A couple of weeks after that double-headed trip behind Union Pacific 884/3985, I drove up to Sacramento railfanning along the way. Jeff Hartmann went along with me and we stayed at my brother Bruce's house in South Sacramento. On May 11, Jeff and I drove into Sacramento for our big day at Railfair 1991.
Railfair 1991The California State Railroad Museum celebrated its 10th anniversary in fine style by inviting dozens of locomotives to Sacramento from May 3rd to 12th and would be the largest gathering of steam trains in the world in more than four decades.
We first stopped along the Riverfront south of Old Sacramento where Union Pacific 0-6-0 4466 built by Lima in 1924, SP 0-6-0 1233, UP DD-40AX 6936 and the Wisconsin Southern Business Train was located.
Also here on a flat car was Union Pacific 4-6-0 1220 built by Cooke Locomotive & Machine Works in 1890. After getting plenty of pictures we parked in a parking structure and waited for the Railfair 1991 grounds to open. Once they did we started our exploration of grounds.
One of the first engines I shot was General Motive FT A&B 103A and 103B built by Electro-Motive Division in 1939, painted in GM demonstration colors.
Over on a narrow gauge section of track in front of the Central Pacific Depot was Eureka and Palisade 4-4-0 4 built by Baldwin in 1875 under steam. Following a look around the grounds, we found our seats in the stand for the Pageant which told the story of railroading in America on a stage with music, actors and of course some locomotives.
The program started and our first engine was a replica of Baltimore and Ohio 2-2-0 "Tom Thumb" built by the railroad in 1927.
That was then followed by Baltimore and Ohio's 4-2-0 13 "Lafayette" built by the railroad in 1927.
Moving into the late 1800's in the story, here came Virginia and Truckee 4-4-0 22 built by the railroad in 1975 complete with an Indian on a horse leading the engine into the show.
Now into the 20th Century, Southern Pacific 4-6-2 2472 built by Baldwin in 1925 came into the show.
Once 2472 had backed out, Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 built by American Locomotive Company in 1943 took its turn.
Union Pacific 3985 held its ground as from the other way, Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 built by Lima in 1941 entered the show. Then Union Pacific 3985 and Southern Pacific 4449's pilots came together to recognize the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10th, 1869. It was a really well done pageant put on by the California State Railroad Museum.
The rest of the day was looking at all of the engines and exhibits at Railfair 1991.
An old friend of my travels was from the Forest Museum of British Columbia was here that being the Hillcrest Lumber Climax 9 built by Climax in 1915.
A newly restored engine was out on the museum's turntable that was Imperial Irrigation District 0-4-0T 151 built in 1918. In 1951, it was sold to the Imperial Irrigation District where, as 151, it worked at Andrade, California, a small town close to the Colorado River near the border with Mexico. The Imperial Irrigation District was formed in 1911 under the California Irrigation District Act to acquire the properties of the bankrupt California Development Company and its Mexican subsidiary. It was formed as a public agency, acquiring thirteen mutual water companies in the valley, which had developed and operated water distribution canals. Now, it is the largest irrigation district in the United States, with more than 3,000 miles of canals and drains delivering water to farmland and local municipalities. It is also the sixth largest public power utility in the state of California, providing generation, transmission and distribution services to more than 145,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. The steam engine was donated to the California Mid-Winter Fairgrounds Pioneer Society in 1953.
One of my all-time favorite engines Union Pacific's 4-8-4 844 built by American Locomitive Company was sitting along the river wall.
From England there was John Knowles and Company 0-4-0T "Gwen" built by Hunslet Engine Company in England in 1920. In 1958 it was sold to Billy Jones at Los Gatos, California then two years later, sold to the Overfair Corporration. At a later date, it wa sold to Quenton Jervis in Los Angeles and in 1983, Richard Farmer acquired it at the Jervis Estate auction. Its current home is Northridge, California.
Another engine from England was Great Northern Railway's 0-6-0 1247 built by Sharpe, Stewart and Company in Glasgow, Scotland in 1899. It started life allocated to Doncaster where it remained until February 1950 when it was transferred to New England. Here it stayed until March 1956 when it moved to Hornsey before being allocated to Kings Cross in February 1959. As BR 68846 it worked at the top shed at Kings Cross shunting the larger engines allocated there around the shed until withdrawn from service in May 1959. Whilst at Kings Cross it acquired the nickname of Old Lady.
It was the first locomotive to be purchased directly from BR when it was purchased by Captain W.G. Smith in 1959. He had wanted to own an Ivatt designed engine and it was a toss up between 68846 or an ex GNR 4-4-2T of the LNER C12 class. He is reputed to have said that 68846 was the only one he could afford to buy. The 68846 was repainted in GNR green livery and renumbered back to 1247.
From 1959 the locomotive was based at the Marshmoor depot of Mowlem where Captain Smith was depot manager. It was used to haul railtours on southern and eastern territory including on the Bluebell Railway. This ended in 1962 when BR banned the private running of steam trains. From March 1965 until 1968 the locomotive was based on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. In 1968 it moved to Tyseley where it remained until 1974. From 1974 until 1980 the locomotive was based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
As the owner and the engine grew older he decided to donate it to The National Railway Museum which he did in 1980. In recognition, W G Smith was made the first Honorary Life Member of the Friends of the National Railway Museum. After being acquired by the museum it made regular visits to other preserved railways and museums on its two boiler ticket durations in preservation. In 1991 it was displayed at Railfair 91 in Sacramento in California. The engine remains owned by the National Railway Museum and is on static display in its GNR green livery and numbered 1247 at York.
After having photographed all the other engines which I did not show, we stopped by the riverbank again for another shot of the Wisconsin Southern Business Train with the Wisconsin Southern 10C built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956 on the point. Well that completed Jeff's and my day at Railfair 1991.
