FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The steam train ride is a one-hour narrated excursion through the beautiful Sierra National Forest. The ride will travel over 4 miles on the historic Madera Sugar Pine Railroad. Enjoy a brief stopover in the Lewis Creek Canyon to see the locomotive up close, or explore the outdoors before your return trip to the station. The train is open to people of all ages, and friendly dogs ride free!

You will travel along the historic right-of-way of the Madera Sugar Pine Railroad, where mighty lumberjacks felled the timber and flumes carried the lumber to the town of Madera. The conductor will tell of the history of the line, the trees, and the wildlife native to the area.

The railroad is located on Highway 41, just 4 miles from the South Entrance of Yosemite National Park, home of the Mariposa Big Trees, Glacier Point, Half Dome, and the many wonderful waterfalls including Yosemite Falls in the valley.

We operate two historic geared steam locomotives called Shays. Both locomotives were from the Westside Lumber Company in Tuolumne, California. These two locomotives represent the original Shays that worked this line from 1874 to 1931. The original Madera Sugar Pine Shay locomotives burned wood for fuel, while our two Westside Shay locomotives burn oil. Shay #10 was built in 1928 and weighs in at 84 tons, while Shay #15 was built in 1913 and weighs 59 tons.

The historic Shay locomotives operate at the same speeds forward and backward. We have a loop in our excursion that turns the train around every trip. We do not have a turntable at the station, so our locomotives will sometimes be facing backward.

To guarantee your reservation, click here to buy your tickets online. If you do not have internet access, for the daytime excursions, we suggest that you arrive 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure to buy your tickets. Our Moonlight Special BBQ trains require a reservation, so book now online or call our ticket office at (559) 683-7273.

Your evening begins with a BBQ dinner with a choice of New York Steak, chicken, or a vegetarian substitution. The meal is complemented with a summer corn salad, ranch-style beans, sourdough dinner roll, and dessert. Complimentary juice, coffee, and water are offered. There is a bar with sodas, beer, and wine for an additional cost. You will then board the logger steam train for a ride to the campfire sing-a-long program hosted by the Sugar Pine Singers. At the conclusion of the evening, you will re-board the train for a memorable trip up the mountain at night. The event lasts approximately three hours. Make your reservations online now or call our ticket office at 559/683-7273.

The railcar schedule varies according to the steam train operation. Typically, the railcar will run an hour prior to the first departure of the day, starting at 9:30 a.m. The railcar will run after the last steam train, depending on necessity.

There is GOLD in the mountains! Our prospector will show you how to pan for gold and you keep the gold. We also have the Thornberry Museum that offers a glance at logging camp life at the turn of the century. At the station, we have cold drinks, sandwiches, hot dogs, delicious snacks, and a gift shop. Visit the bookstore for a collection of historical titles and railroad literature.

We are located along Highway 41, about 15 minutes’ driving time from Oakhurst, or one hour from River Park in northern Fresno.

Our schedule runs from April through October. Please check out the calendar for the run times for each date. We usually open at 9:30 a.m. and the first train is at 11 a.m. Buy tickets online.

You can buy your tickets at the station when you arrive. We suggest arriving 30 minutes prior to the scheduled daytime departure to purchase your tickets. However, if you purchase your tickets online, there is no need to print the tickets out. They will be waiting for you at the station when you arrive at the railroad ticket office. Moonlight Special tickets require a reservation, as those trains can sell out.

While we cannot be sure what the weather will be, here is the latest 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service for the region where the railroad is located.

Visit the website: www.yosemitethisyear.com or call 559/683-4636 for lodging or camping near the railroad. We are located next to the Narrow Gauge Inn. We hope to see you soon!

Dogs are allowed if they are well-behaved and on a leash?

Yes! We have a lift that can load a passenger with a wheelchair up to 600 pounds.

Refunds may be issued as follows:

24 hours prior to departure – 100% refund back on credit card
12-24 hours prior to departure – 75% refund back on credit card
6-12 hours prior to departure – 50% refund back on credit card
0-6 hours prior to departure – 25% refund back on credit card
After departure – 0% refund back on credit card

To inquire about a Gift Card refund, please email us at info@ymsprr.com or call at (559) 683-7273.

Rebooking
Rebooking your reservation must be done prior to your scheduled departure. You may rebook any reservation up to six hours prior to departure with no rebooking fees. Reservations rebooked with less than six hours to departure are subject to a $5 per ticket rebooking fee. All rebooked reservations cannot be cancelled for a refund. If you need to cancel a rebooked reservation, you will be issued a gift card for the full amount paid.

Gift Cards
Any unused reservation can be cancelled and be issued a gift card for a future reservation. The gift card does not expire and cannot be exchanged for cash.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (559) 683-7273 or email us at info@ymsprr.com.