Railtown 1897 State Historic Park facts for kids
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, along with its railway, the Sierra Railway, is famously known as "The Movie Railroad." This special place is a heritage railway, which means it helps keep old trains and railway history alive. It's part of the California State Park System and is located in Jamestown, California. The park protects the historic heart of the original Sierra Railway of California. The railway's workshops in Jamestown, where locomotives and train cars were fixed, are still mostly the same as they were over 100 years ago! They still work today.
The California State Railroad Museum, located in Old Sacramento, started managing Railtown 1897 State Historic Park on July 1, 1992.
The Story of Railtown 1897
The Sierra Railway used to serve big lumber companies. These included the West Side Lumber Company, which had a mill in Tuolumne, and the Pickering Lumber Company (later called Standard Lumber Company) in Standard, California. The West Side Lumber Company had a huge narrow gauge logging railroad in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It ran until the 1960s, making it the last narrow-gauge logging railway in the American West. The Pickering Lumber Company also had a large logging railroad that stretched far north from Standard.
Besides offering train rides with steam and diesel engines, a visit to Railtown includes tours of the locomotive roundhouse, which was built in 1910. You can also see the machine shop and other exhibits. There are even movie props used in train scenes on display!
People can volunteer at the park to help preserve its history and teach visitors. Volunteers give tours of the roundhouse and talk about the locomotives and the area during short train rides.
Since 1929, when the movie The Virginian was filmed with the famous Sierra No. 3 locomotive, the Sierra Railway has been a major resource for the movie industry. More than 200 movies, TV shows, and commercials have featured Railtown and its trains. Sierra's tracks, locomotives, and cars have appeared on the big screen many times. Some famous movies include Go West with the Marx Brothers, High Noon with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, and Back to the Future Part III with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. The 1957 movie 3:10 To Yuma also featured locomotive #3 at the end.
TV shows that often used the Sierra property include Wild, Wild West, Iron Horse, and Tales of Wells Fargo. Perhaps most famously, it was used in Petticoat Junction. The Sierra No. 3 locomotive and Sierra's coach number 5 were known as the Hooterville Cannonball in that show. Locomotive No. 3 was also used in many episodes of Little House on the Prairie.
Saving the Park from Closure
In January 2008, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park was one of 48 California state parks that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested closing. This was part of a plan to save money, but the park did not close then.
In May 2011, California State Parks announced that Railtown 1897, along with 69 other parks, would close. The closing was expected in July 2012. However, thanks to the hard work of local people and train fans, Railtown 1897 will stay open! It even received money to make big repairs to the Sierra No. 28. This steam locomotive is original to the Sierra Railway and is a main engine for passenger rides at the park.
Famous Locomotives at Railtown
Railtown 1897 is home to many interesting locomotives. Here are some of them:
| Number | Builder | Type | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Rogers | 4-6-0 | 1891 | This is the famous Sierra No. 3 locomotive, used in many movies! |
| 28 | Baldwin | 2-8-0 | 1922 | This engine was new to the Sierra Railway and is still in service. |
| 34 | Baldwin | 2-8-2 | 1925 | This engine was also new to the Sierra Railway. |
| 1265 | Baldwin | RS4TC-1 | 1953 | This locomotive is currently in service. |
