Steam Engine Benefit A Success

They bought their locomotive.

Organizers of the Sierra Nevada Logging Museum near Arnold were enthusiastic but tired Saturday night.

A four-hour special steam train excursion from The Junction shopping center in east Sonora helped raise funds to complete the purchase of a historic Shay logging locomotive.

Museum Vice President Patrick Karnahan says money raised from the over 230 tickets sold for Saturday´s trip will complete the purchase of Yosemite Lumber Company Shay Number 2 plus pay all expenses for the benefit event.

The Sierra Railroad and Railtown 1897 State Historic Park participated in making the event successful. Railtown 1897 allowed the use of their vintage Shay locomotive for the trip through the Mother Lode. Numerous volunteers from the park, as well as supporters of the Calaveras County museum rode the train to assist the guests.

Now, Karnahan says, the museum will have to gather donations to pay the $10,000 needed to transport the 80-ton logging locomotive from Nevada to the new museum site in White Pines.