May 8, 2021
Members of Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe Community Project (CATTCP), Mountain Forge, Inc. employees, the Truckee Donner Railroad Society, and the Truckee Donner Historical Society along with a team of community volunteers and donors completed a new rail platform in summer 2019 at the Truckee River Regional Park.
The project, dubbed “Bridging Communities,” started in late 2016, when Anton “Toni” Standteiner of Mountain Forge, a 50-year-old family-owned and operated blacksmith shop located here in Truckee, was awarded 8 tons of steel from the original East Span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Of 50 artist applicants, Toni was one of only 12 to be awarded this precious commodity! Toni approached Bob Bell, president of the Truckee Donner Railroad Society with the intention of constructing and donating Railway Platform for the Kids Railroad in the Truckee River Regional Park on Brockway Road. Bob was delighted to help get the project rolling.
Jennifer Standteiner with Mountain Forge approached Daniel Fraiman of Daniel Fraiman Construction to act as the General Contractor on project. Plans were drawn up and donated by Linchpin Structural Engineering. Once the Town of Truckee and the Truckee Donner Recreation and Parks Department approved the plans, Ruppert Inc. performed the excavation, Bobby Jones Concrete poured the footings and Root of Design Electric ran conduit. Additional materials and labor were donated by Johnson Iron, PDM Steel Service Centers, Inc. and TNT Materials. Mt. Lincoln Construction, Inc. stepped up to install the roof. With the structure completed, Mike Nethersole of M.D. Construction and Consulting, Inc. volunteered to create a 20” x 30” steel plaque recognizing the many businesses and individuals who participated in building the platform. A dedication ceremony was held on July 20th, during the Old Timers’ Picnic at the site.
The images of the completed project, as well as the names of all the project donors, will be showcased at the Bay Bridge Museum in Oakland.
“The platform is important for several reasons,” explains Toni Standteiner. “First, the steel has historic significance – The direct connection of Interstate 80 and the railroad to the Bay Area creates a strong kinship between these two areas. Due to its relatively close proximity, many citizens of the greater Bay Area frequent the Truckee/Lake Tahoe area for recreation and second home ownership. This project brings some of the old Bay Bridge steel from “down the hill” and into the center of our town recreation park area. The symbolism further connects our areas with iconic materials from our shared Interstate 80 linkage.” Bob Bell, Truckee Donner Railroad Society President, adds that the platform enhances safety for the young riders when loading and unloading the train. “The platform facilitates better crowd control, line safety, and safe passenger loading/unloading. And, finally, it delights the children who visit it.”
C.A.T.T. Community Project Chairman Dave Rhoden (Caseywood) sums up: “Obviously, we are very proud of this accomplishment. Our special thanks to Jennifer Standteiner of Mountain Forge, Inc., for leading the project, Erin Broomhall of Linchpin Structural Engineering for her crucial work on engineering the plans and a huge thank you to everyone who donated time, materials and skilled labor.”
C.A.T.T. Community Project is a 501c(3) non-profit, charitable organization established in October 1999 as a sponsored arm of the Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe. C.A.T.T. Community Project provides design and construction assistance to other non-profits and governmental agencies as a way of “giving back” to the community.
C.A.T.T. Mission Statement: To be a conduit for funds, materials, volunteerism and project coordination towards the restoration or construction of selected structures that are deemed beneficial to the community.
