Offered at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

Historic Sierra No. 3 Undergoing Extensive Restoration

JAMESTOWN, Calif. – On two upcoming Wednesdays—November 11 and December 9—Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (SHP) will offer special, behind-the-scenes viewing opportunities for visitors to see the restoration progress of Sierra No. 3, known as the “Movie Star” steam locomotive for its many appearances in motion pictures and television shows. As part of the special viewings, Railtown staff will present a two-hour program which will also include a shop tour for visitors.

Tours will consist of an overview of the project to date followed by a tour of the Tri Dam shop where much of the work is currently taking place. Restoration staff, utilizing a combination of historic and modern methods, is restoring this historic locomotive. Staff will be on hand to demonstrate the machinery and methods being used as well as to answer any questions.

Built by the Rogers Locomotive Works in New Jersey in 1891, the Sierra No. 3 spent the early years of its life in Arizona, and was brought to Jamestown in 1897, where it saw over a century of use on the short line, hauling ore, lumber, marble and other goods out of the foothills. With the advent of diesels in the middle of the 20th century, many steam locomotives were destroyed for scrap, but Sierra No. 3 found a new career in the movie industry, appearing in more than 100 films and television shows over the years.

In September and October, the boiler erecting is occurring at the Sacramento Shops of the California State Railroad Museum. Once completed, the locomotive will be returned to Railtown for the completion of the project. This work is being funded by grants from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment, the Sonora Area Foundation, the Irving J. Symons Foundation, and the California State Parks Foundation, California State Parks as well as by the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, and many others who donated funds to support the restoration of this famous locomotive.

Cost for the special, behind-the-scenes shop tours is $5 for Railtown members and $10 for non-members and includes park admission. Advance reservations may be made by calling 209-984-3953. The popular Sierra No. 3 locomotive is expected to return to operation at Railtown1897 SHP in April of 2010. The progress of the project can be followed at www.railtown1897.wordpress.com.

About Railtown 1897 SHP

Operated by California State Parks with assistance from the nonprofit CSRM Foundation, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California, is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (April through October) and 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (November through March) except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Known as “The Movie Railroad,” Railtown 1897, its historic locomotives and cars have starred in hundreds of film and TV productions and is home to one of America’s last intact and still operating railroad roundhouses. 24-hour info: (209) 984-3953 or www.railtown1897.org

Sierra No. 3 Background

A famous Hollywood movie star is getting a facelift. Sierra Railway steam locomotive No. 3 has been a movie star since 1919 when Hollywood producers first discovered Tuolumne County and its historic trains. Since then, Hollywood has been filming this photogenic steam locomotive along the Sierra Railroad’s scenic route to satisfy America's love affair with Westerns. Currently, restoration work is being done in the historic shops at Railtown 1897. Once restored, Sierra No. 3 again will be the star attraction at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (SHP). It will be steamed up for special excursions and for the motion picture and film work that are so important to Tuolumne County and the State of California.

Sierra No. 3 is probably the most widely seen steam locomotive in the world. According to William L. Withhuhn, former curator of Transportation History at the Smithsonian Institution, “Sierra Railway No. 3 has appeared in more motion pictures, documentaries, and television productions than any other locomotive. It is undisputedly the image of the archetypal steam locomotive that propelled our country from the 19th century into the 20th. This locomotive is in immediate need of restoration. It is an important part of America’s transportation history and an icon of American popular culture.”

Clint Eastwood is one of this steam locomotive’s co-stars, and supporters: “The Sierra No. 3 is like a treasured old friend. Early in my career, I rode Sierra No. 3 on the television series Rawhide. Over twenty years later, I returned to use No. 3 for my own productions Pale Rider and Unforgiven. Even in the business of ‘make believe,’ you can’t beat the real thing. Sierra No. 3 resides at Railtown State Historic Park. It is housed in the original roundhouse which is still in use. Together these two assets provide a rare opportunity to experience history just as it was 109 years ago. Having this locomotive in operation will give filmmakers another reason to stay in California.”

Sierra No. 3 has starred in more than 100 movies and television productions. After its 1919 debut in the silent serial film The Red Glove, Sierra No. 3 appeared in The Virginian in 1929 with Gary Cooper, the first sound movie filmed outside of a Hollywood sound stage. About a year later, the locomotive starred in The Texan, but as the Depression began, Sierra No. 3 was sidelined while the Sierra Railway went through bankruptcy and reorganization. There simply wasn’t enough traffic—and money—to keep the engine operable. In 1948, repairs to Sierra No. 3 were completed and the locomotive returned to movie service. In the years following, it appeared in more than 30 movies, including High Noon, The Great Race, Bound for Glory, Back to the Future III and Unforgiven. As television became a growing presence in America, Sierra No. 3 entered living rooms everywhere in commercials and as a TV star (Lone Ranger, Tales of Wells Fargo, Petticoat Junction, Rawhide, Death Valley Days, Lassie, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Wild, Wild West, and Little House on the Prairie).

Since 1897, Railtown and Sierra No. 3 have been central to community life in Jamestown. Railtown 1897 SHP is one of only two preserved steam-era shortline railroad roundhouse complexes in the United States; once there were hundreds. Sierra No. 3 reportedly pulled the first passenger train to reach Tuolumne County, arriving at Cooperstown in June 1897. It was the most powerful locomotive on the line in the early years and generally pulled the heavy freight trains. Sierra No. 3 is essential to the story of Railtown 1897, where the Sierra Railway established its headquarters and maintenance shops in 1897.

The Historic Sierra Railroad Shops and Roundhouse complex in Jamestown—today preserved as Railtown 1897 SHP—was the operating center of the Sierra Railroad. These historic structures, railroad equipment, and grounds provide an accurate portrayal of the steam railroading era in the region from 1897 through 1955. While railroads generally were the prime means of transportation in California from 1860s to the 1950s, shortline railroads were an essential part of the railroad network—connecting with mainline or “trunk” railroad lines and transporting goods, supplies, and people to and from smaller, more distant communities. The Sierra Railway connected mining and timber industries in rural Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties with the rest of the state. The Sierra played an important role in the post-Gold Rush mining era and helped build the Don Pedro, Melones, and Hetch Hetchy dams to provide hydroelectric power and water for irrigation.

Traci Rockefeller Cusack

T-Rock Communications

916-213-4373