Re: Colombia RR NG

Pat, yes I was up there for that weekend. It was Labor Day of '71. Never got to see the Sierra or West Side doins then because I was a brakeman/hostler on the Sugar Pine Ry. (ex- Pickering Lbr.). Karl Koenig was engineer, Pete Rogers was fireman, I was head-end brakie, Joe Ward was conductor & Chris Collins was the other brakeman. George Childs also fired & Howard Wise was also active. I got to fire one trip & also run one. Engine used was Pickering's Shay 7, an 80-3 class engine. Shay 33 was stored @ Lyons Dam where the runaround was. Probably the best railfanning experience that I ever had as Pickering is what got me started with this hobby.
Also got to railroad with former Pickering employees Bill Scott & Garnet Dambacher. Fibreboard sent them out the first morning to help make certain that we got the train out on time. We came pretty close.