the 0-6-0T and 0-4-0T were scrapped, and 2-6-2T Number 6 relegated to standby service. Despite the fact that she was in standby, the Number 6 still saw considerable service for the next fifteen years, when diesel 8 was either down for repairs or traffic was extra heavy. By 1961, the Number 6 was the last steam locomotive in the Bay Area to see occasional service. It was in May of that year that the Number 6 was coupled to a Western Pacific caboose and operated over the entire railroad for a number of railroad photographers. That venture would turn out to be one of the two organizational trips of the Pacific Locomotive Association. The actual organization was founded two months later.

In early 1962, the Number 6 was again used for the photographers on the Pacific Locomotive Association's first excursion with an operating steam locomotive. It was to be her last operation at Howard Terminal. Later that year, she was acquired by the Association. We did not have the necessary funds at that time, so Henry Luna, Karl Koenig, and Don Hansen financed the acquisition of the locomotive. Needless to say, the Number 6 was the first piece of railroad equipment that we acquired.

The Number 6 remained at Howard Terminal for the next three years. Then in 1966, she was moved to the Crow Canyon Park in Castro Valley. It was at this new location that we started restoring the locomotive to service. Included was the moving of the fireman's equipment back to the proper side of the cab. It was during this period of time that the locomotive was steamed up twice, although no attempt was made to move her (there was only fifty feet of track under the locomotive).

In 1967, the Pacific Locomotive Association made the necessary arrangements for use of the Castro Point Railway in Richmond, CA. However, it would be two more years before the track and roadbed could handle a locomotive. On May 15th, 1969, we trucked the Number 6 from Castro Valley to Castro Point. She was not the first locomotive to arrive on the railroad, but she was the first to operate. It was only two weeks later that the Number 6 was fired up and operated for the first time. In addition to testing out the locomotive, she was used to switch out all the equipment that we had moved into Castro Point during the first two years we had been at that location.

It was on July 4th, 1969 that we opened up the Castro Point Railway to the public for the first time. Our first train consisted of the Number 6 and two open cars. There were heavy crowds all day waiting for a ride behind a steam locomotive. Steam powered passenger trains had returned to the Bay Area for the first time in eleven years. The following day was also for the public, and again we had heavy crowds. The final day of that three-day weekend was devoted to the membership of the Association.

While the Number 6 was the first locomotive to operate at Castro Point, she was quickly joined by the little Number 3, and Heisler Number 5. Despite the additional motive power, the Number 6 continued to be the primary locomotive in 1970, 1971, and early 1972. The one major problem that we faced with the Number 6 was her limited water capacity. The small saddle tank was designed for limited switching along the Oakland waterfront and not the steady use of hauling passengers as was being done at Castro Point. Member Joe Ward was to come up with the solution.

Joe was attending college in San Luis Obispo, and in some of his spare time, he photographed the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. While doing so, he located a tender from one of their former steam locomotives in a scrap yard. It took some talking, but in time he had arranged for the donation of the tender to our Association. He also arranged to have the tender trucked to Castro Point. Once it arrived, it was quickly painted and pressed into service behind the Number 6. When one sees the tender today, it is hard to believe that we once used it to hold water, but we did.

In May, 1972, the Number 6 turned fifty, and we held a party in the locomotive's honor. It would be the last time the locomotive was to operate as Castro Point. A few weeks later it was discovered that major work was needed in regard to the front flue sheet, and while awaiting those repairs, we discovered the cylinder valve on the fireman's side had been badly damaged (probably while working Howard Terminal). By this time the Number 5 had become a reliable locomotive, and work was under way to return the Number 2 to service, so work on the Number 6 became a low priority.

Over the years, the front tube sheet has been repaired, but the cylinder valve still needs to be completed. Also, "Bones" Andrews spent a considerable amount of time restoring the locomotive back to the way she looked while on the Sierra. He placed the lead footboards with a pilot he manufactured. He also completely rebuilt the cab of the locomotive. Finally, he manufactured a new drawbar and buffers so that we could permanently couple the tender to the locomotive. The saddle tanks were removed and scrapped. The locomotive was, in reality, no longer the Number 6, so she was reinstated with her original number of 30.

With the end of the Castro Point operation at the end of 1985, most of the locomotives were moved out in 1986 and 1987. However, the Number 30 was not in a condition to move on her own wheels, so she stayed behind with the 233. In 1989, all the remaining equipment at Castro Point was moved directly to our new operation at Niles Canyon, and the Number 30 was included.

Today the little 2-6-2 sits [near] a spur track waiting for the day that the restoration work that was started so many years ago will be completed. It should be, as the Association owes so much of its early success to the Number 30. Should you have any doubt, just look at the Association's letterhead. [The "6" number plate emblem represents both the six original founding members and the organization's first locomotive acquisition.]