 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Railtown 1897 State Historic Park" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Shay 2 hauling an excursion train on December 30, 1979 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Jamestown, California |
| Locale | Jamestown, California, U.S. |
| Dates of operation | 1971–present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
| Length | 23.4 mi (37.7 km) |
| Other | |
| Website | https://www.parks.ca.gov/railtown |
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, and its operating entity, theSierra Railway, is known as "The Movie Railroad." Both entities are a heritage railway and are a unit of the California State Park System. Railtown 1897 is located inJamestown, California. The entire park preserves the historic core of the original Sierra Railway of California (later reincorporated as theSierra Railroad). The railway's Jamestownlocomotive androlling stock maintenance facilities are remarkably intact and continue to function much as they have for over 100 years. The maintenance facilities are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places as theSierra Railway Shops Historic District.[1]
The Sierra Railway served theWest Side Lumber Company mill atTuolumne, as well as the Standard (later Pickering) Lumber Company inStandard, California. The West Side operated an extensive3 ft (914 mm)narrow gauge logging railroad in theSierra Nevada range. It operated into the 1960s, and was the last of the narrow-gauge logging railways operating in the American West. The Pickering Lumber Company operated an extensive logging railroad that extended northeast of Standard all the way north to what is now the South Grove of Big Trees State Park.[2][3]
Since 1929, whenThe Virginian was filmed with theSierra No 3, the Sierra Railway properties have been a major resource to the motion picture industry. Over 200 movies, TV shows, and commercials have featured Railtown and its trains.[4] Sierra's tracks, locomotives and cars have long been seen on the silver screen; film credits includeGo West with theMarx Brothers,High Noon,3:10 To Yuma (1957) featured #3 in the end of the movie, as well asBack to the Future Part III. Television programs that regularly used the Sierra property includeWild, Wild West,Iron Horse,Tales of Wells Fargo, andPetticoat Junction.[5] TheSierra No. 3 locomotive and Sierra's coach number 5 were theHooterville Cannonball.[6][7] Locomotive No. 3 was also used in numerous episodes ofLittle House on the Prairie.
The Railtown 1897 State Historic Park was one of the 48California state parks proposed for closure in January 2008 by California's GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger as part of a deficit reduction program, though it did not close.[8]
In May 2011, California State Parks announced the closure of Railtown 1897 along with 69 other parks. The closing was anticipated in July 2012,[9] but due to the efforts of locals and enthusiasts, Railtown 1897 remained open and has received funding to make major repairs to the Sierra No. 28, a steam locomotive original to the Sierra Railway and a mainstay of passenger operations for the park.
TheCalifornia State Railroad Museum (CSRM), headquartered inOld Sacramento, assumed responsibility for Railtown 1897 State Historic Park on July 1, 1992.[10]
In addition to seasonal steam and diesel-powered train rides, the Railtown experience includes tours of the locomotiveroundhouse originally built in 1910,[11] the machine shop, and related exhibits. Movie paraphernalia used in filming train sequences is on display.
Volunteer opportunities are available to help preserve and educate the public about the park. Duties include giving tours of the roundhouse as well as delivering speeches about the locomotives and the surrounding areas while on a short train-ride tour.[12]
| Number | Images | Type | Model | Built | Builder | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Diesel | 8-ton switcher | 1930s | Plymouth Locomotive Works | Operational | |
| 2 |  | Steam | 3-Truck Shay | 1922 | Lima Locomotive Works | Out of service, awaiting restoration |
| 3 |  | Steam | 4-6-0 | 1891 | Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works | Operational |
| 7 |  | Steam | 3-Truck Shay | 1925 | Lima Locomotive Works | Out of service |
| 28 |  | Steam | 2-8-0 | 1922 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Operational |
| 34 |  | Steam | 2-8-2 | 1925 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Out of service |
| 612 | Diesel | MRS-1 | 1953 | American Locomotive Company | Out of service, waiting repairs | |
| 613 | Diesel | MRS-1 | 1953 | American Locomotive Company | Out of service, waiting repairs | |
| 546 | Diesel | MRS-1 | 1953 | American Locomotive Company | Out of service, parts locomotive | |
| 1265 | Diesel | RS4TC-1 | 1953 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Operational | |
| 7417 | Diesel | 45-ton switcher | 1942 | GE Transportation | Out of service, waiting repairs | |
| 52280 | Diesel | 80-ton switcher | 1952 | GE Transportation | Operational |
Known as "The Movie Railroad," Railtown 1897, its historic locomotives and cars have starred in hundreds of film and TV productions, including High Noon, Back to the Future 3, and Petticoat Junction.
{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
37°57′3.54″N120°25′3.75″W / 37.9509833°N 120.4177083°W /37.9509833; -120.4177083