Sierra Railroad

Freight transportation company in Northern California
the Sierra Valley Railway

The Sierra Railroad Corporation is a privately owned common carrier. Its Sierra Northern Railway freight division handles all freight operations for all branches owned by the Sierra Railroad. The company's Mendocino Railway group operates the diesel and steam powered Sacramento RiverTrain (Woodland Sacramento) and the Skunk Train (Fort Bragg local). The company's Sierra Energy division is for energy projects.

The similarly named Sierra Railway Company of California was founded in 1897 to connect the California Central Valley to the Gold Country foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Its historic western terminus has always been in Oakdale where a junction was once formed with both the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Southern Pacific. The Santa Fe's (now BNSF Railway) Oakdale Branch provided one freight outlet to the AT&SF mainline at Riverbank, California; the Southern Pacific Oakdale Branch from Stockton was abandoned in 1986 and torn out by 1990. The Sierra Railroad bought the BNSF mainline from Riverbank MP1 to Oakdale in 2008. The portion of the former Sierra Railway conveyed by the railroad's historic owners, the Crocker Family, to the California State Park System are with "Sierra Railway", which preserves the original operating name of the entire line and is headquartered at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California.

The Sierra Railway Company of California was incorporated on February 1, 1897 by founders Thomas S. Bullock, Prince André Poniatowski, and William H. Crocker. In May, the first rails were laid in the grain fields just east of Oakdale, and the stops grew to include Occidental (Now called Arnold), Paulsell, Warnerville, Cooperstown, Chinese, and finally on November 8, 1897; Jamestown, California. The railroad owners had no intention of ending the line there, and the line was extended to Tuolumne, some 16 miles from Jamestown. By 1900, the line had been completed, the same as it is today, with the exception of the abandonment of the Standard to Tuolumne Right Of Way. In 1937, the Sierra Railway was sold at a public auction to the new Sierra Railroad Company, and the debts of the original company were settled. In 1955, the railroad made the switch from steam to diesel power, but retained the steam locomotives for movie and television work for which the railroad is famous. In 1971, the Sierra Railroad used its vintage steam locomotives and facilities to its advantage, and opened "Rail Town 1897" as a tourist attraction. In 1979, The Crocker Association, which was the sole owner of the railroad at that time, closed Rail Town and put both the Sierra Railroad and the Jamestown complex with equipment up for sale separately. In 1980, the Sierra Railroad was sold to Silverfoot Inc., and in 1982 the California Department of Parks and Recreation purchased the Jamestown facilities and reopened the site as Railtown 1897 State Historic Park. In 1995, Silverfoot resold the operation to the Sierra Pacific Coast Railway, and in 2003 merged with the Yolo Shortline Railway, as it exists today.

