Central Sierra Historical Society

Everyone's Favorite Railroad Car Plans underway to restore Caboose No. 50
	CSHS launched the restoration of Caboose No. 50 from the SJ&E Railroad in 2004, which was donated to the Society by the Harry W. Ball Family in 2000. The final product will be displayed as an exhibit for the Museum of the Central Sierra just inside the main gate of Camp Edison at Shaver Lake. Major Brooks Wilson heads the team of master craftsmen and volunteers, including John Bacorn, Gordon Bone, Bert Greeley, John Harshman, Doug Koerper, Austin Lysight, PJ Machado-Silvestro, Tom Mozzetti, Wes Qualls, Jerry Sandstrom, Steve Schiefen, Joe Ubbink, Dr. Rod Wiens, Colleen Wilson and Jeff Young. A hearty "thank you" to those who have made donations to the project already, including donations from John Bartholomew, The Birthday Club, Jeff Crews and Bill Ickler, Merrill Lynch, Tom and Marge Nelson, Jim and Sandy Pittman, The uesters - Sierra Chapter, The Questers - Valley of the Pines Chapter, Walter Reinhardt, the Auberry Intermountain Rotary, Ponderosa Telephone, Richard Wilson, and Brooks and Colleen Wilson. Special thanks to Ed Selleck for helping to keep the caboose on the skyline, and Shirley and Tom Kepler for hosting a deep pit BBQ and silent auction on behalf of the caboose project in 2006. A repeat of this event is scheduled for 16 August 2008. Brooks has completed a list of milestones plus a scope of work and guidelines for the restoration. Extensive research and numerous contacts have been with Southern California Edison the archivist, and experts at the California Railroad Museum, Nevada State Railroad Museum, and railroad buffs from all over the United States. As the caboose has been dismantled, numerous pictures have been taken and drawings made with measurements to document every aspect of its’ construction. During the summers of 2006 and 2007, the metal fixtures and pieces on the caboose were removed to be sandblasted and repainted during the winter months. These may be viewed in the new museum building. Reconstruction is to start after the snow melts in the spring of 2008.
.......................................................................Caboose History........................................................................................... The San Joaquin & Eastern railroad was built in 1912 to furnish transportation for the construction of Southern California Edison’s Big Creek Project, the largest hydroelectric project in the world at that time, located in the High Sierra, in northeastern Fresno County. The railroad opened up the rugged wilderness of the Sierra, and its story is inextricably tied to the development of electricity in Southern California. Construction began on February 5th, and a mere 157 days later on July 12th, plus some 56 miles, 1078 curves, 255 grades, and 43 wood frame trestles later, the “crookedest and steepest” railroad known as the SJ&E was fully operational. A nickname was immediately coined for the railroad: “The Slow, Jerky and Expensive”. In March of 2000 the Harry W. Ball Family donated an original caboose used on the SJ&E (Caboose No. 50) to the Central Sierra Historical Society. Southern California Edison provided the crane, low-boy tractor trailer, and manpower to move the caboose from the Ball Ranch to a temporary storage site near Camp Edison. Harry Ball’s father acquired the caboose in 1933 when the SJ&E ceased operations. The entire physical assets of the railroad were sold for $50,000 to a group of Bay area scrap dealers. A public auction conducted by Liberman and Rosencrantz was held in Auberry in October 1933 to dispose of some of the SJ&E assets. Low-value wood items, not sold, were to be burned. Harry’s father took No. 50 and moved it to his ranch to use for an office. His uncle moved another one, No. 52, to the Lesher Ranch on Copper Avenue where it remains today. The third caboose was also saved and is now the property of the Eastern Fresno County Historical Society and on display next to Sierra High School. The scrap dealers were mainly interested in the metal undercarriage and wheels, which were sold overseas. They considered the wood structure worthless. So, the three cabooses were saved from the bonfires and found a new life on valley ranches in the Friant area as offices, tackrooms and outbuildings, minus their metal undercarriage. ................Present Status... The Caboose has been located at the CHSH Museum site where work continues on its restoration . Brooks Wilson leads a group working on teardown and rebuilding efforts. Their schedule follows. We have finished taking all of the caboose structure off (cupola, roof, siding inside and out, doors, windows and framing). I have just about completed removing the finish flooring (8 pieces left). I have decided that, due to the following considerations, I will be tarping the underframe with sub flooring left in place next week and calling it a year. That isn't to say that a few of us won't still be doing something, but I will explain that momentarily. The timbers for replacing rotted sections of the underframe were cut last April, but still need drying / curing time, so there is no point in working on that at this time. The sub flooring will be left in place to provide a solid platform to hold whatever snow comes down this winter. If I had removed the sub flooring, then volunteers would have had to keep removing snow periodically. The sub flooring will provide a solid base and the snow won't affect the frame whatsoever. Tom Mozzetti made a list of lumber requirements for Jeff Young to cut and dry. Once this has been accomplished, the lumber will need to be dried (I understand Jeff has a kiln to dry wood). After that, Tom and I can hopefully spend some of the winter period building the doors and windows, and milling boards for tongue and groove assembly at a later time. I will be spending some time trying to get a machine shop to manufacture some parts I need in the future. There is a small gauge railroad shop out near Reedley which I am going to check with on making parts. That failing, I have the folks in Cheyenne, WY, who will do most of what I need. So, at this point, I am most appreciative of the hard work done by Austin Lysight, Dr. Rod Wiens, David Schiefen and Tom Mozzetti. I am also thankful to John Harshman for coming by today and getting started on documenting what is being done on video for posterity. There are others who have put time in as well in the past, but these folks have been recognized for their help in the disassembly of the caboose which took all of 17 days, which is an awesome accomplishment! Thanks, too, to Jeff Young for what you have done and what you will be doing on supplying us wood this winter!

