West Side Lumber Company 222

This 24-foot, 15-ton, 36-inch gauge car was constructed in the West Side Lumber Company shop in Tuolumne, California circa 192*X* as log flatcar #222. It was completely rebuilt on June 30, 1928 with a new body and equipped with WSLCo's standard four-spring trucks and two iron log bunks for hauling Sierra Nevada timber.

After 1940, the car was rebuilt with log bunks removed, converting it to flatcar configuration for company service use supporting maintenance and general freight operations. Significantly, the car began another rebuild in the WSLCo shop in 1960 and was still in the shop on October 28, 1960, the last day of West Side Lumber Company's railroad logging operations.

The car's post-WSLCo history reflects the uncertain fate of many narrow gauge assets: It passed to the now-tourist oriented West Side & Cherry Valley Railway from 1968 to 1973 (apparently unused), then to another owner from 197*X* to 198*X* (also unused). The entire WS&CV was sold to Henley Management in 1982, later becoming Quality Resorts of America (Westside Resort) in 19*X* (car still unused).

The car was then sold to a private party and moved to Chicago Park, California (documented there in March 1987), then moved to Merlin, Oregon in 199*X*. SPCRR purchased the car on June 2002 for $3,500.00, and it arrived at Ardenwood on June 16, 2002.

The car underwent two distinct restoration phases by SPCRR volunteers: First, it was restored in 2*0*X* with benches for horse-drawn passenger service. A second, comprehensive restoration occurred during 2022-2023, transforming it into an ADA-accessible gondola with center doors on both sides. The car entered service on SPCRR's passenger train in 2023 and continues in operation.

* Unknown date information, closest confident date range used. 
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A restoration report by Bruce MacGregor on our WSLCo flatcars is available with a donation of $15 or more.

You can see a preview of the restoration report at the link below: