| Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum |
| Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum |
Museum Sets Out to Acquire Union Sugar No. 1 LocomotiveJune 25, 2008Our Benefit Dinner and Auction on February 29, 2008 in support of this project was a huge success! We have paid the current owner for the locomotive. Now it's a matter of completing the fundraising to transport the loco here and put it on display. Union Sugar No. 1 is an 0-4-0T steam locomotive that once worked the sugar beet gondolas at the Betteravia sugar mill. Union Sugar Company No. 1 was a plant switcher at the Betteravia sugar refinery. Union Sugar, named to represent the union of interests of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, was conceived in the late 1800s and began operations in September of 1899. Originally serviced by the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Pacific Coast Railway, the Santa Maria Valley Railroad became involved after its inception in 1911 and continued hauling beet gondolas for the refinery until the refinery closed in 1993. Currently in storage at the California State Railroad Museum in Jamestown, CA, this 0-4-0T steam locomotive was originally built as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific No. 84 (CRI&P) in 1884.       Many thanks to Barron Smith for the photos! Brochure (PDF, 478kb). |
 Photo of U.S. No. 1 at work in Betteravia, courtesy of the California State Railroad Museum Good news! As of April 2008, the locomotive has been purchased! Don't let up on the effort though, we still need to get it here, and get it put on permanent display. You or Your Business Can Help Bring Her Back! ___ Brakeman - $100 ___ Fireman - $500 ___ Engineer - $1,000 ___ Other - $__________ Send your contribution to: Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum PO Box 264 Santa Maria, CA 93456-0264 All financial supporters at $100 and above will be memorialized on a plaque at the point of display, initially envisioned to be in the historic district in downtown Santa Maria along McClelland Street.        |