California Western 45
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| California Western Railroad #45 | ||
|---|---|---|
Factor of adh. 3.98 | | |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators | Owen-Oregon Lumber Co.,(Brownlee-Olds Lumber Company), Medford Corporation, California Western Railroad, Mendocino Railway, (Sierra Northern) |
| Class | III |
| Numbers |
|
| Official name | California Western Railroad |
| Nicknames | The Skunk Train |
| Locale | Owen-Oregon/Medford Corporation: Southern Cascades, (Butte Falls, OR); California Western: Northwestern California Coast, (Fort Bragg, CA). |
| First run | California Western Railroad: July 8, 1965; inaugural July 9, 1965 |
| Retired | 1964 (revenue service) |
| Restored | 1983 |
| Current owner | Mendocino Railway, (Sierra Northern) |
| Disposition | Undergoing rebuild, based in Fort Bragg, California |
California Western Railroad No. 45 is an operating
Between 1965 and 1980, No. 45, along with stablemate No. 46, (a 2-6-6-2 Mallet), pulled the railroad's Fort Bragg - Willits summer steam excursion train, the "Super Skunk". The California Western discontinued steam service in 1981. In 1984, No. 46 was donated to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, as a result of high maintenance costs, and the opinion that the locomotive was too light on its feet. (No. 46 was a saddle-tank locomotive, before California Western added a tender and removed the aforementioned tank.)
In 1983, after two-year operational hiatus, the locomotive briefly returned to service, and was renumbered No. 44 for a role in Racing with the Moon. The locomotive retained this number for several months.
In 2001, the locomotive was removed from service for an overhaul. The locomotive returned to service in May 2004, and currently operates regular "Skunk Train" service to Northspur Wednesday through Saturday, May through October. No. 45 began to show its age, and, as a result, the Sierra Railroad discontinued the Super Skunk service to Willits. No. 45 occasionally travels to Willits for special events, although a diesel helper is required for additional power and dynamic braking. In fact, there are currently no trains that traverse the entire route; passengers must transfer at Northspur. In 2015, the locomotive was removed from service once again for a mandated rebuild.
References
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