Uploaded September 2014 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
The Golden Gate Railroad Museum and the Niles Canyon Railway sponsored a group of steam excursions over the 2014 Labor Day weekend. Boarding in Sunol, the train was pulled west by the GGRM #1487, a Fairbanks Morse H-12-44 diesel switcher previously owned by the US Army and painted in Southern Pacific’s the black and orange colors used by the former fleet of similar SP locomotives. Upon arrival in Niles, the diesel was cut off and the museum’s marvelous SP #2472, a 1921 product of Baldwin Locomotive Works, pulled the excursion up the one percent grade back to Sunol. I spent the day chasing the first two round trips through the canyon shooting video at various locations. This video is the result of that footage. I also rode the train on its last trip shooting video from an open car. Plans are to post that video also in the near future.
The Golden Gate Railroad Museum and the Niles Canyon Railway sponsored a group of steam excursions over the 2014 Labor Day weekend. Boarding in Sunol, the train was pulled west by the GGRM #1487, a Fairbanks Morse H-12-44 diesel switcher previously owned by the US Army and painted in Southern Pacific’s the black and orange colors used by the former fleet of similar SP locomotives. Upon arrival in Niles, the diesel was cut off and the museum’s marvelous SP #2472, a 1921 product of Baldwin Locomotive Works, pulled the excursion up the one percent grade back to Sunol. I spent the day chasing the first two round trips through the canyon shooting video at various locations. This video is the result of that footage. I also rode the train on its last trip shooting video from an open car. Plans are to post that video also in the near future.
