[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 13489] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING SIERRA NO. 3 ______ HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 20, 2010 Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park volunteers upon their diligent work and commitment to restoring the famous Sierra No. 3 locomotive. The restored Sierra No. 3 made it's debut at the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California on Friday, July 2, 2010. Sierra No. 3 is an 1891 vintage steam locomotive built by Rogers Locomotive Works in Paterson, New Jersey. The locomotive was originally purchased in 1891 for use on the Prescott and Arizona Central, a railroad owned by Thomas Bullock. Due to the failure of the Prescott and Arizona Central railroad, Sierra No. 3 was transported to California and used in the building of the Sierra Railway from Oakdale, California. In the early 1900's, Hollywood producers first discovered Tuolumne County and its historic trains. Since then, Hollywood has been filming Sierra No. 3, the photogenic steam locomotive along the Sierra Railroad's scenic route, to satisfy America's love affair with Western movies. Starring in more than 100 movies and television productions, Sierra No. 3 has appeared in more motion pictures, documentaries and television productions than any other locomotive. It appeared in The Virginian with Gary Cooper in 1929, the first sound movie filmed outside of a Hollywood sound stage. Shortly after it appeared in The Texan, Sierra No. 3 was derailed from the movie business as the depression hit and the Sierra Railway was struggling with bankruptcy and reorganization. In 1948, repairs were made to Sierra No. 3 and the locomotive hit the movie scene once more, appearing in High Noon, The Great Race, Bound for Glory, Back to the Future III and Unforgiven. The locomotive also appeared on numerous commercials and television shows, including Lone Ranger, Tales of Wells Fargo, Petticoat Junction, Rawhide, Death Valley Days, Lassie, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Wild, Wild West, and Little House on the Prairie. After sitting idle for many years, Sierra No. 3 was overhauled and returned to service in 1948. It operated for many years pulling special excursion trains and starring in movies. It was Sierra No. 3's use in the movies that preserved the Historic Jamestown Shops and Roundhouse when most railroads were scrapping their locomotives and demolishing the old railhouses. In 1995, the Federal Railroad Administration implemented new requirements to ensure the safe operation of the aging American steam locomotives. The 110-year-old Sierra No. 3 was assessed and it was determined that major repairs were required for it to be in compliance with the new regulations. In early 2000, a crew began to disassemble the locomotive, but the project was put on hold until a major fundraising effort was initiated in 2007. The restoration process took almost three years and cost 1.5 million dollars to complete. Today, Sierra No. 3 is fully repaired, restored and ready for its debut. The locomotive is housed at the original Historic Jamestown Shops and Roundhouse (now Railtown 1897 State Historic Park). Railtown 1897 operates, preserves and interprets one of just two remaining, fully intact and still functioning steam-era shortline railroad roundhouse complexes in the United States. With the dedication of many volunteers and partnerships, Sierra No. 3, originally built almost 120 years ago, will be available to carry passengers along the historic gold country route. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park volunteers and the partners involved upon their success in bringing back Sierra No. 3. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing all involved many years of continued success. ____________________