- Ward Kimball photo, OERM Collection -

History

The Kimballs purchased the Chloe in 1948 from the Waimanalo Sugar Company in Hawaii (where is was their No. 2 "Pokaa"). With the aid of family friend Chad O'Conner, the locomotive was completely redesigned and rebuilt over an 8-year period to make it look like an older locomotive. It was renamed Chloe after the Kimball's second daughter, and entered service in 1956. By this time, Emma Nevada had developed some mechanical problems, which, combined with the neighbor's reaction to all the coal smoke and cinders, made the smaller wood-burning Chloe the line's active engine.

An open trailer car and two passenger-carrying freight cars were built at Grizzly Flats in order to give the Chloe a way to haul passengers. When Emma Nevada, Coach 5, and much of the other Kimball rolling stock left Grizzly Flats in 1992, Chloe and the home-built cars remained behind so that the family could continue their traditional backyard "steam ups". Chloe and her train came to the Museum in 2006.

The Chloe was on display at the Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda for their Holiday Festival of Trains, during the 2009 holiday season.

-Mike Ripley photo-

Click here for a video of the move

Rev 4/26/10