Yesterday, Renn Transportation of Gilroy, California delivered the nearly 90 thousand pound frame and running gear of Southern Pacific 2-6-0 1744 to Brightside. The truck left Alamosa, Colorado on Monday and now two thirds of the locomotive are back home in California. The boiler remains in Colorado for a complete rebuild at Stockton Locomotive Works. For the whole story, please visit: http://plasteam.ncry.org/SP1744/1744menu.html

Here is another photo of it being delivered from Trains Magazine, Alan Siegwarth; and a photo from 2007 when it was SL&RG 1744, Michael Burlaga.

Excellent news!

Hallo Niles Canyon Railway.

Nice to see one more locomotive with a slight possibillity to return to operation.

But I am concerned. PLA/NCRy is/was maybe a bit overwhelmed the last 20/30/40/50
year? In my opinion they collect and collect and collect but have no or not enough capacity
to restore, run, public display. Then run one engine and cars until major overhaul, set it
aside and look for another easy to use instead restoring it.

What about restoring:
Sierra Railway #12 3-truck Shay from 1903
Sugar Pine Railway #5 3-truck Heisler from 1912
Southern Pacific #1269 0-6-0 SP Sacramento Shops from 1921
Sierra Railway #30 2-6-2 Baldwin from 1922

Now more or less operational. How long? Until the next 1472 FRA requirement?
You have funds for 1472 before it happens or start collecting money on day 1471?
Quincy Railroad #2 2-6-2t Alco from 1924
Clover Valley Lumber #4 2-6-6-2t Baldwin from 1924
W. A. Woodard Lumber #3 2-6-2t Alco from 1927

Now leasing. Why? Would it not be better to get all efforts to your own collection?
Columbia River Belt Line Railway "Skookum" 2-4-4-2 Baldwin from 1909

Now arriving.
Southern Pacific #1744 2-6-0 Baldwin from 1901

No offense . But in my opinion the organization should have a business/restoration/museum
planning for the foreseeable future with 3 year milestones for the next maybe 15 years.
Then make it PUBLIC and EXECUTE that plan. That will bring you support, the people
want to see a target. No interruptions by opportunities. No new projects before funding.
You have also dozens of cars and diesels. Take care of them too.
I am afraid sometimes that organization explode like the tech bubble in 1999 and the
nice collection get busted and distributed all over the country.

I'm not in the know at all, but what I notice is that the above are either low-speed traction engines or switchers and/or didn't operate through Niles Canyon regularly or at all in their pre-preservation lives, whereas 1744 is mainline power (at the time) that did operate through Niles Canyon.

Linkthebutler is really a member of the board of directors of the museum and is again simply voicing his tried-and-true concept of what should happen in the future. He works every weekend and all of his spare time at the museum, and in addition has donated record dollars towards its restorations.
In short, he's an informed and positive individual and a key member of the museum and his opinion is always welcome.

Congratulations Niles Canyon RR on your new acquisition, been following the SP 9010 Krauss Maffei restoration for years.

http://sp9010.ncry.org/restoration.htm


nedsn3-Haha great response, and I was just going to say don't feed the troll! What a dick, he only knows how to complain about paint colors, surprised he hasn't commented on this locomotives shade of black as well. Time to go back to mommy's basement and play with the model choo-choos!

That's pretty cool! I remember the first day of her operation at Heber. At the end of the day, the engine pulled into the engine house, the engineer climbed down, and said, "Now I know why they called them hogs."

As Earl has written on the NGDF, #1744 is an incredibly rough rider, up to about 33 MPH, when she smooths out. I hope you guys at Niles Canyon get to find that our first hand!

sounds like linkthebutler doesn't like the 1744 and is mad they're serving the organization's own needs and aren't restoring his favorite locomotive.

I'm actually sorry that I posted that. Linkthebutler may be a foreign member of this website, not a native English speaker and his post was probably well meaning. So mine was simply rude, and I apologize.
Humbly, Ned

P.S. That doesn't detract from 1744 being a really neat looking locomotive, and well traveled.