A SHORT HISTORY AND ROLLING STOCK

Jamestown after Hotel Nevills burned in 1915.  Mainline passenger train 2 on left with 4-4-0 No.6. Angels mixed 22, (without any freight cars), on right with Shay No.11.

The Sierra Railway reached Jamestown from Oakdale  November 1897. On February 1898 work commenced on the routes from Jamestown to Sonora,(mainline), Jacksonville,(Yosemite Short Line), and Angels,(Angels Branch). But due to the right of way acquisition problems with the gold mines and engineering challenges of the Stanislaus River canyon, track laying stopped at Tuttletown till March 1901.

To get through the canyon two switchbacks were constructed. The McArdles switchback on the south side and the Pendola switchback on the north side.

McArldes Switch 1. Left is to Jamestown, right is the reverse track to Switch 2.

                                                               

McArdles Switch 2. Right side is the reverse track to Switch 1.

Between them the Stanislaus River was crossed by a 300 foot trestle and bridge, fifty feet above the river.

No.30 pulling train Mixed 22 w/combine 5.

                                                          Grades were up to 4.15%

Pendola Switch 3. Left side is the reverse track.

First passenger train to Angels was September 10, 1902 pulled by Shay No.10 with coaches 5 and 6.

No.10 pulls first excursion September 15, 1902.

Engines used on the Angels  Branch

           No.9 two truck Heisler (1036) 1899

No.10 two truck Shay (718) 1902

No.11 two truck Shay (788) 1903

No.12 three truck Shay (789) 1903, not used often on AB, it was the mainline engine for the Hill Job, (Jamestown to Tuolumne), till larger rod engines were bought in the 1920s.

No.30 2-6-2 Baldwin (55412) 1922

No.32 2-6-2 Baldwin (57010) 1923, used on AB only when 30 was down for maintenance or as a helper. 

Passenger cars used on the Angels  Branch

Combine 5 built 1902 by Holman and Co. in San Francisco.

Coach 6 built 1902 by Holman and Co. in San Francisco.

Combine/caboose 9 built 1914 in Jamestown shops, only used when 5 or 6 was down for mainenance or on extra excursions.
     

Four flatcars w/ four length wise benches used 1902 for excursions.

Picnic cars 300, 302, 304, 306 made from ex V&T flats.

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Report No.3

The Jamestown yard track is done. Will be installing the turntable and main turnouts next.
Test train w/ No.8, 5 & 6.

Operation program

I'm using the JMRI Panelpro program. It's a free download I found looking online. After running it, I realized both John and Steve are using the same for their railroads. 

I have trains/schedules set up so I can run the full length program, Angels to JT and back. Or During construction just JT to Omega siding first, then JT to Tuttletown when track gets there.
When done there will be four trains each day. Two Morning; 21 Mixed and Angels West Extra.Two afternoon; Angels East Extra, and 22 Mixed. 
Here are all the locations for freight car traffic. The program usually fills about 45% of the locations w/ the 25 cars I now have. I might add a few more cars, but it works really well now.
Locations                  Program Car Capacity

Angels

     Angels Freight            3

     Angels Lumber           2

     Angels Ore                   2

     Angels Warehouse    3

     Angesl Oil                    2

     Greenstone                 2

Carson Hill

     Carson Hill Siding     2

     Jones Mine                   1

Melones

     Coyote Gravel             2

     Melones Mill               3

     Melones Mill Oil        1

     Melones Siding          2

McArdles

     McArdles                     1

El Rico

     El Rico Siding             0

     Williams Mine           1

Tuttletown

     Patterson Mine          1

     Tuttletown Siding     1

Omega

     Marble Spur                2

     Omega Siding              2

Jamestown Yards

     Freight Siding             4

     Indust. Siding              2

     Machine Shop             1

     Storehouse                   1

     Woods Ck Gravel        2

     Main Siding                 8

Jamestown Yard

     Oil Spur                         1
WOW, I did line those numbers up! Three times.

Below are examples of one day of Extra freight trains from JMRI. 

