Central Sierra Historical Society

Everyone's Favorite Railroad Car Plans underway to restore Caboose No. 50

.......................................................................Caboose History........................................................................................... San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad Caboose #50 The San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad (SJ&E) was constructed in 1912 to furnish transportation for men, materials and equipment bound for Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Big Creek Project, the largest hydroelectric construction effort known to the world at that time. The railroad was built from it’s El Prado connection to the Southern Pacific’s Friant Branch, north of Fresno, to Cascada (pronounced kã-skãd´a), California (known as Big Creek since 1926). The SJ&E was built in 157 days between 5 February and 10 July 1912. It extended a distance of just over 56 miles, containing 1078 curves up to 60 degrees, 43 trestles (the longest being 576 feet in length) and 255 grades (the steepest being 5.2 percent). Additionally, there was a spur built to the Shaver Lake area, as well as inclines to the various power plant locations and “The Basin,” now known as Huntington Lake. Prior to the construction of Huntington and Shaver Lakes, there were temporary rail lines built within those confines to support the clearing of trees, moving the timber to on-site lumber mills, transporting crushed rock to dam sites and performing other tasks as necessary. The railroad ceased operations in 1933, and was sold for scrap and disposal soon thereafter. Portions of the SJ&E road bed can still be seen today, and even traversed by car. If the reader desires to know more about this wonderful railroad, Hank Johnston’s book, The Railroad That Lighted Southern California, may be purchased at the Central Sierra Historical Society (CSHS) store. A rancher by the name of Harry Ball acquired caboose #50 when he heard that the scrappers were going to burn the low-value wood items not sold and moved it to his property where it became a family ranch office for the next 67 years. In March 2000, the Harry W. Ball family donated the caboose to the CSHS, and it was moved up the hill by SCE to a maintenance and storage yard near Camp Edison at Shaver Lake. There it resided minus all the major metal components; i.e., trucks (wheel sets), brake assembly and couplers; until moved to the new CSHS museum site in August 2007 where it is presently undergoing restoration and preservation. Once restored, it will be displayed on a section of track as a part of the wonderful new CSHS interpretive museum to be built in the years ahead. Two sister cabooses were similarly saved by other ranchers (#51 now owned by the Eastern Fresno County Historical Society located just to the east of Sierra Union High School and #52 owned by the Lesher family on Copper Avenue between Willow Avenue and the Auberry Road in Fresno County). In September 2004, CSHS member Major Brooks Wilson was asked to come on board to participate in the caboose restoration and preservation process. Thankfully, many other individuals, organizations and businesses from the Fresno County community at large, too numerous to mention here, have contributed time and money to this project. Brooks started the ball rolling by researching the caboose origin, locating replacement parts, and preparing a scope of work, milestones and guidelines for an historical survey. Of interest, Hank Johnston’s book reported that the three cabooses of the SJ&E were purchased from the SP in 1912. Subsequent research by Brooks suggested otherwise. Kyle Wyatt, Curator of History and Technology, California State Railroad Museum (CSRM), believed the cabooses were modified by the SJ&E shop crew from SP box or flat cars. Chris DeWitt, Restoration Supervisor, Nevada State Railroad Museum (NSRM), however, expressed the opinion that they were probably built from scratch in the SJ&E shops. After an exhaustive, on-site historical survey 20 July 2005, Chris’ opinion prevailed . Major acquisitions for the restoration include a set of trucks (from an 1870's era box car) purchased from the Connecticut Trolley Museum, and couplers and