LEBANON, Ore. — Santa Maria Valley No. 205, a recently restored 2-6-2 that had not steamed in 71 years, will make its photographer’s train debut in a Trains Magazine-sponsored event at the Albany & Eastern on March 18.
The locomotive and two coaches will make multiple photo runbys on the railroad’s scenic Sweet Home Branch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will be included. The date is the Friday before Winterail, the annual multi-media photography and rail collectibles show in nearby Corvallis, Ore. After pandemic-related postponements, Winterail is resuming for the first time in two years as a two-day event in 2022. The excursion starts only 18 miles away from Corvallis.
No. 205 was built by Baldwin in 1924. Retired and placed on display in Santa Maria, Calif., in 1950, it was acquired in 1983 and restored by a private owner, George Lavacot. Earlier this year, it was moved to its new home at the Santiam Excursion Train, which operates on the Albany & Eastern Railroad in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Regular operations with the engine begin in early December.
“We’re delighted to offer Trains readers the chance to celebrate the return of this distinctive Prairie-type steam locomotive,” says Trains Editor Jim Wrinn. “They’ll get the first chance to see the engine on an enthusiast special, get great photos, and come home with great memories. And if they’re on the way to Winterail, the timing is great to include both No. 205 and the show.”
Tickets are available here, through Eventbrite.
Details on Winterail are available at the Winterail website.
I’m wondering if SMV #205 is a sister locomotive to Ventura County #2 at OERM?
All Aboard! I’m in.