NumberBuilderTypeDate builtHeritageDispositionNotesAPlymouthDLC61925HC Collins1UnknownUnknownPrescott & Arizona Central #1Sold/Transferred to West Side Lumber Company as Mill Switcher2 (1st)UnknownUnknownPrescott & Arizona Central #2Scrapped circa 1899Only used during construction of the railroad2 (2nd)New York1889Northern PacificSold to Lassen Lumber & Box, scrapped in 19403Rogers1891Prescott & Arizona Central #3Donated to Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, OperationalKnown as the "Movie Star Locomotive" for its roles in many films and television shows4Baldwin1882Northern Pacific #99Sold to West Side Lumber Company as Tuolumne Mill switcher in 1917, scrapped in 19385Schenectady1899NewSold to Hawaii Consolidated (converted to a 2 6 2), scrapped in 1947Sierra's first new locomotive.6Baldwin1883Northern Pacific #144Sold to Atlas Olympia, later converted to a stationary boiler and scrapped in 1937Primarily assigned to passenger service. 7Baldwin1882Northern Pacific #93Sold disposition unknown, presumed scrapped.9HeislerHeisler 2 Truck1899NewSold to Standard Lumber Company as #8, resold to West Side Lumber Co., scrapped in 1947Built for service on the Angels Branch.10LimaShay 2 Truck1902NewSold to Hofius Stell & Equipment, resold to Walville Lumber Co. then to Diamond Match Co. scrapped in 1942Built for service on the Angels Branch.11LimaShay 2 Truck1903NewSold to United Commercial Company, resold to Pickering Lumber Co., resold to Verdi Lumber Co. then to Clover Valley Lumber Co., scrapped in 1952Built for service on the Angels Branch.12LimaShay 3 Truck1903NewSold to Pickering Lumber Co., now owned by the Pacific Locomotive Association, stored serviceableSierra's only 3 Truck Shay. Built for service on the Angels Branch.18Baldwin1906NewSold to private owner, now stored in Merrill, ORTender sold to Tidewater Southern in 1952 for use with their #132 and scrapped with loco in 1955.20Baldwin1916NewSold to US Army as #6814, resold to Kurth Lumber as #20, scrapped in 1955.21ClimaxClimax 2 Truck1906NewSold to Sugar Pine Railway as #1, resold to Grant Rock & Gravel, Stillwater Lumber, Zimmerman, Wells, Brown,Sigardson & Bartholomew Logging and finally Jamestown Oregon Lumber Co. Sierra's only Climax. Built for service on the Sugar Pine Railway.22Baldwin1920NewSold to California Western as #41, scrapped in 195024Baldwin1912Nevada Copper Belt #3Scrapped in 195526Baldwin1908Ocean Shore #6Sold to Davis Johnson Lumber Co., scrapped in 1939Sierra's only locomotive28Baldwin1922NewDonated to Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Operational30Baldwin1922NewSold to Howard Terminal Railway as #6 (rebuilt as 2 6 2T), now owned by the Pacific Locomotive Association, undergoing restoration as 2 6 2 configuration as builtMostly assigned to the Angels Branch.32Baldwin1923NewSold to Tidewater Southern, April 1940, renumbered 132; scrapped in 1955Original tender wrecked 1952, replaced with tender from Sierra #18. 34Baldwin1925NewSold to Reed Hatch 1962, resold to Fred Kepner circa 1987, stored at Railtown 1897. Leased to and operated by Railtown between 1971 and 1980.36ALCO1930NewSold to Reed Hatch 1962, used on White Mountain Scenic Railroad, now privately owned in Merrill, ORSierra's last new steam locomotive.38Baldwin1934Weyerhauser Timber Company #4Sold to Rayonier Inc., now privately owned in Merrill, OR Sierra's only articulated locomotive.40BaldwinS 121955NewScrapped in 2008Sierra's first Diesel.42BaldwinS 121955NewStored out of serviceSierra's last completely new locomotive44BaldwinS 121951Sharon Steel #10Scrapped in 200845EMDGP91954Great Northern #667In service46EMDGP9E1957Southern Pacific #5731Sold47EMDGP71952Reading Company #607In service48EMDGP201961AT&SF #1162In serviceCurrently leased to Napa Valley Wine Train50EMDGP201961AT&SF #1130In service52R. J. Corman/RailpowerRP20DB2014NewIn serviceBuilt from ex Yolo Shortline #135.56R. J.
Corman/RailpowerRP20GE2007UPY #2628In service131EMDGP91957SP #5759In serviceFrom Yolo Shortline.132EMDGP91957SSW #823Stored, out of serviceFrom Yolo Shortline.133Homebuilt/RailpowerRP20DB2012NewIn serviceBuilt from ex T&NO GP9 #436. 134EMDGP7u1952AT&SF #2704In serviceFrom Yolo Shortline136EMDGP7u1952AT&SF 2833In serviceFrom Yolo Shortline1227Lima1914SPRestorationFrom Golden Gate Railroad Museum2608R. J. Corman/RailpowerRP20GE2006UPY #2608Out of service, waiting repair2609R. J. Corman/RailpowerRP20GE2006UPY #2609In service2612R. J. Corman/RailpowerRP20GE2006UPY #2612Out of service, waiting repair2620R. J. Corman/RailpowerRP20GE2007UPY #2620Out of service, waiting repair2652R. J. Corman/RailpowerRP20GE2007UPY #2652In service