With its firefighting train at one of the Sierra snowsheds (Norden?). Now at Roseville.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SOUTHERN-PACIFIC-RA ... otohosting

The Ebay listing says Truckee, but I am pretty sure that's Norden. The trusses in the background supported the roof over the turntable. The roof was hung below the trusses. Truckee had a covered turntable and roundhouse once, but I believe that structure had already been gone for a long time but the time this photo was taken.

It is interesting how few SP engines have been preserved with conventional tenders. It almost as if SP switched in Vanderbilt-style (or whale back) tenders when engines were headed for preservation. A number of photos show SP 3025 with a rectangular tender shortly before it went to Travel Town. 2252 would sure look nice if it could be backdated a bit (and put under cover, etc.)

Looking at the hill behind the roundhouse roof and the track layout which still looks pretty much the same today, the engine is coming out of the engine house that was built to service the Truckee helpers. My father who was an operator at Truckee for the SP always referred to it as the cab forward shed.

You are absolutely correct. My mistake. I had thought the remains of the impressive Truckee roundhouse was long gone by then, but there it is in a picture on page 164 of Signor's Donner Pass.