Sierra Railway 

Manifest for train (Angels West Extra) Valid 6/30/1912 00:57 

Scheduled work at Angels, departure time 07:45 

[ ] Pick up D&RGW 1684 Gondola Brown L from Greenstone 

[ ] Pick up SVX 1443 Tank Oil Silver E from Angesl Oil 

[ ] Pick up D&RGW 1683 Gondola Brown L from Greenstone 

Train departs Angels Westbound with 3 cars

Scheduled work at Carson Hill, arrival time 08:05 

[ ] Pick up TCA 1988 Hopper Lt. Brown L from Carson Hill Siding 

Train departs Carson Hill Westbound with 4 cars

Scheduled work at Melones, arrival time 08:35 

[ ] Pick up NVR 81408 Hopper Lt. Brown E from Coyote Gravel 

[ ] Set out TCA 1988 Hopper Lt. Brown L to Coyote Gravel 

Train departs Melones Westbound with 4 cars

No work at McArdles 

No work at El Rico 

Scheduled work at Tuttletown, arrival time 09:55 

[ ] Pick up UTLX 31701 Tank Oil Black E from Tuttletown Siding 

Train departs Tuttletown Westbound with 5 cars

Scheduled work at Omega, arrival time 10:25 

[ ] Pick up SRy 20 Boxcar Lt. Brown E from Marble Spur 

[ ] Set out D&RGW 1684 Gondola Brown L to Omega Siding 

Train departs Omega Westbound with 5 cars

Scheduled work at Jamestown Yards, arrival time 11:05 

ALWAYS KEEP MAINLINE CLEAR AFTER WORK IS DONE THERE! 

[ ] Pick up TCX 424 Tank Oil Silver L from Main Siding 

[ ] Set out NVR 81408 Hopper Lt. Brown E to Woods Ck Gravel 

[ ] Set out SVX 1443 Tank Oil Silver E to Main Siding 

[ ] Set out D&RGW 1683 Gondola Brown L to Main Siding 

[ ] Set out SRy 20 Boxcar Lt. Brown E to Main Siding 

[ ] Set out UTLX 31701 Tank Oil Black E to Main Siding 

Train departs Jamestown Yards Westbound with 1 cars 

Scheduled work at Jamestown Yard, arrival time 12:25 

[ ] Set out TCX 424 Tank Oil Silver L to Oil Spur 

Train terminates in Jamestown Yard

Sierra Railway 

Manifest for train (Angels East Extra) Valid 6/30/1912 00:55 

No work at Jamestown Yard, departure time 14:09 

Scheduled work at Jamestown Yards, arrival time 14:29 

ALWAYS KEEP MAINLINE CLEAR AFTER WORK IS DONE THERE! 

[ ] Pick up D&RGW 4061 Flatcar Black L from Freight Siding 

[ ] Pick up RPRX 608 Boxcar Lt. Brown L from Freight Siding 

[ ] Pick up CCL 1701 FLATCAR Green E from Indust. Siding 

[ ] Pick up BTSX 2001 Reefer Yellow L from Storehouse 

Train departs Jamestown Yards Eastbound with 4 cars

No work at Omega 

No work at Tuttletown 

No work at El Rico 

No work at McArdles 

Scheduled work at Melones, arrival time 16:49 

[ ] Pick up MP&S 2003 FLATCAR Silver E from Melones Mill 

[ ] Set out D&RGW 4061 Flatcar Black L to Melones Siding 

Train departs Melones Eastbound with 4 cars

Scheduled work at Carson Hill, arrival time 17:29 

[ ] Set out RPRX 608 Boxcar Lt. Brown L to Jones Mine 

Train departs Carson Hill Eastbound with 3 cars

Scheduled work at Angels, arrival time 17:59 

[ ] Set out CCL 1701 FLATCAR Green E to Angels Lumber 

[ ] Set out MP&S 2003 FLATCAR Silver E to Angels Lumber 

[ ] Set out BTSX 2001 Reefer Yellow L to Angels Freight 

Train terminates in Angels

Report No.2

House /freight depot siding and main linked and tested today, again w/ No.8 Climax, two lumber flats and comb. 5.
Loaded train on outer AB track next to rock wall. Ran train west on main and backed on inner AB track. Dropped the 5, pulled flats west, backed to freight siding and dropped them. Unloaded them, got the 5 and put on west end of flats, ran around, made up train and ran back to outer AB.
A short operating test w/ no problems.

Looking track west

Looking track east

Switches/Turnouts

I made 8 for the JT yard. The ties are old redwood from a neighbors deck, cut on my table saw to about 5/16 inch square. I used a jig to cut the different lengths on the same saw. The dark ties are LGB ties.
All the rail is used LGB. Curved is from 8 ft.D  R3 curved pieces. Frog is soldered w/ a small torch. Point and frog rails shaped on grinder.
Ground throw made from aluminum rod and wire w/ a magnet on end to hold its position.

Tacks are from Orchard Supply Hardware store.

Made a wood jig to hold the ties in place. One for left and one right.

Usually took me 2-3 evenings to make one. Sometimes longer when things didn't fit right. I always tested it when done by connecting track to all ends and running a flat car w/ small flange metal wheels through it many times and adjusted as needed. Oh what fun!


.

REPORT No.1

Started laying track 8/11/18. Glued down w/ silicone. 
One eighth inch expansion spacers holding gaps.
All 8 yard switches I made 3 months ago.

Test train 8/12/18. All tunouts are same as LGB R3, 8 ft. R

What fun today running on the beautiful  Mother Lode & Minaret Railway made by Patrick McConnell and his brother in east Sonora. Lots of RR friends there for running, chit-chat and BBQ. Thanks for the great time.

My Sierra No.8 Climax heading its mixed.

Over the lovely "River" trestle.