The Double T is a scenic, spacious venue located in Stevinson California, the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. This well-appointed facility depicts a charming old Western town. The brainchild of its founders, Tony T., and Carol Azevedo, the Double T was created as a way to preserve history and at the same time allow their guests to enjoy the heritage that has made our country great.
The backdrop to this enchanting facility is The History Train. It is led by a vintage 1887 steam locomotive, the oldest Union Pacific steam locomotive in existence. The foreground to this venue is the turn of century Victorian home. Together with the museum, gardens, dining area, wedding pavilion, and dance barn, this venue is a welcome change that you and your guests will talk about for years to come.
The staff at the Double T will guide you through the planning process, helping you to create a day that is one of a kind. You can rest assured, on the day of your event, that all of the details will be taken care of.
The Double T is ideal for weddings, corporate meetings, company picnics, fundraisers, class reunions, retirement parties and much more.
The house was brought in from Turlock.
The Wedding pavilion.
One of the false front buildings here, inside of which is a collection of buggies.
A few of the buggies here.
A buggy hearse.
More views inside this building.
A very nice interior reception area.
Another of the false fronts with the reception area behind.
The covered reception area.
The food preparation area is in this caboose-like structure.
Windmill and water barrel.
The Double T Ranch Barn.
For guests there is a bar located in the barn.
This barn contains many items.
Wine barrels and wine presses.
Buggies used for weddings.
More wine presses.
Bottles.
Old-fashioned washing machines.
Dairy supplies.
A station bench.
Baggage carts.
A baggage cart in its usual mode.
A display train in a case. Now the three of us would see the History Train.
The History Train
Climb aboard our Historical Dinner Train for an evening of fine dining and a chance to see how the steam locomotive changed agricultural history in the San Joaquin Valley. Your evening will begin with a cocktail hour and a tour of one of California's premier Agricultural Museums. At the sound of the train whistle, we'll begin boarding for the two hour virtual reality experience that includes dinner. The History Train will leave you with a deep appreciation of what travel was like 100 years ago. Your evening will conclude with dessert and a walk through the "Baggage Car", filled with rail history memorabilia, antiques and collectibles. Prices are $60.00 per person and include beverages. The History Train will begin boarding in April. Advanced reservations and payment are required. Space is limited so book early. Groups are welcome. The History Train is partially wheel chair accessible. Please let us know your needs when calling for reservations.
For more information please contact the Double T. at (209) 634-0187 or To Contact the Double T Ranch click here ALL Aboard!
The History Train sits under cover to keep it out of the blazing sun of the San Joaquin Valley.
Southern Pacific 4-4-0 216 built by Baldwin in 1887. In 1904, it was sold to the Southern Pacific where it became Morgan's Louisiana & Texas 246. In 1913, 246 was renumbered 216. In 1929, the steam engine was sold to the Erath Sugar Company and worked the seventeen mile line into the cane fields at the company's Erath plant and the Vermilion plant near Abbeville, Louisiana. Retired in 1956, it was sold to Nelson F. Blount to join the Steamtown collection. In 1996, 216 was donated to the Nevada State Railroad Museum who transferred it to the Feather River Rail Society. In 2003, the Double T bought the locomotive.
The History Train certainly looks good.
Side view of the steam engine.
Now for some close ups views.
Some of the details.
The tender.
Inside of the locomotive's cab.
Looking into the tender.
Santa Fe baggage car Railway Express Car 1772 built by the Pullman Company in 1910. It was purchased from the Electric Car Museum in Rio Vista and transported by house movers to The Double T in 2003..
Pennsylvania Railroad coach P-70 1660 built by the Standard Steel Car Company in 1914. It was commissioned for the Pennsylvania Railroad and operated in the New York area. In 1949 1660 was completely remodeled and updated. It continued to be used as a passenger car until its retirement in the early 1960s. This car represents the first leg of an immigrant's journey west. If you were an immigrant at the turn of the 19th century entering the United States through Ellis Island, this was the type of car that would have started you on your journey west.
The interior of the coach, which has two uses. Brides can get ready for their weddings here this is where you will have your virtual railroad dining car experience.
Santa Fe 21 dining car "Muskegon" built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1890 for the Santa Fe Railroad. On July 9th, 1905, a huge crowd watched as a special Santa Fe train called "Death Valley Scotty" left Los Angeles for Chicago in an effort to break the existing world record of just under 53 hours. The train was composed of an engine, baggage car, Pullman sleeper and a Fred Harvey dining car, which was our car 21. During the trip, speeds of 106 miles per hour were recorded – faster than any train had ever run before. The engine and crew were switched frequently and they made the trip in 44 hours and 54 minutes – a new world record!
In 1910, 21 was converted into a business car then on February 20, 1947, it made history again by being the first train car in the United States to transmit audio communications by radio. They transmitted not only to other train depots, but to aircraft flying above.
From 1947-1957 it was used primarily for transporting officials and entertaining prominent farmers of the area. Good hospitality often resulted in increased agricultural shopping business. It was then sold to the Stockton Terminal and Eastern Railroad, which used it as their stationary headquarters. The Double T then relocated car 21 from there where it had sat since 1957, to Stevinson for the History Train.
Santa Fe caboose 414 was built by American Car and Foundry in 1927 as 1500. It was the first all-steel caboose the Santa Fe owned.
The rear of the History Train.
Trucks of Santa Fe baggage car 1772.
One of the displays inside Santa Fe 1772.
Items on the station platform.
State Belt Railroad idler flat car 01 rebuilt from turn-of-the-century Union Oil tank car 94 and became UOCX 921. The State Belt Railroad was later known as the San Francisco Belt Railroad.
A Railway Express Agency sign.
Three more views of the History Train.
We walked along the rest of the false front buildings; this one has the workshop behind it.
I really like this barber pole.
State Belt Railroad idler flat car 03 rebuilt from turn-of-the-century Union Oil tank car 88 and became UOCX 907.
State Belt Railroad idler flat car 02 rebuilt from turn-of-the-century Union Oil tank car 98 and became UOCX 917.
Inside the workshop.
Switch stands. From here Tony took us through another area where weddings could be held then we saw the birds they own in their cages. After that we said goodbye to Tony after thanking him for such an excellent tour of the Double T Ranch. From here we resumed our trip to Stockton.
