John Schmale: On Saving Ocean Shore Railway Cars

Hi June,

Thank you for posting the Ocean Shore Stanley Steamer piece and the information about our new Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railway book. We enjoy your Coastside history articles. Much more history is lost than is saved. You are certainly doing your part to save it.
Jeff Millerick, the man who discovered Ocean Shore Railroad passenger car 1409 came over to our house last night and we recounted how fortunate it was that the car was saved. I believe that it was September of 2004 that he made the discovery of the car in a backyard of a home in Sebastopol. A short time later he called me and took me over to the property to view the car. When I saw it I knew right away that it was a Holman passenger car and that it was  built in San Francisco during 1909 for the Ocean  Shore Railway. The number 1409 lettered over the door frame confirmed its identity. It was in sad condition and several railway museums passed on acquiring the car for their collections. The once beautiful passenger car was going to be flattened via bulldozer. I made a call to Kathleen Manning of the Pacifica Historical Society and she set the machinery in motion. Through the Herculean efforts of Scott Lindner and a dedicated group of volunteers the car is now safe and secure at the Shamrock Ranch in Pacifica- about a mile from its home tracks. Like an aging Hollywood starlet the ancient car is enjoying a complete spa treatment and make-over.  JS
Thanks again,