In between the 1999 National Railway Historical Society convention trips, I spent a whole day at Railfair 1999 which was held June 18 to 27 for a grand tribute to the history and pageantry of railroading. More than 40 pieces of rail equipment were on display on the grounds of the California State Railroad Museum and along the banks of the Sacramento River. An estimated crowd in excess of 200,000 people attended the event over its 10-day run.
I went to work with my brother Bruce, the Amtrak agent, and headed over to Old Sacramento for some breakfast to start my day.
I walked down along the river to the farthest south exhibits, finding Union Pacific E9A 951 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955 on the point of a short passenger train on the Interstate 5 highway bridge. Union Pacific 4466 was sitting off to the side, as was Southern Pacific 1269.
Southern Pacific E9A 6051, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952, was on the point of an all-Daylight painted passenger train. The day was already starting to get hot as I made my way over to the I Street bridge to watch a Capitol Corridor train leave for the Bay Area. I was at the main gate before the mob arrived and was let in early to do some photography minus the sea of humanity.
I started with a shot of Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 built by Lima in 1941.
That was followed by a view of Union Pacific 4-8-4 844 built by American Locomotive Company in 1944.
Next was Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 built by American Locomotive Company in 1943.
The next engine I shot was Sierra Railway 2-8-0 28 built by Baldwin in 1922.
A new locomotive for me was next, namely Kiso Forest Railway 0-4-2T 6 built by Baldwin in 1926 for the Imperial Forestry Bureau in Agematsu, Japan. I took pictures of all the other engines on the grounds before the heat really intensified. Knowing we needed a delta breeze to cool us off, I decided to go in search of one. I walked over to Amtrak to the ticketing machine where I purchased a round trip to a much cooler and breezier Martinez, California.
Here I took a picture of Amtrak Capitol Corridor 727. After cooling off nicely, I enjoyed the train ride back to Sacramento finding the Railfair grounds almost empty as people had fled the heat.
I walked over to the UP track where it crosses the museum's entrance tracks, finding the replica of 2-2-2 "John Molson" built by Kawasaki in 1970 steaming alone.
Operating back and forth by the entrance was the replica Hollandsche Ijzeren Spoorweg-Mootschappij De Arend built by R. B. Longridge and Company of Bedlington in 1939. With the changing sun angles, other locomotives were now better lit.
The next locomotive shot was Passumpsic Railroad Heisler 1 built by Heisler in 1922 visiting from Vermont. This steam engine was built for Phenix Marble Company 1 at Phenix, Missouri, then sold to Carthage Marble Corporation 11 at Monett, Missouri and sold again to Fred Cox as Skyline Railroad 96 near Jenks, Oklahoma. In 1964, it was sold to the Ozark Mountain Scenic Railroad in Springfield, Missouri and in a 1966 corporate sale to Ozark Mountain Railroad Company. In 1985, it was bought by Marvin Kendell in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was moved to Fitchburg and finally West Barnet, Vermont in 1985.
Later after I walked through the museum, I returned outside finding Ferromex Super Seven C30-7R 3704, nee FNM 14004 built by General Electric in 1999 in perfect light.
Western Pacific GP20 2001, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1960, was next to be caught on film.
Black Widow-painted Southern Pacific GP9 5623 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955.
The newly restored Southern Pacific 4-6-2 2467 built by Baldwin in 1921 was then photographed.
One of the most fascinating locomotives was Bear Harbor 0-4-T 1, the "Gypsy" built by Marshutz & Cantrell in 1922 from Fort Humboldt State Historic Park. Purchased new, it was used to haul tanbark (used in tanning leather) to the wharf at Bear Harbor. In 1894 the two mile railroad was extended ten miles further inland by way of an incline to access other timber. The railroad was further extended toward the Eel River in 1903 and work on a sawmill at Andersonia begun. The railroad operated until 1905 when the mill owner was killed in a freak accident at the almost completed mill which never opened. Stored in a shed until it collapsed, the locomotive sat outside until 1962. It was donated to the State of California, sat outside at Fort Humboldt until 1972; was rebuilt by Northern Counties Logging Interpretive Association in 1979.
The John Bull replica, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1940, then steamed by me allowing for a great picture of it.
Walking down along the museum's mainline took me down to Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 which was built by Baldwin in 1927, making its first trip to a Railfair. While these are just a few of the locomotives that were present, I think this gives you a good idea of what Railfair 1999 was like if you did not get a chance to attend in person.
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