Roaring Camp & Big Trees #7, the Sonora Shay

In the Santa Cruz Mountains between San Jose and Santa Cruz is the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad. They've been people through a redwood forest since 1963. (I first rode a train here on their opening day when I was 7 years old.)

On May 14, 2016 the Central Coast Chapter NRHS had an excursion here. We rode the train to the top of Bear Mountain, had lunch, and then had a tour of the engine house.

The power for the train up the mountain was RC&BT #7, a 1911 Shay from (of course) Lima Locomotive Works. #7 was built for the Butte & Plumas Railroad, where it was #4. It then went to the Westside Lumber Company as #7. It was then used on the Westside & Cherry Valley, and came to the RC&BTNGRR in 1985.