Locomotives

Porter c/n 3329.

12-ton 0-4-0 side tank loco with rear fuel bunker and side cab doors. 8xl4" cylinders, 27" drivers, 60" wb. Purchased 11/05 by the Sierra Ry. as Yosemite Short Line #1. To Empire City Ry in 1906. No records have been found of the fate of this loco and c/n 3330 after the Empire City closed down. It is interesting that the mill trackage at Standard City was 30" gauge, possibly they went down there when that saw mill was developed in 1913.

Porter c/n 3330.

12-ton 0-4-0 side tank loco with rear fuel bunker and side cab doors. 8xl4" cylinders, 27" drivers, 60" wb. Purchased 11/05 by the Sierra Ry. as Yosemite Short Line #2. To Empire City Ry in 1906. According to Sierra Ry. fuel records, this locomotive was never run on the Yosemite Short Line.

Porter c/n 3467.

18-ton side tank loco (similar to Grandt Line kit). l0xl6"cylinders, 30" drivers, 60" wheelbase. On order for the Yosemite Short Line as their #3. Delivered 5/06. An order to change the number to #20 was sent to Porter in April 1906, shortly before work was stopped as the YSL project closed. Became Empire City Ry. #3 in 1908. Recieved an auxiliary tender in 1909, at the same time as loco 4350 was delivered. Sold in 1913 to the Southern Oregon Lumber Co. and operated on isolated trackage in Northern California, north of Mt Shasta.

Porter c/n 3468.

18-ton side tank loco (similar to Grandt Line kit). l0xl6"cylinders, 30" drivers, 60" wheelbase. On order for the Yosemite Short Line as their #4. Delivered 5/06. An order to change the number to #21 was sent to Porter in April 1906, shortly before work was stopped as the YSL project closed. Sold to Pittsburgh Plate Glass as their #2 in 1907.

Porter c/n 4350.

18-ton side tank loco (similar to Grandt Line kit). l0xl6"cylinders, 30" drivers, 60" wheelbase. Delivered 6/09 to Standard Lumber Co. for the Empire City Ry as their #4. This loco came with an auxiliary four-wheel tender (looks similar to Grandt Line kit but larger/longer, and the sides ended flush with the tank top). A similar tender was ordered for EC #3 at the same time. Loco #4 was delivered with a cab roof that extended over the front of the tender, you can distinguish between the two locos by their cab roofs. Sold to the Sloat Lumber Co.

Lima Shay c/n 1786, 1906

Two cylinder, ten ton Shay. Union Construction Company #2. Sold to Empire City Ry. but never repainted or renumbered. The Union Construction Co. was 3' gauge, the Shay was converted by moving the wheels inward on the axles in the original trucks, and placing a spacer behind the bull gear. To the Loma Prieta Lumber Co., Santa Cruz County, in 1918. Scrapped there in the 1930's.

Lima Shay c/n 2017, Aug. 1907

Union Construction Co #3, regauged to 30" gauge as above, and used on the Empire City Ry. Later woods engine at the Sloat Lbr / F S Murphy Lbr / Quincy Lbr operation at Sloat, CA. It weighed in at 40.000 lbs with 26" drivers and 8"x12" cylinders. Scrapped at Sloat ca 1936.

Lima Shay c/n 2590, 1912

Ten and one half ton, two cylinder Shay, Only engine on the Molino Timber Co . One of only four engines ever built to this small size, Lima plan No. 2203. To the Loma Prieta Lumber Co. in 1918. Scrapped there in the 1930's.

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Known photos:

Yosemite Short Line #1 at Empire City (c/n 3329).

3/4 rear right view. Small spark arrester. Ferrell, M Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette, Nov/ Dec 1983,p 52.

YSL #1 at Empire City, ca 1908

With string of Yosemite Short Line 18' flat cars. Mugele, R, Empire City Railway (the prototype), Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette, Nov/Dec 1981, p 21f, photo collection of Richard W. Bierman.

YSL #1 or 2 at Empire Mill.

Wolf, A H, Rails in the Mother Lode, Darwin Publications, 1969, photo credit Bill Burner Collection.

YSL #2 at Empire Mill in 1908 (c/n 3330).

Wolf, A H, Rails in the Mother Lode, Darwin Publications, 1969, photo credit Jack Holst Collection.

Empire City #3 at Empire Mill (c/n 3367).

Air pump on l.h. smoke box. Deane D N, Sierra Railway, Howell-North Books, 1960, photo credit Archie Stevenot. Also in Wolf, A H, Rails in the Mother Lode, Darwin Publications, 1969, photo credit Don Segerstrom Collection.

Porter c/n 3367 and 4350 at Empire City enginehouse.

4350 has extended cab roof and tender. 3367 has air tank under l.h. cab side. Deane D N, Sierra Railway, Howell-North Books, 1960, photo credit Archie Stevenot. Also in Wolf, A H, Rails in the Mother Lode, Darwin Publications, 1969, photo credit Don Segerstrom Collection.

Porter c/n 4350.

Air pump on r.h. smoke box. Air tank (?) on l.h. side tank. Forward cab window boarded up. Spark arrester. Larry Woolston Collection, published in Light Locomotives, vol.I #4, July/August 1982. Probably taken at Sloat on railfan expedition in 1938.

Lumber train on the Empire City Ry.

#4 with tender. Air tank under l.h. cab side. Deane D N, Sierra Railway, Howell-North Books, 1960, photo credit Archie Stevenot. Also in Wolf, A H, Rails in the Mother Lode, Darwin Publications, 1969, photo credit Don Segerstrom Collection.

Sloat Lumber #4 at Sloat (c/n 4350)

After abandonment. Left side view. Ted Wurm collection.

Sloat Lumber #4 at Sloat

Sept 1938. Front view. Photo by J E Boynton, in Steam Forever, Nov 91, a newsletter privately published by Mr Boynton.

Sloat Lumber / F S Murphy Shay (c/n 2017)

With log train near switchback. NG&SL Gazette, May 95, also in in Steam Forever, (see above). Photo by J E Boynton, Mal Ferrell collection.

Molino Timber Co. Shay (c/n 2590)

3/4 front right view. Doug Richter collection. Published in Labbe & Goe´s "Railroads in the woods", and is available on the Geared Steam Locomotive´s website. Look under "Shay".

Molino Timber Co. Shay.

Left side view with empty bulkhead flats. Bookenoegen photo, courtesy Ralph Andrews, in Shelburne, 1971.

Molino Timber Co. Shay.

Right side view, being set up by Lima´s traveling engineer, Bert Stoodley collection, in Shelburne, 1971.

Molino Timber Co. Shay.

3/4 front left view, mule team in background, L B Greaves collection, in Shelburne, 1971.

Molino Timber Co. Shay.

Rear view, backing with loaded train. Bert Stoodley collection, in Shelburne, 1971.