CPLT caboose relocated to Shingle Springs

The Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe caboose, which sat on a panel track in front of the El Dorado County Historical Museum for nearly 20 years, has been relocated to Shingle Springs. In recent months a renovation crew dismantled the caboose and moved timbers and hardware components to a storage container.

The panel track at the county museum will be moved to Shingle Springs and re-assembled for the CP and LT caboose re-build. 

The next step for the county museum is to look at options for the newly vacated space, according to museum administrator Mary Cory. She said the Museum Commission will "dust off" the development plan for museum yard as they look for an appropriate use of the space.

Two crews of craftsmen have begun the slow process of rebuilding the caboose next to the Southern Pacific freight shed at Shingle Springs. The center sills and wheel trucks were moved to Shingle Springs last week. A group of metal workers began preparing the sills for painting. They will fabricate the missing handrails, cut lever and ladder. The five members of the expert woodworking crew are preparing new wood beams for instillation.

Restoration has begun!

New website for El Dorado Western Railroad

The El Dorado Western Railroad introduces its new website at http://museum.edcgov.us/el-dorado-western-railroad. It's a component of the newly revamped El Dorado County Historical Museum website.

Please click for the schedule, information on volunteering and directions to train stations at El Dorado and Shingle Springs. You can print a Adobe potable document file (PDF) copy of the 2013 ride schedule and post it in the window of your business or place of employment.

Train rides for 2013

Come to Shingle Springs this Sunday (January 13, 2013) and help the El Dorado Western Railroad inaugurate train rides for 2013. The EDWR sends a heartfelt thank you to the community as it enters its third year of operation. Your continued support has allowed the railroad to continue to give train rides and preserve this valuable historic resource for future generations.

Highball for the first train is promptly at noon. The last run departs the depot at 3 p.m. Please remember at this time of year, all railroad operations at dependent upon weather. Watch our Facebook page for the latest news as we approach the run day.

The railroad will post its operating schedule soon. Watch for a special train on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, out of Shingle Springs. In the meantime, here's the timetable through the end of February:

January 13 -- Shingle Springs Depot
January 20 -- El Dorado Station
January 27 -- Shingle Springs Depot
February 3 -- El Dorado Station
February 10 -- Shingle Springs Depot
February 17 -- El Dorado Station
February 24 -- Shingle Springs Depot

Please mark your calendars. Highball for the El Dorado Western, and we'll see you on the train!