Builder number 1,236 of the HK Porter Company of Pittsburgh, PA, is an industrial wood-burning, ten-ton 0-4-0T. She was originally built as a a twelve-ton 2-4-2T for the Rogue River Valley Railway in Oregon. Unable to deal with the grade from Medford to Jacksonville, it was sold to a local lumbermill. The lead and trailing trucks were removed at some point increasing tractive effort - putting all of her remaining ten tons on the drivers. The locomotive survived for the next fifty-five years in yard service. In 1951, it was purchased by Mrs. Chad O'Connor as a birthday present for her husband. He restored the engine and ran her on his private railroad for several years. Short Line Enterprises of Valencia later acquired the locomotive. In 1991 Short Line moved to Fillmore (eventually becoming the Fillmore & Western). Extensive repairs were done and a maroon-and-tuscan paint job applied in 1992; the engine was renamed "Sespe." at that time. Sespe was operated off and on for the next dozen years or so on special occasions in Fillmore and also appeared at nearby events such as the Citrus Festival in Santa Paula and the opening of a new highway bridge in Saticoy. She was featured in the Ventura County fair parade a couple of times; hauled on a large truck with smoke billowing and whistle blowing, she won a first-place trophy both times. Sespe was a familiar runner at FWRY events and was even used on "Run A Locomotive" service in which you could pay to run her. Firebox troubles sidelined her in 2004 and she has not been run since that time, although plans are to rebuild her soon. This was her first time seen in public since then, making a guest appearance (on mobile track) at the Fullerton Railroad Days.
