How can I help?
Your generous donation and support is vitally important. Without your help we are limited in our ability to restore vintage Locomotives and Passenger Rail Cars.
We have several critical projects that we are fundraising for with information on each below, but we welcome general donations as well.
If you are above age 70½ and your IRA, 401(k), or other retirement plan requires that you make taxable “required minimum distributions” (RMD’s), you can contribute directly to the Pacific Locomotive Association (the owner and operator of our Niles Canyon Railway) from your plan using a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Your QCD will reduce the total taxable income on your return by the amount of your contribution(s). Please contact your Plan Administrator to initiate their process for making contributions to the PLA (and separately other nonprofits) by QCD. If additional details about the Pacific Locomotive Association as recipient are needed beyond our name, address, and Federal ID No. (EIN) shown below, please contact our Treasurer, Steve Miller, at [email protected].
Pacific Locomotive Association
PO Box 515
Sunol, CA 94586-0515
EIN 94-6130878
Our current major fundraising projects include:
Project #1
Southern Pacific #1744
Image courtesy of Jim Wrinn
In 2020, the Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA) purchased a native Bay Area steam locomotive, the Southern Pacific #1744. In that same year, we returned most of it to our Niles Canyon Railway to be rebuilt for operation. The boiler stayed behind at a contract shop in Colorado for work, however, that contractor & our boiler will soon be relocating to Northern California where the work will be completed.
The 2-6-0 Mogul built by Baldwin in 1901 operated for many years out of Oakland on the SP Western Division and in California’s Central Valley where the Moguls were fondly called “Valley Mallets” (pronounced “Malleys”) by their crews. In later years the now famous locomotive operated on several of the last steam railfan excursions on the Southern Pacific. After retirement from service on the SP in 1958, the locomotive operated at the Heber Valley Railroad, moved to Texas and was restored for a brief period of operation in New Orleans. Iowa Pacific bought the locomotive and ran it on the San Luis & Rio Grande over Colorado’s La Veta Pass in tourist service during 2007 until it was sidelined with boiler issues. The locomotive was disassembled, boiler work started and then stopped. The locomotive has sat disassembled since 2008 with the boiler moving from Alabama to Texas and then back to Colorado during this time.
The PLA’s commitment and plan to return the #1744 to service will not be a quick or inexpensive proposition but we are looking forward to the future when she will once again steam on the Niles Canyon Railway. After many years of operating around the United States, the #1744 has returned home at a cost of over $30,000 alone to once again operate through Niles Canyon on the last leg of the Transcontinental Railroad. Preliminary cost estimates for the entire project are over $500,000.
To date, the locomotive has seen a lot of active restoration including:
- Frame and running gear (Volunteer & Contracted)
- Cleaning (by needle gun), inspection, priming, and painting of most of the frame
- Removal of drivers, main axle boxes, and spring rigging for inspection and repair which is ongoing with a contract shop. Spring rigging has been reassembled on the locomotive.
- Removal of driver wheel tires, repairing and turning of driver centers, delivery of new tires, installation of the new tires, and repainting of the drivers in preparation for re-install.
- Partial disassembly of boiler supports (furnace bearers), repair of cross braces, pad-welding of various parts of the frame to eliminate wear
- Machining of new parts included tapered bolts for the frame and frame cross-member.
- Complete rebuilding of the #1744’s driving boxes with fit up underway and placement under the engine in 2026.
- Movement of the #1744’s frame into the NCRy Steam Shop to allowed for continued for inside.
- Boiler (Contracted)
- Installation of all new firebox sheets, drilling of firebox sheets for staybolts, and riveting of mud-ring to boiler.
- Fabrication of all staybolts for the boiler, including flexible caps and sleeves (partially funded by our generous donors and the Emery Rail Heritage Trust)
- Partial installation of staybolts into the boiler with contractor and volunteer work sessions held throughout 2024 & 2025 with more in the planning for 2026.
Image by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission.
Image by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission.
Photo by Chris Hauf – Used with permission.
Photo by Chris Hauf – Used with permission.
To date, we have raised just over $150,000 which has helped fund much of the work to date, but we need to continue our fundraising efforts to keep the momentum as we work to complete the boiler and move it Niles Canyon along with reassembling the running gear in 2026. We also need to start thinking about finish painting 1744’s tender and various parts prior to re-assembly. Much of the frame was finished painted in late summer 2024.
Image by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Photo courtesy of: Stathi Pappas – Stockton Locomotive Works.
