Hello all: The El Dorado Western Railway, which will operate as the rail living history program for the El Dorado County (California) Historical Museum, took delivery of a 1952 Plymouth 22-ton Locomotive from CertainTeed Corp. in Chowchilla, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 17, 2010. Since the locomotive doesn't have a direct tie to county railroads, it will be lettered as the EDWR No. 1. Although the locomotive was once owned by a company that operated in E Dorado County, we don't believe it was ever located here. Please stay tuned for news of the EDWR. For those familiar with the Southern Pacific Placerville Branch rail line, the railway will operate between the El Dorado Wye at Mother Lode Rd. and end-of-track at Missouri Flat Rd., a section just under 4 miles in length. Our current operating projection calls for passengers runs over the Memorial Day holiday in 2011. You can follow progress at our blog at http://eldoradowestern.blogspot.com/. ====<<>>==== Here's the article in today's Mountain Democrat: Crane deposits locomotive By Roberta Long It wasn’t wrapped, but the train engine that arrived in El Dorado on Friday, Dec. 17, might as well have had a big red ribbon on it. The 22-ton Plymouth diesel locomotive is a gift from CertainTeed, in Chowchilla. Keith Berry, president of El Dorado Western Railway, said CertainTeed had owned the engine for over 30 years. “They were looking for a place to donate the engine where it would be taken care of.” In a sense the Plymouth is coming home to El Dorado County. At one time it was owned by American Rock & Gravel Co. in Cool. It was built by Plymouth Locomotive Works, a builder of small railroad locomotives in Plymouth, Ohio, in 1952. Continue reading.
Steve, do you know if this company operated the quarry at Cool now called the Cool Cave Quarry owned by Tiechert, once served by the Mountain Quarries RR??
That's the sence I get, John. But I don't know for sure. Next time I'm at the museum, I'll have to see what I can find in the files.
Mountain Quarries had a Plymouth but it was smaller, only 7ton blt 1922. At first I was hoping this was one in the same but it's not if the paper has it even partly correct. My records indicate your new loco to be an 18ton, model JDT, serial #5634, blt in 1952 for California Rock & Gravel of Eliot,CA. Course a google search turns up no Eliot,CA. Figures.
You could be right ... I should get a chance to climb on board tomorrow. I've been waiting to get a look at the builder's plate. Where did you get your information? I've been looking for any info on the loco during its time in Chowchilla, but can't find anything on the 'Net. I'd love to establish its chain of ownership for our records. According to one website, the Calif. Rock & Gravel was located in "Newcastle, El Dorado County, California." The only Newcastle that I'm aware of is in Placer County on I-80, unless there's an obscure location in El Dorado County with the same name. (http://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ca/quarry_photo/ca-el_dorado_latrobe-shingle_springs.html) Hey, you now need to establish an El Dorado Western Railway page on Foothill Rails.
Someone very graciously sent me a Plymouth builders list. It only indicates the two owners, California Rock & Gravel and Certainteed in Chowchilla. Only the one Newcastle I know of. CR&G did not have any rail ops or even a quarry at Newcastle itself that I know of. Probably just thier main address. Some of their products most likely came from nearby quarries to be loaded on the SP at Newcastle as well. This is a very common theme found around here. You guys keep at it and I'll continue to have plenty of material for the site.
Ok, think I solved the other location issue of Eliot,Ca as listed on the Plymouth builders list. From wiki: Looking at my modern map, there are gravel pits at just about the right location on a spur in East Pleasanton. I would think, this is where your new loco actually worked. What do you guys have planned for rolling stock?
The No. 1 is now lettered for the El Dorado Western Railway. Since we're currently focusing on maintenance of way issues, like tie replacement and brush clearing, we haven't used the locomotive that much. On Thusday, crews moved her uo to end-of-track to allow that contracted spray truck to come up the line. We called the newspaper. Editors sent a reporter and a couple photographers out for the move. Watch the Mountain Democrat for an article and photos.
I figured it out ... I had to give flickr.com permission to give out my photos. El Dorado Western Railway No. 1 by SeabeeCook, on Flickr Hogger by SeabeeCook, on Flickr