Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad (YMSPRR) is a historic narrow gauge railway with two operating steam train locomotives located near Fish Camp
, California
, in the Sierra National Forest
near the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park
. Rudy Stauffer organized the YMSPRR in 1961, utilizing historic railroad track, rolling stock and locomotives to construct a tourist line along the historic route of the Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company.
Service began with the purchase of three-truck Shay locomotive
No. 10 from the West Side Lumber Company railway
of Tuolumne, California. Built in 1928, No. 10 was recognized as the largest narrow gauge Shay locomotive—and one of the last ever constructed. After his retirement in 1981, Rudy Stauffer was succeeded by his son, Max, as the railroad's owner and operator. In 1986, the YMSPRR purchased Shay No. 15—also a former West Side Lumber Company locomotive—from the West Side & Cherry Valley Railroad tourist line in Tuolumne.
The two steam locomotives operate daily during the summer months, while the railroad's Model A "Jenny" railcars, capable of carrying about a dozen passengers, typically handle operations during the off-season.
The current railroad follows a portion of grade originally carved into the mountain by the Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company in the early 20th Century. The company originated in 1874, when it was organized as the California Lumber Company to log the area surrounding Oakhurst, California
. The Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company once had a large sawmill at Sugar Pine, California
, just south of the current YMSPRR. The railroad had seven locomotives, over 100 log cars, and 140 miles (225.3 km) of track in the surrounding mountains. In addition to the railroad, the Company also transported lumber in a flume
that stretched 54 miles (86.9 km) from Sugar Pine to Madera, California
. This was the most efficient way to transport rough cut lumber out of the mountains for finishing and transport at the bottom of the mountain. The Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company practiced clearcutting
, which removed almost every single tree within the stands of timber surrounding the YMSPRR track. The thick forest surrounding YMSPRR today belies this history, although large stumps from the original old growth timber dot the forest floor lining the tracks.
Due to the onset of the Great Depression
and a lack of trees, the operation closed in 1931. But the graded right-of-way through the forest remained, enabling the Stauffer family to reconstruct a portion of the line in 1961. The current railroad utilizes locomotives, converted log disconnect cars, and other railroad equipment purchased from the West Side Lumber Company after it ceased railroad operations in 1961.
Fish Camp, California
Fish Camp is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California. It is located east of Mariposa, at an elevation of 5062 feet . The population was 59 at the 2010 census....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in the Sierra National Forest
Sierra National Forest
Sierra National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located on the western slope of central Sierra Nevada in the state of California. The forest is known for its mountain scenery and natural resources. Forest headquarters are located in Clovis, California...
near the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
. Rudy Stauffer organized the YMSPRR in 1961, utilizing historic railroad track, rolling stock and locomotives to construct a tourist line along the historic route of the Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company.
Service began with the purchase of three-truck Shay locomotive
Shay locomotive
The Shay locomotive was the most widely used geared steam locomotive. The locomotives were built to the patents of Ephraim Shay, who has been credited with the popularization of the concept of a geared steam locomotive...
No. 10 from the West Side Lumber Company railway
West Side Lumber Company railway
The West Side Lumber Company railway was the last of the gauge narrow gauge logging railways operating in the American west.- Narrow gauge :- Standard gauge :...
of Tuolumne, California. Built in 1928, No. 10 was recognized as the largest narrow gauge Shay locomotive—and one of the last ever constructed. After his retirement in 1981, Rudy Stauffer was succeeded by his son, Max, as the railroad's owner and operator. In 1986, the YMSPRR purchased Shay No. 15—also a former West Side Lumber Company locomotive—from the West Side & Cherry Valley Railroad tourist line in Tuolumne.
The two steam locomotives operate daily during the summer months, while the railroad's Model A "Jenny" railcars, capable of carrying about a dozen passengers, typically handle operations during the off-season.
History
Oakhurst, California
Oakhurst is a census-designated place in Madera County, California, south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Oakhurst is located on the Fresno River south-southwest of Yosemite Forks, at an elevation of 2274 feet...
. The Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company once had a large sawmill at Sugar Pine, California
Sugar Pine, California
Sugar Pine is an unincorporated community in Madera County, California. It is located north of Yosemite Forks, at an elevation of 4236 feet . It is located 1 mile east of California State Route 41, between Oakhurst, California and the South Entrance of Yosemite National Park.Sugar Pine was built...