Please consider a donation in any amount you see fit. All donations are tax deductible. You may donate online via the links to PayPal or ClubExpress.
We gladly accept donations by mail. Please make checks payable to Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA)
Mail to: Pacific Locomotive Association,SP#1744 Restoration, P.O. Box 515, Sunol,CA 94586-0515
For more information about online donating and future updates please visit our Facebook page and the 1744’s page our our website here.
Your financial support is greatly appreciated as we work to welcome home this iconic historic treasure for the world to see.
More information on the end of 2024 staybolt installation
Project #2
GN Ranch Car ‘Hidden Lake’
The Great Northern Ranch Car arrived Feb 8th 2019 on property. In that time, interior restoration has been started including an extensive cleaning and restoration of the kitchen. Many subsystems like refrigeration have been worked on and windows are undergoing rebuild.
On the side of the car show, all new steel was installed along the roof edge along with new steel at the bottom at the sill along with extensive steel replacement under the kitchen window and the western-most window on the car. Full GN paint and lettering has been applied to this side of the car and steel restoration is underway on the other side as of 12/1/2024.
More help is needed to keep the progress of putting the Hidden Lake back on the road.
Estimate Cost Restoration Summary:
- Roof: $2500
- Running Gear: $5000
- Interior: $5000
- Windows: $6000
- Exterior Metal repair: $5000
- Exterior Painting: $20,000
- Kitchen/Counter: $10,000
- Electrical & Mechanical: $10,000
- Reupholster and new flooring: $25,000
Total including all known restoration: $88,000.00
We gladly accept donations by mail. Please make checks payable to Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA)
Mail to: Pacific Locomotive Association, Ranch car Restoration, P.O. Box 515, Sunol,CA 94586-0515
Image by Chris Hauf – Used with permission
Photo by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Project #3
Southern Pacific #9010
The SP9010, a Krauss-Maffei diesel built for Southern Pacific is being remanufactured by PLA/NCRy. This is the only Krauss-Maffei built for SP left in the world, and an International team has assembled the information and help needed to be successful. The team is currently focused working through and checking out the engine’s various systems now that the locomotive is capable of running under its own power. Continued financial assistance is welcome to help continue to offset the cost of ongoing improvements.
Project #4
Southern Pacific #2479
Along with SP #1744, we are also actively working on the restoration of Southern Pacific Railroad steam locomotive #2479, and it would welcome your donations as well. Recently, we had a crew in from the Durango & Silverton Railroad to help us with a patch in the boiler, and its first hydrostatic test probably in over 50 years. Things looked pretty good, but there is more work to do.
We have also started the process of removing the tubes of the #2479’s boiler to allow additional boiler work to continue. We welcome your help in supporting these efforts of our second Southern Pacific steam locomotive under active restoration!
06.15.2024
Photo by Chris Hauf – Used with permission
Image by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Image by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Project #5
Southern Pacific Railroad Business Car #139 ‘SACRAMENTO’
We have embarked on a multi-year restoration of Southern Pacific Railroad Business Car #139, the SACRAMENTO. Extensive roof repair is underway along with body repairs, body prep and a planned total exterior repaint and lettering. On the interior, windows are being repaired, walls are being repaired/sanded/stained/polyurethaned, and other repairs are being done prior to the install of new floor coverings and all new appropriate furnishings as we plan to use this in part as a first class car for our Train of Lights. On the mechanical side, wheel and truck work is planned along with the repair to the observation end buffer. Electrical upgrades will also take place to add HEP or Head End Power.
Would you help us get the 139 back in top shape with a donation via PayPal?
We gladly accept donations by mail. Please make checks payable to Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA)
Mail to: Pacific Locomotive Association, SP#139 Restoration, P.O. Box 515, Sunol,CA 94586-0515
Photo by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Image by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Image by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Help Us Get Started…
New starting battery purchase for WP #918-D, SP #1218 & U.S. Army #1856
Image by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
One of the most critical components to maintaining and operating a diesel locomotive is a solid set of starting batteries. Most of the diesel locomotives we operate use EIGHT large starting batteries. Each battery is 8 volts and weighs several hundred pounds. Currently, these starting batteries cost around $1250 each. With eight needed per locomotive, the cost is around $10,000 per locomotive.
