Over on Facebook, Stathi Pappas the CMO of steam at the Northwest Railway Museum ("NRM") in Snoqualmie, Washington made a big announcement today. The museum is proceeding with the restoration to operation of not one, but TWO steam locomotives. The locomotives are:

Canadian Collieries Resources Ltd No. 14 a 1898 4-6-0 Baldwin; and

Northern Pacific 924, a 1899 0-6-0 from Rogers.

The 0-6-0 will be the first restored, with the 4-6-0 to follow.

It would seem, from one following from afar that NRM has made a tremendous comeback over the past 10 years, with the construction of new restoration and display facilities, and turning out some awesome restorations, like the SP&S coach, the Fairbanks-Morse diesel switcher and the work on the chapel car. Adding restored, operational steam to the mix is just icing on the cake. It seems that very good things are happening in Washington state.

The story has also been picked up on the Trains newswire.

Working on two steam locomotives does actually make sense-if you're tooling up for a job on one locomotive, do it on the other at the same time.

The Northwest Railway Museum has posted a few details on their blog: http://www.trainmuseum.blogspot.com/2014/10/steam-program-announced.html

That ten-wheeler is a classic. I have admired it for awhile; it will be great to see it back in steam. Lots of good stuff going on the PacNW!

As I recall this is a push-pull operation. There is no place to turn the train at the ends of the runs. A 4-6-0 did not seem like the best choice for a lot of back up movements.

Generally, I found their press release very well done. However, this quotation caught my eye:



This is incorrect. Nevada Northern was a Class I and operates TWO regionally appropriate locomotives on their original railroad almost daily through the spring, summer and fall.

A lot of people forget that the definition of a "Class I" railroad was a lot different before 1956. A lot of railroads, if still around that were Class I railroads would no longer be classified as such, like the NN, NYO&W, the Rutland, etc.

Yes, it is a little aggressive on the list of lists: "Only engine with xx diameter drivers west of the Mississippi and north of Pueblo..."

Not to get too snarky, but Northern Pacific 924 was originally built for the Saint Paul & Duluth, a Minnesota RR.

http://www.nprha.org/NP%20Locomotive%20 ... s/0924.pdf

http://www.nprha.org/Stevenson%20Photo% ... 0-0127.jpg

-Hudson

So glad to hear this!
Still, I'm surprised they're not looking to get US Plywood # 11 back into steam, as I'd heard when they did that cosmetic restoration that they found her to be in good condition. That'd be a huge draw for fans to ride behind an articulated locomotive.

They picked the right locos in my book. I've been a secret admirer of Canadian Collieries #14 for a while. We already have two operating 2-6-6-2's in the West (Niles Canyon and Black Hills). But a turn of the century 4-6-0 is something very sweet and special indeed. I'm excited about this news to say the least. Three cheers for the NWRM.

Not to mention the fact that the NP ten-wheeler in Toppenish should be ready long before 924 turns a wheel under steam.

Seems to me when Niles Canyon reverberates with the exhaust of a certain SP Pacific and train that it is another contender for Class 1 the way it was with right locomotive, right line and right train.

Rob

Quick question if I may. This entry on the museums blog, shows Santa Cruz Portland Cement 0-4-0T #2 on a train. The first car is an arch window coach and the third car appears to be a combine. Something looks to be at the end of the train, beyond the combine. Perhaps a caboose, or a diesel (for the backup moves) or something else entirely. Can anyone advise what this fourth piece of equipment might be? Thanks.

Les

UP obs car.

Les--

The first car behind the #2 is SP&S #218 (B&S, 1912), which was mentioned in this thread from July of last year: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35339

In that thread, Drew Black posted a link to a video he took of the #218 when it returned to service: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkJ9gRDvruM

Drew also mentioned that boomer Marty Bernard assisted in the restoration of the car's arched stained glass windows.

The combine, is the SP&S #272, which was built by B&S in 1915 as a coach. The museum has three cars from this Lot, #275 and #276 are still full coaches.

The UP Harriman observation is OWRR&N #1590, which was built in 1913 by Pullman as OWRR&N observation #552, renumbered in 1915 to #1577, reconfigured in 1932 to café observation #1590 (2nd), reconfigured in 1943 to coach observation #1007, reconfigured in 1948 to rules examiner car #03159, renumbered in 1955 to #205 (1st), retired in 1970, and donated in 1977 to the museum.

Here's a picture of the SP&S #218 from the museum website's rolling stock page:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--GEyu3gCGws/UeK99uFae8I/AAAAAAAAA8U/z1_Ji6nMgOE/s1600/_DSC4486.JPG