The California State Railroad Museum Foundation mission is to generate revenue and awareness on behalf of its destinations, while supporting the preservation, interpretation and promotion of our railroad heritage. The foundation provides funding for ongoing support of numerous programs, both at the museum's Old Sacramento location and at the historic park in Jamestown. Photo by Kelly B Huston, courtesy of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Visitors to the Old Sacramento Waterfront will soon regularly hear that steam whistle blow as Granite Rock 10 returns to operating service, riding the rails of the Sacramento Southern Railroad.

The California State Railroad Museum & Foundation are thrilled to announce the historic steam locomotive is set to officially begin pulling weekend excursion trains on August 9.*  

Moving forward, Granite Rock 10 will likely pull excursion trains on two weekends per month, rotating with historic diesel locomotives.

In the meantime, the community and rail fans might see Granite Rock 10 on the excursion train as the train crew gets fully up to speed operating the steam locomotive for the first time in six years. 

Since October 2019, Granite Rock 10 has been out of service for needed maintenance that took place in the historic Railyard Shops. Most of the meticulous work done on the locomotive involved a cylinder-rebuilding project followed by precision adjustments to the valves and valve-timing mechanisms.

The precision-focused maintenance was led by Chief Mechanical Officer Al DiPaolo who was supported by a dedicated crew of mechanics that specialize in historic rail equipment.

“Still operating steam locomotives such as our prized Granite Rock 10 are true survivors and always have a fascinating story to tell,” said Dr. Ty Smith, Director of the California State Railroad Museum. “We invite our local, regional, and world rail community to take a ride back in history to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a historic train ride reminiscent of an earlier time when steam ruled the rails and connected the nation in majestic ways.”

As background, Granite Rock 10 was built in 1942 for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, sold as surplus to Granite Rock Co. of Logan in 1947 before retiring from service in 1960. The historic steam locomotive was later donated to the California State Railroad Museum in 1995 and returned to service in 1997, pulling weekend excursion trains and delighting fans of all ages.

With roots dating back to World War II, Granite Rock 10 tells a tale of ingenuity and using every available technological resource available at the time. “Today, Granite Rock 10 allows the Museum to preserve and teach the now nearly forgotten knowledge associated with the maintenance and operation of steam-driven machinery,” said Tim Schroepfer, President & CEO of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation.

In addition to periodic evening and/or special train ride experiences, memorable six-mile, 45-minute excursion train rides are available Fridays through Sundays, with three trains departing on Fridays (11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.) and five on Saturdays and Sundays (10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.).

Advance reservations for excursion train rides are available here. Tickets purchased online may be picked up in the ticket office of the Central Pacific Passenger Station on Front Street between I and J streets at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. If still available, same-day tickets are available at the ticket office as well.

For updates on when Granite Rock 10 will be operating on the Sacramento Southern Railroad, the team will give as much advance notice as possible via social media channels. For more information about the California State Railroad Museum or Foundation, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum.

*Steam is not guaranteed and motive power is subject to change on any given day without advance notice.