The prototype Stockton and Ione Railroad was originally chartered to build from Holden on the Stockton & Copperopolis to Ione City where coal had been found along with stands of timber. It was to be three-foot narrow gauge which was in keeping with the narrow gauge fever sweeping through the U.S. at this time. This little line only built about three miles of track before it failed but did manage to order two Mason bogie engines, an 0-4-4T and an 0-6-4T.

I chose to model the S&I and imagine that it did reach Ione. The interchange would, of course, be at Holden. I will have to scratchbuild or modify some engines to get the Mason bogies but other engines might have run on a successful railroad such as 4-4-0s and 2-6-0s. I happen to have one or two of these stuck away somewhere which could be used along with some cars purchased when I had the narrow gauge bug.

The S&I will basically have only Ione and Holden on its line with, perhaps, one siding along the way. There just isn't room for anything else. I will have the chance to build some dual-gauge trackage in Holden along with a gantlet track on the Mormon Creek bridge. It might even need some kind of primitive interlocking to guard against collisions..