Sierra Railway No. 3's Last Run - Railtown "Grand Re-Opening" - May 10th, 1996

[@Class158]

17:36 the best her whistle has ever sounded.

[@Engineer5344]

I always liked her in that scheme with the white trim on the drivers and black with orange lettering and trim on the cylinders. very classy

[@JAILRail]

I like the "Back To The Future 3" look.

[@simontrainbrainz6038]

Actually, Number 3 was not in her BTTF3 look, but she was dressed up for the show “ The Adventures Of Brisco County Jr.” before she was stored away.

[@bradymc33]

Simon Trainbrainz idk what your talking about bc that train was in the movie lol

[@RailsofNorCal]

Damn that is awesome. They need to dress up #3 like that again in the future. The tender in this video is still floating around outside the roundhouse

[@johndavies9270]

Thanks for all the information to the different questions - I've loved No 3 for years, ever since she starred in Casey Jones and Iron Horse. (I don't think Petticoat Junction appeared on British TV) She's usually the most convincing actor in any of the films she appears in. As to originality - many preserved locos in GB were rebuilt several times over during their main line working careers, often receiving 'stock' parts to get them back into traffic as quickly as possible, so what came out of the shops usually wasn't the same engine that went in. I suppose No 3, belonging to a less intensively used railway than (say) the Pennsylvania or the LMS is luckier, and thus much more original in that respect. Whatsoever, its good to see her again. My favourite American citizen!

[@calsurflance5598]

As I write this Dec.2021, number 3 is getting some new boiler tubes. It should be up and running by spring. I worked on it 8 to 10 years ago as a volunteer. This holiday season, my wife and I worked the Polar Express behind the (28). We live 65 miles away, yet still get up there every chance we get . It’s a magic place! 🚂🚂🎄🎅🏻

[@dougrien8107]

So what happened? There is a mystery surrounding number 3 and a blame game being played. Does anyone know the real story?

[@BCSchmerker]

*I saw some details on other equipment as well.* I recognized the Radley-Hunter stack the 3-spot used, burning wood in the original boiler's firebox, and the late type oil-burning headlamp. The 2-spot is actually a "West Coast Shay," packing superheat and piston valves plus a stepped engineer-side catwalk over the air pumps and reservoir; Lima Locomotive Works stuck with the Stephenson valve gear, which required less space for scale than the Walschaerts drives used on the firm's exactly contemporary six-coupled tank engines and other switchers.

[@SierraRailway]

The wood on the tender was strictly for display. Since the locomotive burns oil, the cord wood on the tender was never used as fuel, outside of film work.

[@cmw184]

Good to hear it was just restored

[@isaiahwilliams2642]

I hope I can ride on the the movie train someday. And I'd love to see #3 in another feature or TV series, or at least dressed up like she was ready for one. I also love this whistle sound, her current one sounds VERY close, but you can still tell that it's not quite the same.

[@SierraRailway]

It is the same whistle, but in addition to age, it was rebuilt in 2011. Whistles don't need much work done to sound different. I can assure you, it is the same whistle.

[@isaiahwilliams2642]

+SierraRailway Oh okay, that makes sense.

[@isaiahwilliams2642]

+SierraRailway And also one question, I know her boiler is new, but is the Smokebox the same?

[@SierraRailway]

All new. The only part of the boiler that was reused was the smokebox front. Most of the controls, valves, and gauges are also original.

[@isaiahwilliams2642]

+SierraRailway Thank you. We'll have to chat, I have too many questions for this comment section, unless your alright with that.

[@SRRC245]

They should have kept the white wheel trim on 3’s drivers. My opinion it looks really nice.

[@brenthill3241]

Would love to visit Railtown 1897 one day to see the famous water tower and country side from the opening of my favourite classic TV show Petticoat Junction. I can't help but wonder from a strictly pound for pound basis how much of the loco is original. The frame? Steam chest? Wheels and rods?

[@SierraRailway]

Even to this day, it is difficult to validate which parts are original from the factory, but the parts that were original to the locomotive in its revenue service years (basically before the state owned it) are the tender trucks, drive wheels and pilot truck, frame, brake rigging, steel cab (installed circa 1918) cylinders, oil tank, gauges and cab controls, domes, bell, and most of the metal hardware. The tender cistern, tender frame, and boiler are all new.

[@brenthill3241]

SierraRailway Ah I see. Okay. Thank you.

[@RCCrawlerz209]

96..WOW that was a long time ago! lol Then I was 9 years old, skip forward 20 years & I'm 29. Haha Boy seeing this makes me feel old. 😜😔😮

[@RCCrawlerz209]

@@Anarchy-Is-Liberty Now I'm 33, talk about old now. Lol

[@britainluver431]

I was only 1 year old at this time.

[@vincentberkan605]

That's a nice looking daimond stack, is it still around?

[@SierraRailway]

On display in the Movie Prop barn.

[@Class158]

She looks SO much nicer in "make up" than when she is "normal". 😍 I would say this is arguably the classiest she has looked (and the nicest she's sounded), but Central Pacific 131 all day long for me! This scheme looks very similar (or the same?) as the one used in the movie Unforgiven.

[@brianfalzon6739]

What happened to 34?

[@SierraRailway]

Nothing happened to 34, it's still kept in the Jamestown Roundhouse; the locomotive is privately owned and in long term storage at Railtown.

[@brianfalzon6739]

@@SierraRailway ok then what is her current status?

[@SierraRailway]

@@brianfalzon6739 The locomotive's current status was noted in my previous response.

[@Class158]

16:46

[@BroIsUsingSticknodes]

wait a minute i saw that locomotive in 2020 in operation.WHAT DO YOU MEAN LAST RUN?!??!

[@SierraRailway]

Read the description. This was the last time the locomotive operated before being removed from service for an FRA mandated inspection and overhaul.

[@BroIsUsingSticknodes]

@@SierraRailway oh yeah i forgot about that but why did it need an inspection??

[@SierraRailway]

@@BroIsUsingSticknodes The Gettysburg Railroad incident in 1995 caused the FRA to revise its operating and maintenance guidelines for steam locomotives. Under the new regulations, the No. 3's original lap-seam boiler was deemed no longer safe to operate and it was removed from service.

[@BroIsUsingSticknodes]

@@SierraRailway i didnt know SORRY IM A 11 YEAR OLD KID I DONT MY RAILROAD HISTORY

[@ap70621]

Hooterville Cannonball.

[@rotunda57]

And behind her is car #5, the car seen on the show. 9:40

[@VT29steamtrain]

Casey Jones.