November 22, 2008

Preserving American History For Future Generations

Pictures taken around Folsom:

"Iron Horse"
Arrives Here From Sacramento
The Folsom Telegraph
Sunday, August 21, 1955
Folsom, California Sunday, August 21, 1955 ....

Close to 1,000 people are expected to be on board the excursion train when it pulls into Folsom Sunday afternoon in observance of 100 years of railroading in California.
Scheduled to arrive here at 3:30 p.m., the excursionist will listen to a prepared program and see the historic points of interest in Folsom, terminal of that road which was the first built west of the Mississippi.
A feature of the stop here will be the receiving on board of water from Folsom Lake. Contained in an old early-day jug, the water will be taken to the California State Fair where it will have a part in the "Marriage of Waters" which will be a feature of the Fair opening. Folsom Chamber of Commerce is arranging transportation of the water.
Pacific Chapter, Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, is sponsoring the excursion which will start from San Francisco Sunday morning at 7:45.
Drawn by the newest and oldest passenger steam engines left in service, the train will steam over the old route through Niles Canyon and Altamont Pass.
Arriving in Sacramento at noon, passengers will have a chance to inspect the display of historic relics there. At 2 p.m. the old whistle will toot, steam will pour from the balloon stacked oldtimer built in 1896, and the train will make its way out along the Sacramento River to R Street where the first rails were laid 100 years ago. From there it will follow the old original route to Folsom where the line terminated in February of 1856.
The trip is open to anyone who wishes to purchase a ticket. Round trip from Sacramento will cost $1.70 and from San Francisco the fair will be $4.40.
On the rear end of the gala train will be the ornate private car "Gold Dust" formerly owned by Lucius Beebe and now the property of the historical society. In this car will be gathered the foremost railroad historians of the west: Lucius Beebe, Charles Clegg, Gilbert Kneiss, Jerry Best, Roy Graves, Fed Stindt, Dave Joselyn, Dave Myrick and many others.
Some of them will speak briefly during the Folsom stop.