Re: 'Feather River Railway'... Question!!!
Author: Tom Moungovan
Date: 03-03-2008 - 07:30
Actually all 3 Shays still exist...there was also a 70-3 class Willamette with Superheat that was cut up in the mid to late 50's. Technically, this was a Hutchinson engine (logger) & may not have served on the common carrier. They also had an 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 tank engine too.
Shay 1 is a 70-3 class model & has resided in Hewitt Park in Oroville since the early 60's.
Shay 2 is a 90-3 class model & has been at Railtown since January 2, 1976.
Shay 3 is a 90-3 class model, spent some time down in the San Diego area and made that famous
trip over the Mexican border on a big museum move, but was sold to Cass Scenic Ry, & now operates as their number 11.
I think that the last run of the 2 might have been a PLA field trip at Feather Falls in late Spring of '65 or '66. Not a fantrip as no passengers were carried, but the engine was operated over nearly all available rail. There was also one fantrip with so many flats that both big Shays and the diesel were required to get the train back up the steep hill. This was also in the early 60's.