major components of an air brake system from the Durango & Silverton Railroad in Durango, Colorado. For periodic updates and pictures of the ongoing restoration, please see this section as well as FEATURES. The SJ&E was an important factor in the development of Southern California hydroelectric power and in the communities which grew up along the railroad. Caboose #50 is one of the last few reminders of that great era. The Central Sierra Historical Society is committed to the preservation and presentation of area history. Volunteers are being sought, and no experience is needed if one is willing to join in the excitement and learn. Also, money is needed to effect the funding of its’ restoration process and display presentation in the future. Your support is kindly requested with the consideration of a donation to the caboose heritage project. Please take a moment to fill out the attached donation statement and mail it with your financial commitment to the CSHS at the address at the bottom of the form. If you should have questions or comments about the caboose restoration, please contact Brooks Wilson, 3127 Dennis Avenue, Clovis, California 93619-5103, phone (559) 298-3094, or e-mail Brooks@ADanceofLight.com. LIST OF DONORS Richard Wilson Brooks & Colleen Wilson Auberry Intermountain Rotary (2) Tom & Marge Nelson (2) Jeff Crews & Bill Ickler Jim & Sandy Pittman Questers Merrill Lynch Ponderosa Telephone Walt Reinhardt Birthday Club (2) Questers - Valley of the Pines Chapter Questers - Sierra Chapter John Bartholomew 19 August 2006 Dinner/Auction Benefit 16 August 2008 Dinner/Auction Benefit Linda Cottingham Note: The numbers contained within the () indicate more than one donation. LIST OF VOLUNTEERS* Bob Conry Vernon Fogderude Bert Greeley Dan Griffin John Harshman Larry Karabian Doug Koerper - Huntington Construction Austin Lysight P.J. Machado-Silvestro Tom Mozetti David Nehring Tom Nelson Jim Pittman Wes Qualls Jerry Sandstrom Dave Schiefen Joe Ubbink Dennis Vasquez Chuck West Industries Dr. Rod Wiens Brooks Wilson Colleen Wilson Jeff Young ................Present Status... Work Session 3-8 Nov. Our master carpenter, Bob Conry joined us . The draft timbers and end sill for the “B” end were installed, and the coupler was then mounted. the roof end and cupola framing was cut, milled and then installed and made ready for the future installation of tar paper next year. Some modification was made to improve the rain water resistance . Most of the 1" x 4" roofing on either side of the cupola was installed. Also completed was the installation of redwood siding on both ends of the car. Lastly, we covered the caboose with two 20' x 40' tarps to protect it from the coming winter. Participating in these events were: master carpenter , Bob Conry , David Nehring , Tom Nelson , Vernon Fogderude, Dr. Rod Wiens and Brooks Wilson . For pictures see Features . Other Caboose project members include : John Bacom , John HJarshman , Larry Karabian ,Austin Lysight, Tom Mosetti, Jim Pittman, Dave Schiefen , Dennis Vasquez, and Jeff Young . Trucks : The trucks (wheel assemblies) for the caboose were just received in Cheyenne, WY, from the Connecticut Trolley Museum . For photo see Features . Engine: This is a Baldwin made locomotive, 2-6-2 wheel arrangement (2-6-2 means 2 front pilot wheels, 6 driver wheels and 2 trailing wheels). The engine was #205 on the SJ&E and a picture of it is in Hank Johnston's book The Railroad That Lighted Southern California. Later the engine went to the Santa Maria Railroad on the California coast and then was displayed at the Santa Barbara County Fairgrounds until 1983 when it was purchased by George Lavacot, a retired CHP officer and later a railroad entrepreneur. He is rebuilding it, but not entirely in the SJ&E style as I had originally thought. The Santa Maria RR made numerous changes to it before retiring it. I am also working to get copies of original pictures of the engine held by a friend of George's. He has a large photo of the builder's picture and pictures of it operating on the SJ&E. If successful, I will donate a set of whatever I am able to receive to the CSHS for archival purposes For photo see Features. Last work session was 3-8 Nov. 2009 . Caboose is covered for the winter .

.......................................................................Caboose History...........................................................................................

San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad
Caboose #50

The San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad (SJ&E) was constructed in 1912 to furnish transportation for men, materials and equipment bound for Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Big Creek Project, the largest hydroelectric construction effort known to the world
at that time. The railroad was built from it’s El Prado connection to the Southern Pacific’s Friant Branch, north of Fresno, to Cascada (pronounced kã-skãd´a), California (known as Big Creek since 1926). The SJ&E was built in 157 days between 5 February and 10 July 1912. It extended a distance of just over 56 miles, containing 1078 curves up to 60 degrees, 43 trestles (the longest being 576 feet in length) and 255 grades (the steepest being 5.2 percent). Additionally, there was a spur built to the Shaver Lake area, as well as inclines to the various power plant locations and “The Basin,” now known as Huntington Lake. Prior to the construction of Huntington and Shaver Lakes, there were temporary rail lines built within those confines to support the clearing of trees, moving the timber to on-site lumber mills, transporting crushed rock to dam sites and performing other tasks as necessary. The railroad ceased operations in 1933, and was sold for scrap and disposal soon thereafter. Portions of the SJ&E road bed can still be seen today, and even traversed by car. If the reader desires to know more about this wonderful railroad, Hank Johnston’s book, The Railroad That Lighted Southern California, may be purchased at the Central Sierra Historical Society (CSHS) store.
A rancher by the name of Harry Ball acquired caboose #50 when he heard that the scrappers were going to burn the low-value wood items not sold and moved it to his property where it became a family ranch office for the next 67 years. In March 2000, the Harry W. Ball family donated the caboose to the CSHS, and it was moved up the hill by SCE to a maintenance and storage yard near Camp Edison at Shaver Lake. There it resided minus all the major metal components; i.e., trucks (wheel sets), brake
assembly and couplers; until moved to the new CSHS museum site in August 2007 where it is presently undergoing restoration and preservation. Once restored, it will be displayed on a section of track as a part of the wonderful new CSHS interpretive museum to be built in the years ahead. Two sister cabooses were similarly saved by other ranchers (#51 now owned by the Eastern Fresno County Historical Society located just to the east of Sierra Union High School and #52 owned by the Lesher family on Copper Avenue between Willow Avenue and the Auberry Road in Fresno County).
In September 2004, CSHS member Major Brooks Wilson was asked to come on board to participate in the caboose restoration and preservation process. Thankfully, many other individuals, organizations and businesses from the Fresno County community at large, too numerous to mention here, have contributed time and money to this project. Brooks started the ball rolling by researching the caboose origin, locating replacement parts, and preparing a scope of work, milestones and guidelines for an historical survey. Of interest, Hank Johnston’s book reported that the three cabooses of the SJ&E were purchased from the SP in 1912. Subsequent research by Brooks suggested otherwise. Kyle Wyatt, Curator of History and Technology, California State Railroad Museum (CSRM), believed the cabooses were modified by the SJ&E shop crew from SP box or flat cars. Chris DeWitt, Restoration Supervisor, Nevada State Railroad Museum (NSRM), however, expressed the opinion that they were probably built from scratch in the SJ&E shops. After an exhaustive, on-site historical survey 20 July 2005, Chris’ opinion prevailed .
Major acquisitions for the restoration include a set of trucks (from an 1870's era box car) purchased from the Connecticut Trolley Museum, and couplers and major components of an air brake system from the Durango & Silverton Railroad in Durango, Colorado. For periodic updates and pictures of the ongoing restoration, please see this section as well as FEATURES.
The SJ&E was an important factor in the development of Southern California hydroelectric power and in the communities which grew up along the railroad. Caboose #50 is one of the last few reminders of that great era. The Central Sierra Historical Society is committed to the preservation and presentation of area history. Volunteers are being sought, and no experience is needed if one is willing to join in the excitement and learn. Also, money is needed to effect the funding of its’ restoration process and
display presentation in the future. Your support is kindly requested with the consideration of a donation to the caboose heritage project. Please take a moment to fill out the attached donation statement and mail it with your financial commitment to the CSHS at the address at the bottom of the form.
If you should have questions or comments about the caboose restoration, please contact Brooks Wilson, 3127 Dennis Avenue, Clovis, California 93619-5103, phone (559) 298-3094, or e-mail Brooks@ADanceofLight.com.
LIST OF DONORS
Richard Wilson
Brooks & Colleen Wilson
Auberry Intermountain Rotary (2)
Tom & Marge Nelson (2)
Jeff Crews & Bill Ickler
Jim & Sandy Pittman
Questers
Merrill Lynch
Ponderosa Telephone
Walt Reinhardt
Birthday Club (2)
Questers - Valley of the Pines Chapter
Questers - Sierra Chapter
John Bartholomew
19 August 2006 Dinner/Auction Benefit
16 August 2008 Dinner/Auction Benefit
Linda Cottingham
*Note: The numbers contained within the () indicate more than one donation.
LIST OF VOLUNTEERS
Bob Conry
Vernon Fogderude
Bert Greeley
Dan Griffin
John Harshman
Larry Karabian
Doug Koerper - Huntington Construction
Austin Lysight
P.J. Machado-Silvestro
Tom Mozetti
David Nehring
Tom Nelson
Jim Pittman
Wes Qualls
Jerry Sandstrom
Dave Schiefen
Joe Ubbink
Dennis Vasquez
Chuck West Industries
Dr. Rod Wiens
Brooks Wilson
Colleen Wilson
Jeff Young

Our master carpenter, Bob Conry joined us . The draft timbers and end sill for the “B” end were installed, and the coupler was then mounted. the roof end and cupola framing was cut, milled and then installed and made ready for the future installation of tar paper next year. Some modification was made to improve the rain water resistance . Most of the 1" x 4" roofing on either side of the cupola was installed. Also completed was the installation of redwood siding on both ends of the car. Lastly, we covered the caboose with two 20' x 40' tarps to protect it from the coming winter. Participating in these events were: master carpenter , Bob Conry , David Nehring , Tom Nelson , Vernon Fogderude, Dr. Rod Wiens and Brooks Wilson . For pictures see Features . Other Caboose project members include : John Bacom , John HJarshman , Larry Karabian ,Austin Lysight, Tom Mosetti, Jim Pittman, Dave Schiefen , Dennis Vasquez, and Jeff Young .

Trucks :
The trucks (wheel assemblies) for the caboose were just received in Cheyenne, WY, from the Connecticut Trolley Museum . For photo see Features .

Engine: This is a Baldwin made locomotive, 2-6-2 wheel arrangement (2-6-2 means 2 front pilot wheels, 6 driver wheels and 2 trailing wheels). The engine was #205 on the SJ&E and a picture of it is in Hank Johnston's book The Railroad That Lighted Southern California. Later the engine went to the Santa Maria Railroad on the California coast and then was displayed at the Santa Barbara County Fairgrounds until 1983 when it was purchased by George Lavacot, a retired CHP officer and later a railroad entrepreneur. He is rebuilding it, but not entirely in the SJ&E style as I had originally thought. The Santa Maria RR made numerous changes to it before retiring it. I am also working to get copies of original pictures of the engine held by a friend of George's. He has a large photo of the builder's picture and pictures of it operating on the SJ&E. If successful, I will donate a set of whatever I am able to receive to the CSHS for archival purposes For photo see Features.

Last work session was 3-8 Nov. 2009 . Caboose is covered for the winter .