Restored No. 9 Steam Locomotive is on display for a limited time at the California State Railroad Museum. Restorations on the historic locomotive with California roots began in 2019 and were completed this year. Photo courtesy of the California State Railroad Museum/Kim Whitfield. Photo courtesy of the California State Railroad Museum, Kim Whitfield

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) – In partnership with Friends of No. 9, the California State Railroad Museum is excited to announce the beautifully restored No. 9 steam locomotive and companion exhibit are now on display inside the museum’s historic Roundhouse. No. 9 is the only surviving locomotive of the Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway, a tourist railroad in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enabled tourists to leave the city and enjoy the scenic beauty of Mount Tamalpais and, later, Muir Woods.

 In addition to seeing No. 9 up close, museum visitors can learn more about the history of the Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway and the prized locomotive by watching a special 8-minute video that is part of the exhibit.

The Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway, built in 1896, was known as the “Crookedest Railroad in the World” based on its 8.2-mile route with 281 curves climbed from Mill Valley (70 ft) to the summit (2,353 ft). At the top, visitors enjoyed sweeping views of San Francisco and the Pacific as they danced and dined at the Tavern of Tamalpais. Despite its popularity, rising automobile travel, mounting debt and a 1929 wildfire ended operations by 1930.

The Heisler locomotive No. 9 dates to 1921 when it was purchased by the Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway of Mill Valley to operate on the rails of the scenic tourist railway. In 1924, the locomotive was sold and spent the next two and a half decades working for lumber companies in Siskiyou and Humboldt counties.

In 1953, the Pacific Lumber Company bought the locomotive for display next to its new museum in Scotia, California. The locomotive was later put up for auction in 2018 when a group of dedicated rail fans joined together to raise funds to secure No. 9 and begin restoration. The dedicated group was steadfast in their focus to return No. 9 to its Mt. Tamalpais roots and viewed it as the “last piece of a lost era.”  

Carefully researched, the meticulous restoration work began in 2019 and will be completed in 2025. The historic locomotive remains an important piece of logging, tourist and rail history.

“The restoration of the No. 9 represents the very best impulses of the preservation community,” said Dr. Ty Smith, Director of the California State Railroad Museum. “Although the locomotive won't steam passengers up Mt. Tamalpais, it serves as a window into a remarkable episode in California History. We’re grateful to be able to share in telling this important story.”

The prized No. 9 steam locomotive and companion exhibit will remain on display in the museum’s Roundhouse until January 2026. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., regular admission to the California State Railroad Museum is $12 for adults, $6 for youth (ages 6 to 17), and are free for children five and under.

For more information about the California State Railroad Museum and Foundation, visit www.californiarailroad.museum.