selected as the excursion railroad operator in May, and incorporated a new Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad as a separate non-profit corporation to operate the railroad on August 8. Later that year, the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento donated Howard Terminal Whitcomb diesel No. 8 and four former U.S. Air Force flat cars. P&SVRR began converting one of the flats for passenger use in 2009. The Fernley Preservation Society of Fernley, Nev., donated Cotton Belt bay window caboose No. 48 in July 2013. The track was mostly intact, but a number of areas needed to be repaired and/or cleared of obstructions to be safe for even motor car operations. Many mature trees that had grown close to (and in several cases between) the rails were removed. Bridges were inspected
and repaired. Many ties were replaced, a few broken rails were changed out, and a major washout near Latrobe was repaired. It would be a few more years before the track would be brought up to Class 1 standards to allow trains to run, but the line was safe for motor cars. The City of Folsom had expanded significantly in the 20-plus years since SP trains stopped running, and new suburban neighborhoods were built all around the line on the east side of town. Many new
multi-lane roads were added without warning lights or gates at crossings, so three-person flagging crews were required to provide protection and ensure safe train movements through town. Despite all the challenges, the first
annual Folsom Railfest was held at Hampton Station in 2010, which featured a handcar derby, motor car rides, and even Sacramento Regional Transit’s historic street car No. 129 operating via a portable on-rail generator. Public
RIGHT: P&SVRR’s first annual Railfest was held on September 18-19, 2010, and featured many different pieces of operating rail equipment, including a handcar, various motor cars, and a streetcar provided by RT Metro. BELOW: Diesel train rides began on August 3, 2013, with Howard Terminal No. 8 and a converted flatcar providing a short half-mile jaunt from Folsom Junction to Glenn Drive. Cotton Belt caboose No. 48 was not yet ready for service and was on static display.
48 SEPTEMBER 2016 •
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