*** UPDATE: Local Sacramento PBS station KVIE-6 to air A Star is Reborn: Sierra #3 on December 16th @ 1pm! ***
It has taken close to $1.5M from the State of California, two foundations, the people of Tuolumne County and train enthusiasts worldwide to fund its restoration. It took a Washington State design firm, key staffers and many more dedicated volunteers at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park to do the work. Now you can see the restoration of the 1891 Rogers class steam locomotive Sierra #3 — AKA “The Movie Train” — for yourself this fall on the new PBS program “Ultimate Restorations” (check your local listings for the time and station in your area).
Sierra #3 is probably the most widely-seen locomotive in the world, appearing in over 100 feature films and TV series, including High Noon, Unforgiven, Back to the Future III, and “Petticoat Junction“. After over 100 years in service, it’s boiler failed and needed replacement. Unfortunately, spare parts for these ‘Iron Giants’ are non-existent, so a new one needed to be fabricated. This episode of “Ultimate Restorations” tells the story of how a few talented individuals and many passionate volunteers got The Movie Train back on track.
Sierra #3 is now in service on selected weekends throughout the summer and into the fall. Buy you own ticket online at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park.
