Sierra Railway Shops

These shops stopped being a railroad and carried on as scenery. From 1897 to 1955 this was the Sierra Railway's roundhouse, turntable and car shops, serving hardrock mines, the lumber trade and the crews building regional dams. The bronze then calls Sierra the best known movie railroad in the state and says plainly what that involved: locomotives and cars decorated to play parts. It also casts its own registration date, 22 April 2014, which almost no plaque does, and it was dedicated at the 150th anniversary of California State Parks.

What the plaque says

SIERRA RAILWAY SHOPS BETWEEN 1897 AND 1955 THIS SHOPS COMPLEX, INCLUDING FREIGHT HOUSE, ROUNDHOUSE, TURNTABLE AND CAR SHOPS, WAS SIERRA RAILWAY'S MAIN LOCOMOTIVE AND CAR MAINTENANCE FACILITY. SIERRA SERVED THE HARDROCK MINING AND LUMBERING INDUSTRIES, AND ASSISTED CONSTRUCTION OF REGIONAL DAMS AND RESERVOIRS. SIERRA ALSO BECAME CALIFORNIA'S BEST KNOWN MOVIE RAILROAD, DECORATING SIERRA LOCOMOTIVES AND CARS TO PLAY MANY ROLES IN MOVIES AND TELEVISION. STATE REGISTERED HISTORICAL LANDMARK NO. 1053 REGISTERED APRIL 22, 2014 PLAQUE PLACED BY CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, THE NATIVE SONS OF THE GOLDEN WEST, AND THE CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS FOUNDATION DEDICATED 2014, THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Columbia State Historic Park — 6.9 mi
  The Gem of the Southern Mines, still open for business on a car-free Gold Rush main street.

More markers nearby

• Jamestown — 0.3 mi
• St. James Episcopal Church — 3.1 mi
• Montezuma — 3.4 mi
• Tuttletown — 3.6 mi