When Ellen Thomsen's late father, Erich, retired from his work as a railroad consultant, he turned his part-time train hobby into a full-time dream. He created the Redwood Valley Railway, which will host a Steam Meet on June 5 and 6. Visitors will be able to ride the 15-inch rails, drink in the Bay views, and hear the train whistles.

Ellen Thomsen is her father's daughter. "As soon as I could see over the counters, I was drafted," she says with a smile. She admits that her upbringing was a little skewed in favor of locomotives. "All of our vacations involved going to see somebody else's trains. I was practically in college before I discovered that everybody didn't have railroads!"

Back when Tilden Park still housed an army camp, Erich Thomsen proposed the idea of installing his railway as a park attraction. The city granted him permission, and the family-owned railroad has been operating in Berkeley's back yard since 1957. Looking at the lush grounds today, it's difficult to imagine the barren landscape left by the Army.

"It was pretty trashed, like an open desert," says Thomsen. "We figured if we were going to have an early-California narrow gauge railroad, we needed to have a realistic setting." So they planted 48 acres of native trees, grasses and plants, and today the hillsides bask in the shade of madrone and oaks, redwoods and laurel. Even the trains are named for the botanical life in the area.

Cruising on the 12-minute ride, it's not obvious all that goes into maintaining the Redwood Valley Railway. "Every last little piece needs special consideration," says Thomsen. "You can't buy any of this off the shelf." She lists the special-grade bronze used to cast the bells, the 4140 steel that goes into the wheels.

The shafts and driving axles, the boilers and chassis are all custom designed and made, mostly by Thomsen and her crew. When Erich Thomsen designed his scaled-down locomotive, he chose a 5-inch scale, derived from "the width of the average adult fanny multiplied by two." And from there, he crafted his trains from scratch, tailoring them to meet the unique conditions of his railroad.

Even the engineering tools are special. When Erich Thomsen worked for Western Pacific Railroad, he salvaged old surveying equipment that was to be scrapped. Says Ellen Thompson, "When they'd upgrade their equipment to lasers or GPSs, they'd just throw their old stuff out the back door." Her dad grabbed it, and today the beautiful vintage brass transits and levels, circa 1900, are used to maintain the tracks.

But Erich Thomsen, who died nine years ago, saved more than tools. During World War II, when steam engines were being scrapped for the war effort, Thomsen decided to do something about it. He headed for the hills, in search of old engines. Says his daughter, "He found several out in sheds, abandoned, and he'd track down the owners of record, which were usually little old ladies who didn't even know the engines were out there." Thomsen purchased the engines, and refurbished them himself. His collection formed the nucleus of what is now the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

The Redwood Valley Railway was created to preserve steam engines. "All the engines are historically and mechanically accurate," Thomsen says. "It's moving history." From the vintage water tower to the conductor's cap, a trip on the Redwood Valley Railway is a trip back into California's history.

And Ellen Thomsen is carrying on the tradition. Even in the overwhelmingly male-dominated world of railroads, Thomsen thrives. "One hundred years ago, the prime job for a civil engineer was with a railroad, and I can see why," says Thomsen. She speaks of ballast, of mathematical profiles and surveying. Her hands and blue striped cap are smeared with engine oil, and her eyes flash as she explains rail gauges, track widths, and the elements of a steam engine.

"Trains have a life to them," she says. "You hear the fire roaring and the air pumps stoking, and it sounds like breathing and a heartbeat."

The Redwood Valley Railway's Steam Meet offers a chance to learn some of the history of the steam engine, how they're made, and what goes into running a narrow gauge railroad. There will be track laying demonstrations, engines from sister railroads across the country, and thousands of train enthusiasts. The neighboring Golden Gate Steamers will also be hosting an open house.

Suzanne LaFetra is a freelance writer in Berkeley. You can reach her at suzlafetra@yahoo.com.

Contra Costa Times
Knight Ridder
(925) 943-8270
www.contracostatimes.com