News and Events

CALIFORNIA LOCOMOTIVE PRESERVE Media contacts: Tresa Wilkinson; A.J. Farrar Post Office Box 299 Fillmore, California 93016 805-524-2256 Office www.caloco.org Press Release The California Locomotive Preserve ( www.caloco.org ), a non profit 501 c (3) corporation is pleased to announce a cooperative fund raising event on March 29-30, 2008 in Fillmore, California. The Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society, (scrvrhs.com), in cooperation with The Fillmore & Western Railway Company (www.fwry.com) is presenting a unique weekend of train related activities for the entire family that will create lasting memories for friends and family. Caloco will have a table top display and educational materials for distribution at this event. All proceeds from the table top event will benefit CALOCO Preserve. More details on this event are available at: http://www.fwry.com/railfest_2008/railfest_2008.html More information about CLP is available at: http://www.caloco.org/about.html Caloco’s first restoration project is the #14 a 2-8-0 steam locomotive manufactured by Baldwin in 1913, (ex-DLM #14) it weighs 120 tons and is 65 feet long. The engine and tender have been completely disassembled and significant progress is being made on the restoration. The steam boiler has been surveyed; the wheels and axles turned; the brake hangers and springs entirely rebuilt; and the locomotive thoroughly cleaned and prepared for reassembly. Additional donations are now needed to complete the restoration process and prepare the locomotive for operational status. California Locomotive Preserve’s mission is to receive donations of equipment and funding to insure the availability of antique, historical and out of production railroad locomotives for future generations to observe, examine, study and operate. A local board directs the California Locomotive Preserve. The organization is in an ideal locale to foster donations suitable for restoration, examination, study and operation due to its proximity and access to the former Southern Pacific Santa Paula branch line in the Santa Clara Valley of Southern California. ##

WHERE’S THE STEAM? One of the most frequently asked questions we hear in Fillmore is "When are you going to run steam again?" Like so many other questions in life, you will get as many answers as people you ask. There are varying answers to that steaming question. Soon, is the answer of the day. Steam, of course, means steam powered locomotives. The #51, a 1908 Baldwin Steam Locomotive that belongs to a private individual from Colorado has been operating during the last few years in Fillmore. The engine was used during festivals and special events. Unfortunately it broke down in 2000 and was no longer operable. Boy, have we heard about it from our "steam-loving" supporters. Recently, a 1913 Baldwin Steam engine, #14, was acquired for restoration. It traveled aboard a flat car from Dodge City, Kansas and has been under renovation ever since. The # 14 has been out of service for over 41 years and presents many challenges in the restoration process. It is quite an undertaking to restore, renovate, refurbish and bring back to life a broken steam locomotive. You can’t just go to the parts store and replace a damaged, broken or missing part for an engine manufactured in 1913. We have to commission a tool shop to manufacture an outdated, and much of the time, missing or damaged part, that has to be described precisely in order for it to fit and perform it’s proper function. An equally important component of the restoration process is the team that comes together to research and perform the necessary labor. Finding experts in these fields’ gets harder as time moves on because so do the ages of the experts. The restoration process on a 90-100 year old steam locomotive is an extremely expensive and lengthy undertaking. One of the challenges in restoring the steam engine is to convert it from burning coal (it’s original source of fuel) to burning fuel oil. The process is called a fuel-oil conversion. Both are burned to create steam, which powers the engine. A vast amount of research and time has to be devoted to finding the exact specifications the many parts have to be returned to. A set of original construction prints, from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, was located in the Southern Methodist University’s DeGolyer Library in Dallas, Texas. The staff was able to furnish excellent copies of the boiler and engine, plus other requested drawings to convert from coal to fuel oil. It was thought that all this information had been lost when the Baldwin Locomotive Works closed its doors. Safety is of the utmost concern when working on a steam engine of any kind, but particularly one so large as a locomotive. The nature of a steam engine is highly volatile and is treated with the utmost respect and care by its’ handlers. The main attractions of steam locomotives are their rarity and their history. We are proud and privileged to own a piece of history and with exercise the utmost care is preserving and restoring it to its original glory. It is our intent to pass the experience of riding on a vintage train pulled by a 90 year old steam locomotive to those who remember riding behind one as a youngster and also to their children and grandchildren. Until that restoration process is complete on the #14, visitors can see and enjoy an 1880 logging steam engine, the #1 Sespe, that is operated during festivals and special events. So "Where’s the Steam?" is the most asked question around Fillmore and we hope to have an answer soon.
We just want to restore the 14 back to life, if you ever wanted to see how much went into building a steam locomotive check out this link to the Fillmore & Westerns web site http://www.fwry.com/build_loco/build_loco.html

Caloco