Steam at SPCRR - Ardenwood (Fremont CA)

From SPCRR - Railroad Museum at Ardenwood
Fremont, California

Very Exciting News…Historic narrow gauge steam locomotive Argent #5 arrived this weekend at its new home at Ardenwood Historic Farm! This 26-ton, 2-6-2 (Prairie) steam locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1910 for the Williamson & Brown Land and Lumber Company. It was sold in 1916 to the Argent Lumber Company Railroad, Hardeville, South Carolina where it operated until 1956. Since 2013 the locomotive has been on loan to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. The locomotive has now been purchased by two individuals and they have leased Argent #5 to SPCRR where it will eventually be operated at Ardenwood.Argent #5 is already close to being operational, but several tasks need to be done first. We need to convert it from burning wood to using oil (burning wood is a fire danger especially since our track runs through a eucalyptus grove); it needs a new tender, and the boiler needs to have lagging and a jacket installed. We expect this work to take about 1-2 years.You can see the locomotive later this year at SPCRR’s annual Rail Fair over the Labor Day weekend, September 3-5, 2022. More information on Rail Fair and how to purchase advanced tickets will be posted on our Facebook page and on our website [www.spcrr.org].