Butt Lake Dam
California / Industrial / Butt Lake Dam
History
Construction of the Butt Lake dam started in 1906. The contract for building the dam was awarded to the Utah Construction Company (UCC). The UCC brought in a second hand 30" gauge Porter 0-4-0T locomotive formerly used on the Eureka Mill Railroad near Mound House, Nevada. Construction on the project was halted during World War I. After the war the contract was given to Stone & Webster who brought in a pair of Vulcan built 0-4-0T locomotives. The 30" gauge Porter was of no use to the new railroad and left unused during the course of construction. Ultimately the locomotive was left in place as the reservoir filled and forgotten through most of the 20th century.
Butt Lake Dinky
In 1996 the reservoir was drained by PG&E for maintenance and the 30" gauge Porter locomotive was rediscovered. The discovery made local news and the locomotive was retrieved from the site, cleaned and placed on display as the "Butt Lake Dinky" in the nearby [1].
Reference Material Available Online
Links
"Dinky" at Historical Marker Database [2]
Butt Valley Dam, Gate Tender's Barn at American Buildings Survey (HABS)