Apparently made it to Skagway on July 26. Scroll down on the page:http://www.wpyr.com/

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What does it mean "Largest Steam Locomotive built for the WP&Y"?Is this saying that the 2-8-0 is bigger than the Mikes or that the Mikes were not built "for" the WP&Y?It is very cool that the 69 is back in Alaska. Did they bring her back because 73 needs maintenance time or do they plan on running two locomotives? -Alan Levy

When the #69 arrived back in 1908 it was the largest.And 69 is listed with more weight on drivers and a higher calculated tractive effort than the 70 class. It also has more heating surface.From White Pass & Yukon Route diagram sheets:#69weight on drivers 120,000total engine weight 133,000BP #160cylinders 21x22drivers 42"Tractive effort 24,000Heating Surface 1857 sq ft#70 classweight on drivers 108,000total engine weight 145,000tractive effort 21,600BP #220cylinders 17x22drivers 44"Tractive effort 24,000Heating Surface 1676 sq ft

Too bad the people here at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island Ne. had there heads planted squarely out of the sunlight or we would still have her here..........................................................................................Wooly

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Too bad the people here at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island Ne. had there heads planted squarely out of the sunlight or we would still have her here..........................................................................................WoolyI consulted with them on their railroad program shortly after they voluntarily stopped running, and disagree with your impression of their managements decision. This locomotive was a bad fit for the Stuhr Museum due to the corners, not curves, in the track. Stuhr would , if they choose to resuscitate the railroad operation, do well with a much smaller industrial locomotive having a very short rigid wheelbase. Further, the standard of maintenence and repair at Stuhr was not conducive to having a pretty well worn out heavy locomotive live a useful, safe and productive existance. Stuhr installed a new firebox without even doing a simple externa inspection on the boiler shell to determine its remaining margin - the jacket and lagging stayed on even though the boiler was removed from the frames! New tires were applied that lost most of the flange due to excessive wear in just a few months of operation. When boiler problems caused boiler pressure to be dropped below that necessary to operate the air pump to provide adequate train line air pressure to effect release, the train was just run without brakes. It is to Stuhr's credit they determined they had no business continuing to operate under these circumstances, and obviously without qualified staff, or these circumstances wouldn't have been permitted to exist in the first place. They hired a very good railroad mechanic to restore the fragile and ancient wooden cars, then properly decided to get out of the railroad business and divested themselves of 69 to an apropriate new owner in a responsible and honorable manner. I applaud them for making what might have been an unpopular decision, but a rational one for safety and economic reasons. I can think of some other operators who would do well to follow in their footsteps.dave