A historic Mill Valley train engine has been reconnected with an 8-ton boiler, kicking off reconstruction of the last steam locomotive of the historic Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway.
The boiler was recently lowered into Engine No. 9’s via a crane and remounted, said Fred Runner, president of Friends of No. 9, a nonprofit organization. The front plate and door also were attached to the smokebox on the locomotive.
The work concludes some of more unwieldy work in the process, leaving time for organizers to further consider potential locations for the locomotive. Restoration is expected to conclude by year’s end.
Organizers have several sites in mind, though they are mum on specifics. Proposals still have to be vetted, Runner said, acknowledging that there are few potential sites left in Marin.
“We’re still working on the long-term goals,” Runner said.
The restoration work on the 103-year-old, 36-ton engine is being guided by brothers Jeff and Don Millerick at a workshop in Sebastopol.
Now repaired and painted pieces can be attached. The first of which was the historic spot plate that was attached to the nose at the front of the engine. The spot plate has a new “9” on it to serve as the identifier of the locomotive. It’s the first time a bronze “9” has been in that spot since 1924.
“Putting the 9 on the front of the engine is a real feel-good moment for us,” Runner said.
Next, the organizers will coordinate the pipes that connect the steam, water, air and fuel that make the engine work.
The organizers originally planned for the engine to be displayed at City Hall in Mill Valley, but the plan was scrapped over concerns about safety and the potential impact on landscaping.
The organizers also scrapped an idea to locate the engine on an expanded section of Depot Plaza in Mill Valley. That plan also faced criticism over the size of the locomotive, which is 30 feet long, 9 feet wide and 11 feet tall.
The City Hall location was considered by proponents to be a nod to the city’s origin as a primary rail stop for Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods.
“The mountain railway put Mill Valley on the world map, introduced countless passengers to the importance of protecting redwood forests and marked the beginning of Marin County’s long history of environmental stewardship,” said Eric Macris, a board member of Friends of No. 9.
The train — the only surviving piece of rolling steam rail stock that pushed gravity cars and passenger cars to the top of Mount Tamalpais from 1896 to 1929 — carried more than 1 million visitors during its operation. Some of them were celebrities such as Susan B. Anthony, Jack London, John Muir and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Trips for travelers usually began at San Francisco’s Ferry Building. After traveling by vessel to Sausalito, travelers accessed a train in Mill Valley. The trail ran between Mill Valley, Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods on the Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railroad. At the summit was a hotel known as the “Tavern of Tamalpais,” with a restaurant and bay views. The trip took less than two hours.
The locomotive was eventually sold to the logging industry. In 1953, it was put on display at the Scotia Museum in Humboldt County. It was acquired at auction in 2018.
“We believe the local community will ultimately embrace displaying No. 9 in a prominent location that is easily accessible, somewhere on or near the original path of the mountain railway, and provides a way to preserve No. 9 and tell its story for future generations to appreciate,” Macris said.
