Friends of No. 9, the organization formed by the
Mill Valley Historical Society, Friends of Mt. Tam, Marin History Museum and others, have been working feverishly ever since to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for all of the costly next steps – moving the engine, storing it, restoring it and eventually placing it somewhere – a reality check that the winning the bid was likely the easiest part of the endeavor.“We were just elated,” MVHS President Eric Macris says of hearing the news. “People from Mill Valley have been trying to do this for more than 65 years. It’s the real deal – it’s the only big piece of the equipment left from the Mountain Railway. It would be a wonderful, iconic thing for our town.”
“It’s a huge project – we’ve got to move, restore and relocate this locomotive,” Macris adds, pointing to the 2018 launch of the “Steam Locomotive Project” fundraising campaign. “This is going to take some years, and a lot more fundraising, community support and hard work. This is an incredible opportunity.”
To that end, historian Fred Runner, author of Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway, is set to appear at the Mill Valley Library on Wednesday, Feb. 6 to talk about the lost railroad and the project to save engine #9. Runner will be joined by special musical guests Dore Coller & His Millbillies, a band that regularly performs to support local efforts to sustain local history, particularly the restoration of Mount Tam’s West Peak.
The 411: Historian Fred Runner, author of Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway, speaks at the Mill Valley Library, 375 Throckmorton Ave., on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 7pm to talk about the lost railroad and the project to save engine #9. Runner will be joined by special musical guests Dore Coller & His Millbillies. MORE INFO & REGISTRATION.