IONE, Calif. — Logging company Sierra Pacific Industries has sold the 10-mile short line Amador Foothills Railroad to preservation groups. Sierra Pacific sold the railroad to the Amador County Historical Society and the nonprofit Recreational Railroad Coalition for one dollar, the Sacramento Bee reported. This includes the tracks between Ione and Martell, Calif., the land they sit on, and all related railroad equipment. The deal closed Oct. 16.

The railroad began operations in 1904 hauling lumber products, and was originally called the Ione & Eastern Railroad. It was sold after foreclosure in 1908 and renamed the Amador Central Railroad, which operated until 1997. In 1999 the line reopened as the Amador Foothills Railroad, which remained in service until May 10, 2004. Amador Central was well known to railroad enthusiasts as one of the last users of Baldwin diesel locomotives.

In 2006, the Recreational Railroad Coalition leased the tracks from Sierra Pacific and used the route to operate speeders: gasoline-powered former railroad maintenance-of-way motorcars. It also held an annual rail fair with the speeders that include public rides. The owners will continue to hold special events on the railroad to pay operating costs with the next rail fair scheduled for May 2011.

However, it’s unlikely trains will ever return to the line. A portion of the railroad between Highway 88 and Highway 49 in Martell has been torn up, and the nearby locomotive shop is used for storage and automotive repair.

Didn't the operational Baldwin wind up on the V&T? What happened to the "parts" one? Was the locomotive shop included in the sale?