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This forty-ton wood-burning 4-4-0 steam locomotive was the pioneer engine of the Central Pacific Railroad. The Gov. Stanford was built in 1862 in Philadelphia, then shipped disassembled in crates around Cape Horn from Boston to San Francisco on board the sailing vessel Herald of the Morning. It arrived in Sacramento on October 6, 1863 by the river schooner Artful Dodger, and was unloaded the next day and reassembled at "K" and Front Streets. It began its long career in Sacramento on November 6, 1863 when the boiler was successfully fired. The Gov. Stanford had the distinction of pulling the Central Pacific's first excursion train, first revenue freight train (March 25, 1864), and first scheduled passenger train (April 15, 1864). The locomotive also hauled materials for the construction of the Central Pacific over the Sierra Nevada. It was later downgraded from mainline service. From 1873 until its retirement in 1895, the locomotive served as a switcher and fire engine (outfitted with a water pump and hose to extinguish small fires along the track) in the Sacramento area.

The Southern Pacific saved the historic engine from being scrapped in 1895. The Gov. Stanford was refurbished and in 1899 presented to Jane Lathrop Stanford (1828-1905), widow of former California Governor Leland Stanford (1824-1893). She, in turn, donated the engine to Leland Stanford Junior University, where it was placed on display until 1963.

In May 1963 the locomotive was loaned to the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society for inclusion in its historic railroad equipment collection. Those pieces, including the Gov. Stanford, form the nucleus of the California State Railroad Museum collection.

As the Gov. Stanford aged, parts were replaced or exchanged among similar Central Pacific or Southern Pacific locomotives. The locomotive was also painted numerous times. Reconstruction to its 1860s appearance would literally have destroyed the existing locomotive and resulted in a replica. After careful research, it was therefore decided to refinish the locomotive to its 1899 appearance, the year it was presented to Stanford University.

Today the Gov. Stanford occupies a prominent place in the Museum's Sierra Scene diorama, just a short distance from where it began its life under steam on the banks of the Sacramento River.

Fireboat "John J Harvey" Was Part Of The Floatilla Celebrating The 400 Year (Quadricentennial) Anniversary Of The Hudson River. Fireboat John J Harvey Was Built in 1931, MV John J. Harvey, At 130 Ft And 268 Net Tons, Is Among The Most Powerful Fireboats Ever In Service. She Has Five 600 HP Diesel Engines, and Has The Capacity To Pump 18,000 Gallons Of Water A Minute. The Fireboat John J Harvey Was Retired By The New York City Fire Department In 1994 And Bought At Auction By Her Current Owners In 1999. Fireboat Jophn J Harvey Was Placed On The National Register Of Historic Places In June 2000. Photo Was From The North Side Walkway Of The Bear Mountain Bridge In New York. Photo Was taken Sunday June 7, 2009.

This year 2009, New York honors the 400th anniversaries of the voyage of Captain Henry Hudson, who led (for the Dutch) the first European expedition to sail up the river that now bears his name, as well as the voyage of Samuel de Champlain, the first to discover the namesake lake. This year also marks the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s maiden steamboat journey up the Hudson River. Communities from New York to the Canadian border are preparing events and projects to highlight New York’s rich history of exploration and discovery.

The Great River Day Flotilla is one of the signature events of the commemoration. The historic “flagships” are the Clearwater, the Half Moon (a replica of Henry Hudson’s 1609 vessel), the OnRust (a replica of a 17th Century Dutch yacht), the sloop Woody Guthrie, the Mystic Whaler, the Governor Cleveland (tugboat) and the John J. Harvey (fire boat). Along the way, they will be joined by a U.S. Coast Guard escort, an antique airplane escort and numerous modern day boats.

The voyage sets sail at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, June 6, from the Statue of Liberty. The first day will conclude in the Tarrytown/Nyack area of the river, and will feature a cannon welcome and fireworks. The flotilla will move upriver each day, culminating in Albany on Saturday, June 13. The ships will depart tomorrow morning, and the flotilla can be viewed from Battery Park at 9 a.m.



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