, just south of the current YMSPRR. The railroad had seven locomotives, over 100 log cars, and 140 miles (225.3 km) of track in the surrounding mountains. In addition to the railroad, the Company also transported lumber in a flume
Flume
A flume is an open artificial water channel, in the form of a gravity chute, that leads water from a diversion dam or weir completely aside a natural flow. Often, the flume is an elevated box structure that follows the natural contours of the land. These have been extensively used in hydraulic...
that stretched 54 miles (86.9 km) from Sugar Pine to Madera, California
Madera, California
Madera is a city in and the county seat of Madera County, California, United States. It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Madera County, and Metropolitan Fresno. It is located in California's San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2010...
. This was the most efficient way to transport rough cut lumber out of the mountains for finishing and transport at the bottom of the mountain. The Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company practiced clearcutting
Clearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
, which removed almost every single tree within the stands of timber surrounding the YMSPRR track. The thick forest surrounding YMSPRR today belies this history, although large stumps from the original old growth timber dot the forest floor lining the tracks.
Due to the onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and a lack of trees, the operation closed in 1931. But the graded right-of-way through the forest remained, enabling the Stauffer family to reconstruct a portion of the line in 1961. The current railroad utilizes locomotives, converted log disconnect cars, and other railroad equipment purchased from the West Side Lumber Company after it ceased railroad operations in 1961.
Motive Power
- No. 10: a narrow gauge three-truck Shay steam locomotiveSteam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
constructed for the Pickering Lumber Company. The locomotive was completed on March 2, 1928 by the Lima Locomotive WorksLima Locomotive WorksLima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shops location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between the Baltimore & Ohio's Cincinnati-Toledo main line...
of Lima, OhioLima, OhioLima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
and later acquired by the West Side Lumber Company in 1934. No. 10 burns oil, with a capacity to hold 1200 US gal (999.2 imp gal; 4,542.5 l) of oil and 3420 US gal (2,847.7 imp gal; 12,946.1 l) of water. This locomotive is reputedly the largest narrow gauge Shay locomotive ever constructed.
- No. 15: also a narrow gauge three-truck Shay steam locomotiveSteam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. No. 15 was originally constructed as the No. 9 for Norman P. Livermore & Company, out of San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and soon thereafter sold to the Sierra Nevada Wood & Lumber Co. The locomotive was completed on May 20, 1913 by the Lima Locomotive WorksLima Locomotive WorksLima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shops location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between the Baltimore & Ohio's Cincinnati-Toledo main line...
of Lima, OhioLima, OhioLima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
. No. 15 burns oil, with a capacity to hold 1000 US gal (832.7 imp gal; 3,785.4 l) of oil and 2000 US gal (1,665.3 imp gal; 7,570.8 l) of water. In 1917, the No. 15 was acquired by Hobart Estate Co. as their No. 9. In 1938, the No. 15 was given its current number when purchased by the Hyman-Michaels Co., operating out of San Francisco. The West Side Lumber Company purchased No. 15 only a year later. When the West Side shut down in the 1960s, a tourist operation, the West Side & Cherry Valley, acquired the No. 15. After hauling tourists for a number of years, the locomotive sat on static display in Tuolumne, California, until the YMSPRR acquired it in 1988.
- "Jenny" Railcars: Ford Model A automobiles converted for rail use by the West Side Lumber Company. These railcars each accommodate about 12 people, providing regular service in conjunction with the normal steam operation.
- No. 402: a narrow gauge center cab two-truck diesel locomotiveDiesel locomotiveA diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
. The YMSPRR does not use this locomotive for regularly scheduled revenue service.
- No. 5: a narrow gauge two axle diesel switch engine built in 1935, but not currently in operating condition.
Points of interest
- The Thornberry Museum, a historic log cabin built over 140-years ago, offering visitors a glance at what life was like on the slopes of the Sierras over a century ago
- The Sugar Pine Trading Company, providing a selection of literature and sources related to the YMSPRR, railroads and the history of Yosemite ValleyYosemite ValleyYosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
- Picnic and event grounds at the eastern terminus of the line
- Gold panning
- A rare narrow gauge snowplow, the West Side Lumber Company's plow No. 2