Hetch Hetchy Railroad Engine No.6
Also known as: Engine (Locomotive) No. 6; Shay No. 6
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Shay No. 6 is a steam locomotive built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1921 and now displayed at El Portal, California. Its three-truck Shay design uses vertical pistons and a drive shaft to climb steep grades and round sharp curves, at a top speed of about 12 miles per hour. It measures roughly 40 feet long and weighs 198,000 pounds. The engine began work in 1922 hauling cement trains up Priest Hill for the Hetch Hetchy Railroad, a line built to supply the Hetch Hetchy water project for San Francisco. It was the railroad's last and heaviest locomotive and its only Shay. Sold in 1925 to the Pickering Lumber Company, it worked that logging railroad until retirement in 1958, and was moved in 1960 to a National Park Service exhibit. Only three Hetch Hetchy locomotives survive. The engine was listed for its transportation history, independent of its site.
Significance in brief: It was the last, heaviest and only Shay locomotive purchased by the Hetch Hetchy Railroad, which served the Hetch Hetchy water project for San Francisco. It later worked on the Pickering Lumber Company logging railroad. It is one of three surviving Hetch Hetchy Railroad locomotives, and its significance is considered independent of its location.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78000360, listed January 30, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | CA 140, El Portal |
|---|---|
| County | Mariposa County |
| Listed | January 30, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000360 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1921-1960 |
| Architect / builder | Lima Locomotive Company (Lima Locomotive Works) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in 1960 to a National Park Service transportation exhibit at El Portal; condition listed as good and unaltered, with the road number plate missing and minor alterations made during logging use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.67505, -119.78038 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78000360.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q12059981
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.