Part II-A Gem of the Old West

There may be a few steam locomotives around that are famous in Hollywood productions; however the most famous engine of Hollywood film and television is that of Sierra #3, which is located at the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California. In the last 94 years, she has appeared in more movies, documentaries, and TV shows than any other locomotive. In fact two of our most revered and talented actors, Don Collier and Bob Hoy, also appeared with her in a Little House segment called “The Runaway Caboose” with Don as the Engineer and Bob as the Fireman.

don

above-Don Collier as “Schultz’ (Left) and Bobby Hoy (Middle) as the fireman, Conductor unknown. 

The Sierra #3 was built in 1891 by the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works of Paterson, New Jersey for the Prescott and Arizona Central Railway. Two short years later, the owner went bankrupt and moved to Tuolumne and Calaveras counties in California bringing with him much of his railroad equipment including the Sierra #3. After reorganizing, he started the Sierra Railway Company for the timber and mining operations in the area. During those years, her first opportunity to debut in a movie was in 1920 with the silent film called The Terror with Tom Mix. Things dramatically slowed for the company, and as a result of the Great Depression, the Sierra Railway went into bankruptcy. Following the Depression in 1937, the railroad was reorganized as the Sierra Railroad Company; however, Sierra #3 continued to sit dormant on a sidetrack in Jamestown for 14 years. That was, until 1946 when a Hollywood producer, David O. Selznick, wanted to destroy her in a scene of the movie called Duel in the Sun.  The railways master mechanic at the time persuaded the owners that the engine only needed minor repairs to maintain her after sitting so long, and not to allow her this fate. Fortunately, due to these minor repairs, she was spared a destructive ending, and in May of 1948 she began what was to become her future of passenger excursions.

 

Over the next five decades, she has appeared in many movies such as High Noon, Unforgiven, The Virginian, The Great Race, The Perils of Pauline, The Apple Dumping Gang Rides Again, Pale Rider, and Back to the Future III.  In the Back to the Future III segment, there is a scene where the engine goes over a cliff, but with the use of a miniature scale train made to resemble the famed engine, she is spared destruction yet once again.

00314

Back to the Future III miniature scale  

The Sierra #3 has also been seen in such television shows as The Lone Ranger, Rawhide, Lassie, Tales of Wells Fargo, Casey Jones, Overland Trail, Death Valley Days, The Raiders, Petticoat Junction, The Wild, Wild West, The Big Valley, The Legend of Jesse James, Cimarron Strip, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, Father Murphy, The A-Team, and Bonanza: The Next Generation. Today, she remains a major attraction at the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown and is glorious as ever after an extensive overhaul which concluded in 2010 so that she may be enjoyed for generations to come. “All Aboard!”

no caption

(bottom) The Sierra #3 today

 

 

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.