3, often called the "Movie Star locomotive", is a 19th-century 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type steam locomotive owned by the State of California and preserved and operated by the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California.

William L. Withhuhn, the former Transportation History curator at the Smithsonian Institution, described the locomotive's historical and cultural significance: Sierra Railway No.

[2] Built in 1891, the locomotive returned to operation in July 2010 after a fourteen-year absence from service and a three-year-long overhaul, requiring the replacement of its original boiler.

The P&AC went bankrupt in 1893 and its chief promoter, Thomas S. Bullock, relocated much of its equipment and hardware to California, including the No.

He then entered into a partnership with Prince André Poniatowski and William H. Crocker, and together in 1897 they incorporated the Sierra Railway Company of California to connect Oakdale, California with the mining and timber producing regions of Tuolumne County and Calaveras County.

It played a significant role in passenger and freight hauling operations in the Sierra foothills during the early development of Tuolumne County.

[2] It managed to avoid being scrapped during World War II, and again received attention from Hollywood in 1945, when David O. Selznick, the producer of Duel in the Sun being filmed on the Sierra Railroad, proposed to destroy it in a train wreck scene for the movie.

3 pulled excursion trains and appeared in dozens of films, TV shows, and commercials.

The locomotive was often redecorated for various movie and television appearances, one of its most famous roles being the Hooterville Cannonball from the mid-1960s series Petticoat Junction.

In 1979, Crocker and Associates announced their intention to sell the railroad to Silverfoot, Inc. based in Chicago, Illinois, but the deal did not include the historic steam era shop facilities in Jamestown.

3, was acquired by the State of California as a result of legislation passed in April 1981, and signed by Governor Jerry Brown.

3 turned 100 years old, and in May, it was moved to Sacramento to take part in "Railfair '91", an event that celebrated the tenth anniversary of the grand opening of the California State Railroad Museum.

At that time, the budget for the project was estimated at US$600,000, based on the assumption the existing boiler could be saved.

The rebuild included boring out the cylinders and turning the drive wheel tires on a lathe.

Engineering drawings and other technical assistance needed to build a new boiler were provided by the Strasburg Rail Road in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

The final cost of the restoration was US$1.6 million; the locomotive officially returned to service on July 3, 2010.