At home in the woods of Oregon. Santa Maria Valley Locomotive #205 hauls a couple of loads of heavy timber across one of numerous wooden trestles on the Mill City Branch of Oregon's Albany & Eastern Railroad. This particular trestle is located along the Santiam River in the town of Mehama, Oregon.
Built in 1924 for the San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad in Auberry, CA, this pretty Baldwin 2-6-2 made her living hauling timber. In 1933, she was sold to the Santa Maria Valley Railroad in Santa Maria, CA, where she worked until she was retired in 1950. Totally worn out, she was placed on static display at the fairgrounds in Santa Maria, where she languished for over 30 years. When the owners threatened to scrap her in the early 1980s, she was purchased by George Lavacot, who literally spent 30+ years totally restoring this engine. As I understand it, virtually every component of this engine needed work. Fortunately, all of this man's efforts have come to fruition and the engine is once again running for the first time in 70 years, at a new home in Oregon, on the Albany & Eastern. She's now hauling tourist trains along the Santiam River and occasionally participating in special events, such as this 2022 photo shoot for Lerro Photography.
A look at steam operations on Oregon's Albany & Eastern Railroad, headquartered in Lebanon, OR, and featuring Santa Maria Valley Railroad Locomotive #205.
