The Madera-Sugar Pine Company became a casualty of the great depression and closed out the 57-year-old logging operation that was largely responsible for the founding of the city and county of Madera
Rudy Stauffer arrived in the Sierra in 1954. He bought property from Dr. Wells near the former Sugar Pine mill, opened a small motel called the Swiss Melody Inn in 1957.
In October, 1965, Stauffer purchased a Shay locomotive similar to the one used by the Madera Sugar Pine company from the West Side Lumber Company. He also bought 14 cars, two old speeders and 20 tons of spare parts.
Loading Shay No.10 on a flatbed for transport to YMSP 1966
On Labor Day, 1967, the Yosemite Mountain and Sugar Pine made its first run barely over 800 feet of track. A map below shows the present day track route of the YM&SP RR with the Madera-Sugarpine Co. routes of long ago.
HISTORY of the AREA LUMBERING
1874-1878 The California Lumber Co.
1878-1898 The Madera Flume & Trading Co.
1899-1933 The Madera Sugar Pine Co.
1965- The Yosemite Mountain-Sugarpine RR
YMSP Shay No.10
No. 10 Shay leaving on a trip through the woods 1971
A log passenger excursion car
Rudy Stauffer & son Max
No.10 Shay working on the Westside Lumber Co.
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