Baldwin 'depot-sed' - Union Pacific may remove Ione locomotive Thursday, January 22, 2009 By Jerry Budrick The 125-ton Baldwin #10 locomotive, seen here in June, currently sits illegally on Union Pacific rails in Ione.Photo by: Jerry Budrick Months after taking what was generally considered its last run down the Amador Central tracks, the 125-ton Baldwin #10 locomotive sits illegally on rails belonging to the Union Pacific Railroad. Old #10 is parked in front of the Ione Depot, which itself sits abandoned in the south part of the city near Ione Junior High School. Officials of the rail line have threatened to remove the massive antique by crane Saturday, an action under appeal by members of the Amador County Historic Railroad Foundation. ACHRRF president Colin Frost hopes to prevent removal at least until he has an opportunity to meet with City Manager Kim Kerr on Monday. Ownership of the locomotive is unclear. It was taken from its former home on property belonging to Sierra Pacific Industries in Martell by railroad preservationist Doug Morgan of Portola in June, who said then that his desire was only to save the machine from dismantlers. At that time, there was no clear plan for the locomotive's disposition, beyond the suggestion that it might find a permanent home at the Railroad Museum in Portola. Morgan didn't return requests for comment before deadline. At Tuesday night's Ione City Council meeting, Kerr described the situation at the depot, where the locomotive is parked. The city, Union Pacific and Larry Bowler, representing the Recreational Railroad Coalition, have been in negotiations to have ownership and responsibility for the depot placed in the hands of the city of Ione. "The city told Union Pacific that they would like to see the trains running through town again," Kerr told the council. "They could get trains running if they replace a couple of ties and remove the bumpers." The bumpers have been emplaced at a point approximately 2 miles north of the city, preventing rail travel past that point from either direction. Union Pacific runs trains twice a week to ISP, an industrial plant north of the UP bumpers, producing granular products that are economically shipped by rail. The rail line goes to Galt, where it connects to the main UP system. Complications arise in that existing tracks belonging to Union Pacific come together with tracks belonging to SPI at the Ione Depot. "The recreational people help Union Pacific maintain the tracks," Kerr said. The reason for recreational involvement lies in the fact that the RRC leases 9 miles of track between Ione and Martell from the owner, SPI. In an e-mail to RRC members, Bowler said that it was the mutual desire of both his group and the city to insure "protection of the 135-year-old, unused depot and the similar yard tracks. It has been the desire of RRC and the city of Ione that these old resources be preserved either for recreation and education or be returned to revenue service." Competition has developed between the RRC and the ACHRRF, with each group working toward its vision of historic preservation. Both agree, however, that it would be best if Union Pacific gives the depot to the city. It remains to be seen if the Baldwin #10 is still on the tracks when the city and ACHRRF meet Monday.
