North Pacific Coast #12 "Sonoma". Narrow gauge enthusiasts who visit the main hall of the California State Railroad Museum may find themselves doing a double-take, when they encounter this locomotive. This little 1876-vintage 4-4-0 looks for all the world like Dan Markoff's Eureka & Palisade #4. There's a good reason for that. Both locomotives were built to the specifications of Baldwin's Class 8/18 and are essentially sisters. This engine was built for the North Coast Pacific Railroad in California, as their Number 12. Named "Sonoma", she pulled both passenger and freight trains between Sausalito and Duncan's Mills until 1879. She was then sold to the Nevada Central, where she then operated in many roles for nearly a half century. Retired in 1938, she was loaned by the Nevada Central to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society's Pacific Coast Chapter. Restored as an old-time wood burner, she played the role of the Central Pacific "Jupiter" in a narrow gauge re-enactment of the Last Spike Ceremony. She was placed in storage in 1940 and in the late 1970s, became part of the collection of the California State Railroad Museum. She has since been restored to her as-built condition....which is why she looks so much like Eureka...right down to the paint scheme. There are some subtle differences, however. Sonoma retains her crosshead water pumps and does not have an air pump. Over the years, Eureka has been modernized with injectors and an air pump, to meet railroad industry standards for an operating locomotive.
