Treasures of the Jamestown Roundhouse: Hetch Hetchy Railbus #19 The Hetch Hetchy Railroad (HHRR) was a 68-mile, standard gauge line that operated in Northern California from 1917 to 1949 and had a connection with the Sierra Railroad. The White Motor Company Railbus that you see here was built for the HHRR in 1919. It operated in support of railroad construction and was used as an ambulance to carry injured workers to medical treatment. It was also used as a track inspection vehicle. The first of 6 such busses that were built for the line, Number 19 could carry up to 13 people and could hit speeds as high as 50 mph on level track. It incorporated a self-contained turntable that enabled it to be turned at any location on the railroad. The base for that turntable is the metal frame you see protruding from under the center of the body. After it was retired by the railroad, the little railbus languished for many years, until it was rescued in 1949 by a railfan, who restored and preserved it in a couple of museum locations until his passing. In 1997, the owner's widow donated it to the collection of the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, where it resides today. Number 19 is stored operable in the Jamestown Roundhouse and runs during special events at the park.