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

CSHS launched the restoration of Caboose No. 50 from the SJ&E Railroad in 2004, which was donated to the Society by the Harry W. Ball Family in 2000. The final product will be displayed as an exhibit for the Museum of the Central Sierra just inside the main gate of Camp Edison at Shaver Lake. Major Brooks Wilson heads the team of master craftsmen and volunteers, including John Bacorn, Gordon Bone, Bert Greeley, John Harshman, Doug Koerper, Austin Lysight, PJ Machado-Silvestro, Tom Mozzetti, Wes Qualls, Jerry Sandstrom, Steve Schiefen, Joe Ubbink, Dr. Rod Wiens, Colleen Wilson and Jeff Young.

A hearty "thank you" to those who have made donations to the project already, including donations from John Bartholomew, The Birthday Club, Jeff Crews and Bill Ickler, Merrill Lynch, Tom and Marge Nelson, Jim and Sandy Pittman, The uesters - Sierra Chapter, The Questers - Valley of the Pines Chapter, Walter Reinhardt, the Auberry Intermountain Rotary, Ponderosa Telephone, Richard Wilson, and Brooks and Colleen Wilson. Special thanks to Ed Selleck for helping to keep the caboose on the skyline, and Shirley and Tom Kepler for hosting a deep pit BBQ and silent auction on behalf of the caboose project in 2006. A repeat of this event is scheduled for 16 August 2008.

Brooks has completed a list of milestones plus a scope of work and guidelines for the restoration. Extensive research and numerous contacts have been with Southern California Edison the archivist, and experts at the California Railroad Museum, Nevada State Railroad Museum, and railroad buffs from all over the United States. As the caboose has been dismantled, numerous pictures have been taken and drawings made with measurements to document every aspect of its’ construction. During the summers of 2006 and 2007, the metal fixtures and pieces on the caboose were removed to be sandblasted and repainted during the winter months. These may be viewed in the new museum building. Reconstruction is to start after the snow melts in the spring of 2008.

.......................................................................Caboose History...........................................................................................
The San Joaquin & Eastern railroad was built in 1912 to furnish transportation for the construction of Southern California Edison’s Big Creek Project, the largest hydroelectric project in the world at that time, located in the High Sierra, in northeastern Fresno County. The railroad opened up the rugged wilderness of the Sierra, and its story is inextricably tied to the development of electricity in Southern California.

Construction began on February 5th, and a mere 157 days later on July 12th, plus some 56 miles, 1078 curves, 255 grades, and 43 wood frame trestles later, the “crookedest and steepest” railroad known as the SJ&E was fully operational. A nickname was immediately coined for the railroad: “The Slow, Jerky and Expensive”.

In March of 2000 the Harry W. Ball Family donated an original caboose used on the SJ&E (Caboose No. 50) to the Central Sierra Historical Society. Southern California Edison provided the crane, low-boy tractor trailer, and manpower to move the caboose from the Ball Ranch to a temporary storage site near Camp Edison.

Harry Ball’s father acquired the caboose in 1933 when the SJ&E ceased operations. The entire physical assets of the railroad were sold for $50,000 to a group of Bay area scrap dealers. A public auction conducted by Liberman and Rosencrantz was held in Auberry in October 1933 to dispose of some of the SJ&E assets. Low-value wood items, not sold, were to be burned. Harry’s father took No. 50 and moved it to his ranch to use for an office. His uncle moved another one, No. 52, to the Lesher Ranch on Copper Avenue where it remains today. The third caboose was also saved and is now the property of the Eastern Fresno County Historical Society and on display next to Sierra High School. The scrap dealers were mainly interested in the metal undercarriage and wheels, which were sold overseas. They considered the wood structure worthless. So, the three cabooses were saved from the bonfires and found a new life on valley ranches in the Friant area as offices, tackrooms and outbuildings, minus their metal undercarriage.

................Present Status... The Caboose has been located at the CHSH Museum site where work continues on its restoration . Brooks Wilson leads a group working on teardown and rebuilding efforts. Their schedule follows.

We have finished taking all of the caboose structure off (cupola, roof, siding inside and out, doors, windows and framing). I have just about completed removing the finish flooring (8 pieces left). I have decided that, due to the following considerations, I will be tarping the underframe with sub flooring left in place next week and calling it a year. That isn't to say that a few of us won't still be doing something, but I will explain that momentarily.

The timbers for replacing rotted sections of the underframe were cut last April, but still need drying / curing time, so there is no point in working on that at this time. The sub flooring will be left in place to provide a solid platform to hold whatever snow comes down this winter. If I had removed the sub flooring, then volunteers would have had to keep removing snow periodically. The sub flooring will provide a solid base and the snow won't affect the frame whatsoever.
Tom Mozzetti made a list of lumber requirements for Jeff Young to cut and dry. Once this has been accomplished, the lumber will need to be dried (I understand Jeff has a kiln to dry wood). After that, Tom and I can hopefully spend some of the winter period building the doors and windows, and milling boards for tongue and groove assembly at a later time.
I will be spending some time trying to get a machine shop to manufacture some parts I need in the future. There is a small gauge railroad shop out near Reedley which I am going to check with on making parts. That failing, I have the folks in Cheyenne, WY, who will do most of what I need.

So, at this point, I am most appreciative of the hard work done by Austin Lysight, Dr. Rod Wiens, David Schiefen and Tom Mozzetti. I am also thankful to John Harshman for coming by today and getting started on documenting what is being done on video for posterity. There are others who have put time in as well in the past, but these folks have been recognized for their help in the disassembly of the caboose which took all of 17 days, which is an awesome accomplishment! Thanks, too, to Jeff Young for what you have done and what you will be doing on supplying us wood this winter!