Railfair 1981: Part 1 | SP 4449 | UP 8444 | UP 3985 | California State Railroad Museum
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- Опубліковано 13 лис 2023
- From May 2nd to May 10th, 1981 along the banks of the Sacramento River, history came alive with the greatest gathering of railroad equipment in 32 years to celebrate the opening of the California State Railroad Museum. This event was known as Railfair 1981, and was the first of 3 such events to be held in Old Sacramento.
The first of the 3 Railfairs was also one of many firsts for the preservation world. This was the public debut of Southern Pacific 4449 after being repainted into its original Daylight colors, and the first time Union Pacific came to Northern California with their steam locomotives, in addition to it also being the debut of Challenger 3985.
Smaller locomotives were also in attendance at Railfair, and arrived by road, rail, and air to reach Old Sacramento. This video covers the journeys of all 3 mainline steam locomotive to Railfair, as well as the final preparations of the California State Railroad Museum. SP 4449 is chased from Eugene, OR down into the Sacramento Valley, and the train is seen at several classic locations along the Shasta Route. After viewing scenes in Old Sacramento, UP 8444 and 3985 are chased west over Donner Pass as they make their way to Railfair from Cheyenne, WY.
The program concludes with all the equipment gathered in Old Sacramento prior to the opening of the museum, and Railfair.
Part 2 will cover the events and equipment at Railfair as well as the return journeys of the 3 mainline steam locomotives.
The Super 8mm and 16mm films are from the camera of John Filson, Don Kehl, and Dick Bartel, and are from the collection of the Western Railway Museum.
Enjoy this look back to 1981, and chasing the trains to Railfair! - Авто та транспорт
4449 is SOOOOOOOOO PRETTY!
Great video waiting on part two!
We attend all the Rail Fairs 1981, 1991, 1999, which the last one that was done at Sacramento. We All hoped the tradition would continue. At the 1981 event we were standing in the round house and they were getting ready to put a band onto the front end so they could run the AT&SF #1010 (Death Valley Scotty's Special out onto the turn table to drop off the band on the stage and back into the round house. I saw that there was an umbilical air line running to the side of the locomotive and told my wife, "They're running this on Compressed Air! She was surprised and turned to say to a docent, "you're running this on compressed air!" The fella was surprised and replied, "you know you are the first person today that has figured that out, so get up in that cab you get to ride out onto the turntable to deliver the band, just don't be leaning out of the cab. He introduced himself as "Joe" and was a Boilermaker at the SP Shops. As we rolled out the band started playing City of New Orleans, Joe said, "yep that's about right playing an Illinois Central song on an Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe locomotive"!!! Great experience and well-remembered. Even the crew at the Nevada state museum in Carson City knew exactly who I was talking about when I mentioned the experience. "Joe" as then "U.P. Joe" is in the video of the 1991 Rail Fair, hosted by Hoyt Axton.
FWIW as a young child living in Tomales my dad would ride the North Pacific Coast RR narrow gauge from Tomales south to Sausalito or north to Camp Meeker . The fella built a scale model of the Sonoma, the full size one is in the museum with a consist of cars. The original Sonoma never actually worked on the NPCRR it was sold off to a line in Nevada for its working carrier.
The Northwestern Pacific #112, was sitting inside the museum that last time I was there in the early 2000's painted green which was the livery for NWP passenger locomotives and looking good, black was for freight. I actually had seen that same locomotive sitting on a flatcar in Schellville back in the 1950's when we visited my cousin's blacksmith shop directly across the tracks from the Schellville Depot, which was the crew change point for SP and NWP crews.
I don't see much on UA-cam yet about the 1999 Rail Fair though. My daughter and I did a day trip from Tahoe to Old Sac for the Opening day. I have some super 8 video of that day that is off being converted to DVD, I haven't viewed it since it was filmed.
Love your videos keep up the good work!
Goodday from Australia,
What a time what a time to be alive & to be there.
No high visibility, just common sense, no fenced off area & plenty of oil to burn without anyone complaining.
No EPA, no environmental groups just good old fashion steam locomotives that build America 🇺🇸.
Back when America was Top Dog around the world & you were proud to be called American.
Great video thoroughly enjoyed it.
Louis Kats 👍 🇦🇺 🇺🇸
May 1981
Interesting. SO the UP 844 and the 3985 made it to Sacramento twice.... I didn t realize that until watching this video. Thank You for Posting THIS !!!!
Thank you so much for putting this together! I remember this event very well, being a native of Sacramento and having had just graduated High School. It was truly epic. There was such a buzz going around the museum at that time, so many different projects, and a gathering of some very talented restoration professionals and amateurs.
Im a Sacramento native as well, although a little younger, my biggest memory fresh out of high school was when they brought 844 out in 2012 for the UP 150 event. I know, not as big as Railfair, but just seeing big steam back in town after such a long absence was such a great thing!
Hunter, have you any footage of the CSRM being constructed?
@@colinogden7265 There is footage out there but to be honest it’s about what all the footage in the video showing the prep is like, it’d make for a pretty boring video
Cool, since I worked at Sacramento Locomotive Shop..
I know Im in the Video somewhere..
Then you might remember "Joe" the boiler maker?
@ABQRT Morales..
Joe the Boilermaket I heard but not by name and sight as I was in a different trade, though I worked in the Boiler Shop on wrecks and Rebuilding, when there were no wrecked
Choo choo's..
@@Butchsiek In the mid 1990's I was drivinfg for Valley Farm transport during harvest season, thta was about the time The Nevade RR Museum had saed the McKeen motorcard from being a tore room for aplumbing company and was about to begin restoration. One of the other Seasonal drivers (a young guy Buzz Berger) and I chatted about it. He knew Joe, and told me there is a"group" that goes around restoring old RR equipment and in his off season thats what he did. Hopefully you've made it to the Museum in Carson City, it too many years but they finally got the old Glenbrook restored an running. I knew the son and grandson of the Engineer of the Glenbrook when it hauled logs in South Tahoe then freight and and passengers when moved to north shore before retirement. Always get a kick out of Steve Lee from the UP, he'd been up to consult with the crew at Portola on restoring their steam locomotive.
@ABQRT
I need to go to Carson City this summer hopefully..
I do I will go to the museum..
Great story
@@Butchsiek It's too bad they were never able to reconnect the museum loop tarackage with the V&T, there had been hopes though. Also the ROW from town climbs the hill just above the Med Center (where I worked) to get into Washoe valley. You can still see the ROW crossing the valley to Reno. The Mint Museum in the middle of town is worth it also, and of course theres always VC (Virginia City alt about 7000 ft.)
I've always wondered, with UPs termination of the Espee run through agreement, and its new connection working run through agreement with the WP at the same time they were trying to merge, UP didn't just send its engines down the Canyon.
Wait in in 1958 SP 4460 went at tunnel 18 as well if some of you don't know search up Saga of 4460 and it sould apear and if you watch the whole thing you sould hear him say tunnel 18 at Newcastle in perfect afternoon sunlight.
Yes that is also my video
This is so cool! Very nice job. I had never seen footage of those excursions.
Before 4449 Returned In Daylight Colors In 1981 The SP&S 700’s Hancock 3 Chime Whistle Was Removed And The 3 Chime Whistle Was Replaced With Another Hancock 3 Chime From Another Daylight Locomotive Not Counting The 6 Chime Whistle
5:00 is that an NYC stem engine whistle or Sierra railway 34 whistle??????????
It was neither.