Two Yosemite Valley Railroad number 23 lanterns. Marked. The Yosemite Railroad opened for passenger business in 1907, the year that they purchased Engine No. 23, a 4-4-0. She was built by ALCO, and sold to the Yosemite Valley Railroad for $14,735. The route ran from Merced to to El Portal where the passengers de-trained, spent the night in a tent-hotel before proceeding to Yosemite itself on horse drawn wagons. This route became so popular that by the early 1920s the train carried up to 2000 people a day, added Pullman cars, and hosted luminaries such as John Muir, W.R. Hearst, King Albert of Belgium, and FDR. Despite the comfort and convenience of the rail line, by 1926 the State had completed a highway that went straight into Yosemite, and the Railroad began a decline, culminating in bankruptcy and closure in 1945. Engine No. 23 stayed in the area for some time, being used for switching operations. She was scrapped around 1949, and these few pieces of her are the last remaining relics of one of the most popular of the Yosemite Valley Railroads' steam engines. Dimensions: (each): 13.5"h x 9"w Processing and shipping within the continental U.S. $70.00 plus 1.5% replacement cost insurance. Minor wear, please see photos.