Representatives from the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio, bid up the price on the embattled steam locomotive to $400,000 and bested Valley Railroad of Essex, Conn., to win the locomotive. The organizations were the only two bidders.
The sale happened because the Chelatchie Boiler Works of Woodland, Wash., placed a lien on No. 19 after they were not paid for the boiler work they completed on the engine in 2006. The lien amount was $264,000. The sheriff had a court order to seal the engine house since 2013. The original sheriff’s sale was cancelled at the last minute in October 2013 when prior operators of the Yreka Western claimed they had a superior lien on No. 19.
Age of Steam officials now have only two weeks to get No. 19 moved out of the roundhouse that is still under the local sheriff’s control. Age of Steam officials tell Trains News Wire that they will load loose parts from the engine immediately onto a truck while a trucking company is scheduled to start loading the locomotive onto a low-boy trailer in the next week. Age of Steam officials plan to truck the tender to Ohio directly. The engine will be trucked to Sacramento, Calif., then loaded on a railroad flatcar for shipment to Ohio. The engine movement will start the second week of October.
By buying No. 19, Jerry Jacobson, the owner of the Age Of Steam Roundhouse now owns two other former McCloud River Railroad steam locomotives, having bought former McCloud No. 9 last year from it’s long time owner Steve Butler. No. 19 is best known for its supporting role in the 1973 move “Emperor of the North” staring Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. The locomotive was also power for the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern Railroad.
No. 19 last operated in November 2008 on the Yreka Western Railroad in Yreka, Calif. Since that last run, the locomotive has stayed locked away in the Yreka engine house.
UPDATE: Details on the auction and information from the winning bidder on the locomotive’s movement. Oct. 6, 2016, 1:28 p.m. Central time.
@JOHN RICE
The line going through Montague is owned and operated by the Central Oregon Pacific Railroad. It’s an active line that just reopened last year after a major fire in a Siskiyou Summit tunnel.
@ Thomas Noyes
That is correct, the railroad is currently not operating in capacity. The guy who owns it ran it for several years before starting to scrap everything. I know that a couple of passenger cars and about a mile of main line track were sent to the recyclers. The city and county have tried to take over several times, but have been unsuccessful.
Luke Solberg: With regards to the former CB&Q #5632 (4-8-4 Northern?), I believe the gentleman’s name who owned that locomotive, was Richard Jensen. He lived in the Chicago area and owned #5632 along with a former Grand Trunk steam locomotive, a Pacific type, I believe. The 5632 ran on excursions in the Midwest (mostly on the Burlington & also powered the “Circus Train” to Milwaukee several times in the late 60s). I don’t recall the last time #5632 might have operated, but I suspect it was in the late 1960s/early 70s.
These locomotives were impounded by the Chicago & Western Indiana RR and ultimately scrapped in the early 80s, due to non-payment of rental/storage fees by Mr. Jensen. These locomotives were stored at a C&WIRR facility in the Chicago area. The legal case involving this situation and Mr. Jensen dragged on into the mid 1980s. An unfortunate turn of events to be sure.
So, it sounds like from further comment posts here that the Yreka Western RR is no longer operating freight (tourist?) rail service. Arcadia Press did a somewhat interesting short history book about the Yreka Western several years ago and it sounds like they were only doing “car storage” at the time of publication and no freight operations per se.
They laid out $400K to buy a partially disassembled steamer at a sheriff’s sale? I’d have guessed the price would have been about a tenth of that. But what do I know?
As far as Niles Canyon or California Western buying it, I’d guess that neither could scrape up more than $400 to buy it. Niles Canyon has plenty of potential, but they roll out a humble train. Cal Western is more complex, but they lack deep pockets, and that they are still alive is a miracle.
So, is there an actual scarcity of such engines? Many museums have old steamers just sitting around on storage tracks while they are unable to do any restoration work due to lack of funds and lack of people to volunteer to do the work–and maybe lack of skills, too.
Yreka Western is not operating outside of legal actions. They have several pending actions against them. Montague California is trying to preserve the connection with the UP for future use and has filed claims to that effect. But its unlikely any rail beyond Montague will be preserved as I understood it.
So is the Yreka Western RR completely closed down now (i.e. not operating?)?
Too bad it’s going away from Northern California. The Yreka and McCloud had time to bring back steam, and sadly both are nearly all gone now. Whilst it would have been nice to see her remain in the West, I’m glad she’s got a good home, but sad it’s basically a big private toy now.
This is what happens when deadbeats don’t pay their bills!
I am glad that Mr. Jacobson purchased the locomotive, as far as public display he bought the locomotive and as long as it is his, he can chose to publicly display it or not. I have had several friends who have visited there not quite sure of the procedure on how to get in, but they got in. Just seen the pictures from the trip. No you can’t just show up unannounced and expect to get in and some people can’t handle that!
I could be a lot happier that Mr. Jacobsen purchased the engine if he actually shared his collection with others, rather than hoarding and hiding them away as his private little toy train set.
Who was the “one other bidder” that the AOSR group out-bid?
Bet the former operators and fans weren’t expecting that to happen.
Amazon Smile.
He probably was referring to Paulsen Spence who had a collection of over 30 steam locomotives on his Louisiana Eastern Railroad. After his death in 1961 only 4 managed to survive the scrapper’s torch.
Arthur just Miller are you talking about the man who got CB&Q 5632 scrapped
Thankfully, this locomotive now is in the hands of a well-funded, dedicated, and knowledgable preservationist. Hopefully, Mr. Jacobson has a perpetual trust set up, this so the collection does not go the way of an earlier collector (whose name I cannot recall) that had many of his pieces scrapped.
Aw, I wanted the Niles Canyon Railway or California Western Railroad to buy it.
Just another piece hidden away from public view now.
Hmm, I think this is a case where the AoS people should have let it go, at least had it gone to the Valley RR in Essex, CT it would have run for the public(last I heard it’s still in operating condition).
Ahhh ok – the article hadn’t been updated when I posted my first comment.
The other party bidding was Valley Railroad of Essex, Ct, according to the article.
Glad it’s going to a good home,but a little sad it’s leaving Northern California.