Charles Heimerdinger died this last Monday in the Spokane, WA area. In earlier years when we were all still kids, he went by Charlie and also Chuck. In later years, he preferred Charles. He was in his late 70's.

As a kid, he was able to photograph the last of steam on the Southern Pacific. He frequently used his bike as he wasn't driving yet.

This developed into a railroading career. He worked for the S.P. and for awhile, was a fireman on the Western Division out of Oakland. Most of his time though, was as a claims agent for the railroad.

He was also one of the founding fathers of what is known as the PLA, Pacific Locomotive Association. They were a small group of Bay Area fans who all knew of the sometimes active Howard Terminal 2-6-2T 6 in Oakland. They eventually formed the organization and purchased the locomotive. It first operated for them at Castro Point in Point Richmond in June of 1969 although had been steamed once in Castro Valley while stored there.

Charles had a knack of finding obscure operations. Between him and fellow member Henry Luna, they were often successful in getting field trips to these out of the way places.

Charles at one time owned a standard gauge steam locomotive. It was KCC 309, a small 0-4-0T built for impaired clearances in mines. We used to have a lot of fun running it at Castro Point from 1969 to the early 70's. It was fueled with wood that we never seemed to have enough of.

I met Charles in 1966 when I became a member of the PLA. I was in the USAF then and was able to sometimes attend their monthly meetings in Berkeley. He'd corner me after the meeting and ask me if I knew about this or that operation and then give me good advice on what to try to see.

I have Charles to thank for a couple of memorable trips that I was able to enjoy. The first was down the West Coast of Mexico to visit the Mexican Western with its pair of Porter 0-6-0 types used in road service. Also seen was the Mexican Pacific at Los Mochis with ex-California Western 2-6-2 21, now their number 6. The other was Weyerhauser's woods operation out of Klamath Falls, OR with their 80 car log trains.

Charles & Diana had me as a guest a couple of times in recent years. They both were warm hosts. He and I made a couple of wonderful road trips, one to SD to see & ride behind Black Hills Central 2-6-6-2T 110.. Charles was somewhat of an authority on logging mallets and knew the differences between all of them.

Many years back, I was lamenting to Charles that I had been having no luck at all in trying to acquire a steam whistle. He jumps up and says "You want a whistle? I'll give you a whistle. Follow me." Off we went to the garage. He jumps up on top of the washer, removes an access door and disappears upstairs in the attic for awhile. He yelled down that he couldn't locate the McCloud whistle that he'd mentioned but then his hand appeared and it was holding this really beautiful old single note whistle. Turns out it came off of a Somers Lbr. Co. Shay. I have put it on several locomotives over the years, most recently at Mt Rainier Scenic Ry. on Climax 10 in January of 2006. My daughter got to try it out too.

Charles was a principled man. His word was good. He was also a most generous sort. We were all blessed to have known him as a friend.

Tom asked me to add this photo Robert Field took of Charles at River Bridge on West Side Lumber Company in 1958. Charles was a great friend, inspiration, and mentor to me as well. He will be terribly missed.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

The photographer Robert Field, kindly added some info to his image of Charles. This was a very early railfan jaunt for them outside of the Bay Area where they lived. They drove out here at night in a Model A Ford at no faster than 35 mph on 'two-lane blacktop". Perhaps the reason that they both chose to wait outside of the watchman's cabin was because the gentleman was not in the habit of taking frequent baths.

After photographing the morning train of empties, they drove back into Tuolumne to get supplies. It was here that they got a good view of the road that they had driven out on just a few hours before with its narrow right of way and the steep long drop into the canyon. Robert thought it might have been a blessing that the headlamps on the car were were so poor as not to illuminate just what they had been so close to.

These two teenagers soon became part of the original 6 members of the Pacific Locomotive Assn.

Here's a picture of the locomotive Charles owned in the early years of Niles Canyon. The Nevada Northern Railway Museum bought it a couple years ago, and last I knew it was on a flatcar in the RIP shed at East Ely.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Jeff -

What's the lettering on the tender of number 3? Doesn't look like it reads Niles Canyon, but to much of an angle to tell for sure.

Thanks.

Les

Les, I can't read it well either, but it might have been Steptoe Mining. That may have been what she wore for some years there.

Tom

Les and Tom- I haven't scanned any of his slides clearly showing the lettering yet, but it read "Steptoe Valley Mining & Smelting Co".

I've attached a pic of the locomotive as I last saw it, in East Ely back in April 2015.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Anybody know what Nevada Northern's plans are for the little 0-4-0T?