Latest news with #CaliforniaStateRailroadMuseum
San Francisco Chronicle
27-07-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mt. Tam railroad's last survivor restored and ready for new role at California museum
SACRAMENTO — Early morning commuters on Highway 37 Friday would have been taken aback by an ancient mode of transportation rolling alongside the old passenger railroad tracks that once connected Marin County to Vallejo and the world beyond. It was Engine No. 9, the last relic of the fabled Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway, on a tractor trailer headed up the line to Sacramento. The steam locomotive, built in 1921 and lettered in gold, was bound for the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, where it will go on public display in August. This completes a seven-year restoration effort by Friends of No. 9, a nonprofit that sank $500,000 and 15,000 volunteer hours into arriving at this point. 'This is like a coronation for us,' said Fred Runner, President of Friends of No. 9, the Novato nonprofit that got the job done. The engine was delivered in a five-vehicle parade from Sebastopol to Sacramento, led by Sheedy Drayage of San Francisco, which transported the 36-ton load of iron and steel, free of charge. 'To be invited to the CSRM is like having a vintage car invited to show at the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach,' Runner said. 'It's a very rare thing that just doesn't happen. But it did.' As a teaser for the railroad museum display, No. 9 was brought by the same Sheedy Drayage trailer to the Mill Valley Depot over Memorial Day weekend. It made its public premiere in the town parade, with its bell ringing and the whistle blowing and smoke coming out of the engine. 'There was a tremendous display of enthusiasm by people who loved the engine and thought it should stay at the depot,' Runner said. But by then the train was already rolling to Sacramento, a commitment made a year ago, when it was still in mid-restoration at a workshop. That was a job that took five years from the moment it was purchased at auction up near Eureka, where it had sat out in the weather gathering rust for 62 years. 'We are lucky that there is this marvelous group of obsessives that tracks these old steam engines,' said Runner, who led a team that outbid five other obsessive parties to muster up the winning bid of $56,240 to buy No. 9. There were 15 members of the bidding party, most of whom were devoted to the lore of the old Mount Tam railroad line and knew this was the last remaining piece of it. 'There is this whole fabric of stories about the lore of Mount Tam, and the railroad is at the center of it,' said Runner, a movie sound mixer who worked on 'Basic Instinct,' 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' 'Total Recall' and most recently 'Top Gun: Maverick,' which won an Academy Award for sound two years ago. 'As a moviemaker I'm interested in stories, and the stories about Mount Tam are tremendous,' Runner said. The story of the Mount Tam railway, which called itself 'the crookedest little railroad in the world,' was told in the 1980s in 'Steaming Up Tamalpais,' a short documentary by Mill Valley filmmaker Cris Chater. Runner saw it at the Mill Valley Film Festival and started tracing the tourist railroad line, which was built in 1896 and scrapped in 1930. Its 8.1 miles of track from the Mill Valley depot to the Mount Tam summit — 281 turns later — had been ripped out, as was the 2-mile spur into Muir Woods. Only Engine No. 9 survived, probably because it was still new with life left in it when the railway closed so it wasn't sold for scrap. It worked an additional 25 years hauling lumber from the forest to the mills. 'Amazingly it didn't get melted down to turn into weapons during World War II,' Runner said. No. 9 was no longer in running condition when the Friends bought it at auction, and it is still not in running condition because the boiler would need to be rebuilt and certified at a cost of $150,000, he estimated. The engine is 34 feet long, 12 feet high and 9 feet wide, and every aspect including the nonworking boiler was taken apart piece by piece. It was all repaired, cleaned, greased and then put back together — tender, cab, boiler, frame, even the assembly for the steel wheels. 'The restoration of the No. 9 represents the very best impulses of the preservation community,' said Ty Smith, director of the California State Railroad Museum. 'Although the locomotive won't steam passengers up Mount Tamalpais, it serves as a window into a remarkable episode in California history. We're grateful to be able to share in telling this important story.' When it arrived by caravan Friday morning, No. 9 was put onto the museum's railroad track and pushed along to its display stage. At that point, Runner was allowed to sit in the engineer's seat and listen to the valves open and close while No. 9 was actually moving on live track for the first time since 1953. It went only a few hundred feet, but the ride was smooth, thanks to 16 new springs. 'To feel the engine actually moving and hearing it hiss was a thrill,' he said. The engine was then removed to storage space, to allow museum staff time to finalize the exhibit. No. 9 will be up for six months with a possible extension, but it still needs a permanent home. 'While it is in Sacramento, we are working on it,' Runner said. 'It's an extraordinary piece of local history that deserves to be remembered.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Military, veterans get free entry to California State Parks on Memorial Day
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Veterans, active and reserve military members can get into California State Parks for free on Memorial Day. California State Parks has announced free admission for veterans, active and reserve military members at 142 state parks across the state on Monday, May 26, which is Memorial Day this year. PHOTOS: Abandoned baby bear cub thriving after month of care at Ramona Wildlife Center Veterans and military personnel have to show a valid military ID or proof of discharge, other than dishonorable or bad conduct, to receive free admission at participating state parks. A few of the participating parks include California Citrus State Historic Park in Riverside County, Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area in Butte County, Pismo State Beach in San Luis Obispo County, along with the California State Railroad Museum, Carlsbad State Beach, Torrey Pines State Beach, Crystal Cove State Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Los Angeles State Historic Park. These California restaurants are now recommended by Michelin Guide The full list of participating parks can be found at 'We are proud to welcome our veterans and service members on Memorial Day as a gesture of gratitude for their dedication and sacrifice,' said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. 'For those who have stood watch, carried burdens, and protected freedom, may California's incredible landscapes offer rest, connection and peace.' California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed AB 150 (Olsen) in 2013, authorizing California State Parks to offer veterans, active duty and reserve military personnel from the United States Armed Forces and the National Guard of any state a reduced or free day use at participating state parks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
California State Railroad Museum to display restored steam locomotive
( — The California State Railroad Museum announced, in partnership with Friends of No. 9, that it will display the restored No. 9 steam locomotive in July. Video Above: Native American event at Sacramento Museum in Old Sacramento The locomotive, which is the only surviving one of the Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway, was a tourist railroad in the late 19th and 20th centuries that allowed tourists to leave the city and visit Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods, according to officials. 'The restoration of the No. 9 represents the very best impulses of the preservation community,' said Dr. Ty Smith, Director of the California State Railroad Museum. 'Although the locomotive won't steam passengers up Mt. Tamalpais, it serves as a window into a remarkable episode in California History. We're grateful to be able to share in telling this important story.' Rio Vista Bridge in Sacramento County undergoes extended closure Officials said the locomotive traveled on the rails of the 'Crookedest Railroad in the World.' The railway was known for its 'steep and winding route between Mill Valley and the east peak of Mount Tamalpais.' The locomotive was sold in 1924 and spent over two decades in Siskiyou and Humboldt counties working for lumber companies. The Pacific Lumber Company bought the locomotive in 1953 for display in Scotia next to its museum. In 2018, the locomotive was put up for auction when dedicated rail fans raised funds for its restoration, officials said. The restoration began in 2019 and will be completed this year. According to officials, the No. 9 steam locomotive will be on display until January 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