With some additional new volunteers joining our core of long time volunteers, we have started work to bring several of our locomotives back into active service. This includes Western Pacific Railroad EMD F-7 #918-D, Southern Pacific Railroad ALCO S-6 #1218, and U.S. Army Fairbanks-Morse H12-44 #1856. Each of these locomotives has a current set of batteries, but they are all close to or at the end of their life which makes it hard to do the work we need; sometimes where we may need to turn over or start the locomotive several times in one day.
Thus we are working to raise a total of $30,000 to purchase new batteries for all three locomotives. You can donate any amount or a $1250 donation will purchase one of the eight batteries for each engine. We are going to give you the chance to pick your favorite to donate to at one of the three buttons below via PayPal. We will update our progress graphic as we go.
We gladly accept donations by mail. Please make checks payable to Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA). Please note which locomotive you wish you donation to be applied: WP 918-D, SP #1218 or USA #1856.
Mail to: Pacific Locomotive Association, P.O. Box 515, Sunol,CA 94586-0515
Image by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Image by: Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Repaint Yosemite Valley Railway RPO #107
YV107 holds a unique place in the Pacific Locomotive Association’s history: it was the first piece of rolling stock ever acquired by the PLA. Built by Pullman in 1911, the car was converted into a combined RPO/baggage car in the late 1920s and was in service on the Yosemite Valley Railroad, carrying luggage and mail through the dramatic Sierra Nevada foothills during the railroad’s final decades of operation.
Photo by James R. Clayton – Niles Canyon Railway Collection – Used with permission
Those who know the YV will recognize the 107 as the sister car to YV330. The two cars frequently operated together as the “winter train” consist, and our long-term vision is to reunite them again for excursion services. Seeing them side by side on the Niles Canyon Railway would represent something genuinely rare: a matched pair of Yosemite Valley cars restored to operational condition, more than a century after they last ran together through the mountains.
After decades as a static storage unit, it is time to bring YV107 back. Our volunteers are ready, and Phase 1 is planned to start in June 2026.
Photo by: Uwe Reimer – Used with permission
Phase 1 is focused on structural stabilization and restoring the car’s exterior presence. The roof requires a full restoration with stripping, sealing, repairs where needed, and proper weatherproofing to stop further deterioration and protect everything below it. Once the roof is sound, the exterior will be repainted in historically accurate Yosemite Valley Railway livery, bringing YV107 back to the appearance it wore during its working life in the mountains.
Mechanical attention to the trucks and interior work in the baggage and postal compartments will follow, bringing those historic spaces back to a presentable and authentic condition.
Estimated Cost Breakdown – Phase 1 (Roof and Exterior):
- Tools and PPE: $1000
- Roof restoration and weatherproofing: $6,000
- Exterior preparation and historically accurate repaint: $8,000
Phase 1 Total: $15,000
We are moving the car to an active track later this summer to fully assess the its condition and begin scaffolding and prep work. Work parties are being organized with PLA volunteers beginning June 2026. Exterior restoration targeted for completion by end of year and interior work to follow through early 2027. Every dollar raised goes directly into the car.
If you would like to help restore this irreplaceable piece of California’s railroad heritage and reunite YV107 with its sister car YV330 where they both belong please consider a donation in any amount.
We gladly accept donations by mail. Please make checks payable to Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA)
Mail to: Pacific Locomotive Association, YV #107 Painting, P.O. Box 515, Sunol,CA 94586-0515
Steam Maintenance/Restorations/Operations
Donations for use in the PLA/NCRy Steam engine program. Used to maintain and restore the various steam engines at PLA/NCRy. The donor may specify a steam engine, otherwise these funds will be used for all the restoration and repairs in the Steam operations at PLA/NCRy.
Car Department
Photo by Chris Hauf – Used with permission
Please consider a donation to our Car Department to support the maintenance and restoration of our passenger cars. Funds will aid in maintaining and improving our operating train set while also investing in the restoration of our historic passenger cars for use on special trains and our Train of Lights.
Facilities fund
Please consider a donation to build out our facilities on the NCRy. Current projects include a Locomotive Maintenance Building and improvements to the Car Shop building seen here to allow our volunteers to work safely and efficiently.
General fund
Pacific Locomotive Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving California’s rich railroad history. Please help us continue our mission for current and future generations.
Mail your donation instead…
We gladly accept donations by mail. Please make checks payable to Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA) and please make sure to mark your check if you wish the funds to go to a specific project or the general fund.
Mail to:
Pacific Locomotive Association
PO Box 515
Sunol,CA 94586-0515
Pacific Locomotive Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving California’s rich railroad history.