Doubleheader Steam Mallets at the Niles Canyon Railway 5/11/19

On May 11, 2019, the Niles Canyon Railway ran a special railfan excursion for the 150th anniversary of the golden spike. The locomotives featured were Clover Valley #4 and Skookum, making it the only place in the world to see two Baldwin Mallets working together. Skookum came from the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad where it made its debut in some photo specials after being retired from a derailment 64 years ago and a 15-year restoration. The event also included the debut of Yosemite Valley Observation Car #330 which was under restoration for several years. I rode the 10AM departure from Niles where the Mallets made two run-bys in the canyon and continued east of Sunol to the current end of the line at Verona. Skookum took us back to Niles and I chased the 1:30PM, or should I say 3PM, since the train was behind schedule and Skookum was having a air valve issue at Verona. Despite the delays and issues, it was an awesome day chasing and riding behind two iconic Mallets. Enjoy:)