One of the guys at our museum sent out the following reprint from the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum archives. There is no indication of where this was originally printed, or when. It's kind of an interesting story, so I thought I would retype it here. Any mistakes in spelling are my own, and not the original authors, a gentleman by the name of Willam F. Nedden. So, here goes:

"In August of 1957, I was visiting relatives in Ashland, Wisconsin and as usual, managed to wander over to the nearby yards of the Chicago and North Western. I noticed a very interesting steam locomotive parked behind the diesel house and snapped its picture with my dad's old folding Kodak. The locomotive turned out to be #4004, one of the Hudsons that used to power the "Challenger" trains out of Chicago. The 4004 had been brought to Ashland to help thaw out loaded iron ore cars in the spring. Active steam locomotives on the C&NW had been retired around Ashland sometime during the winter of 1956-1957. In any event, upon returning home, I had the picture developed and thought nothing more about it.

Two months later I received an Ashland Daily Press article from my aunt that told of the 4004's last trip. One night, a diesel locomotive bumped into the tender end of the 4004 and started it rolling. The wayward engine forced its way through several switches and started down a stiff downgrade toward some coal docks and Lake Superior. Fortunately, the crossing flashers were working as the 4004 roared across U.S. Highway 2 at about 40 m.p.h., rolled through the Reiss Company coal dock, ran out onto a dead-end siding provided for just such a runaway, and dove headfirst into a swamp.

When the shock had worn off, and the tender had been pulled back up the hill to the yards, the railroad's officials concluded that the only way to get the 4004 out of the swamp was to cut it up on the spot-a sad end to a beautiful locomotive."

The article included a black and white photo that Mr. Nedden had taken of the Hudson behind the diesel house, showing it with the main rod off, but otherwise apparently intact, still streamlined and still wearing its pullman green with yellow striping paint scheme.

My first thought when reading the article was "what a way to go!" Most steamers just waited for the cutting torch and an obscure end, but this one had one last moment of glory! Then I started thinking why the "officials" had decided to scrap the locomotive sitting there in the swamp. How much could they have gotten out of it for scrap, especially since they would have had to be paying someone to cut it up? Almost begs the question as to whether the officials back in Chicago might have just told them in the end, to just leave it there!

Finally, I seem to recall that there was a picture in TRAINS many, many moons ago of a couple of other C&NW Hudsons being used for iron ore thawing. Was that before the episode with the 4004, or after? I would guess after, and the officials in Ashland probably made sure that these other 4-6-4's would stay in one place! I am not sure how many 4-6-4's the North Western ended up owning, but glad to hear that one at least, protested her upcoming end.

Les

A wonderful story. Thank you for putting it on here.
I wonder how many locomtives, from which roads, and which classes, saw service after Dieselization as steam suppliers? That would be interesting, and to learn how many might have been saved for a better fate than scrapping. I can think of a few off the top of my head; Three N&W A's, of which 1218 is the last, three Pennsy Mikados in Sunnyside yard, at least one PRR B6sa in Pittsburgh, a GN 4-8-4 and several Mikes used to thaw ore cars. Others?

Richard -

Here's a few I can come up with:

CB&Q 2-10-4's at Northwestern Steel & Wire inside the mill as stationary boilers.

NKP (ex-W&LE) 2-8-4's at a steel mill in Michigan.

Soo Line 2-8-0's to help thaw iron ore.

Wish I had locomotive numbers for the above, but I don't unfortunately.

Les

Western Maryland pacific number 204 was used in thaw service at the Baltimore coal port for a few years after steam ended. The 205 was also there for a year or so but I am not sure it was ever actually used. The 205 was cut up after only a year or two. Both engines were virtually complete. The 204 was not scrapped until 1961. Sadly she was very close to the B&O Museum. For WM steam fans, 204 is the one that got away.

John Bohon

I just recalled another one. Commonwealth Edison purchased Rock Island 4-8-4 #5103 to use at their power plant near Joliet, Illinois. Perhaps as a backup for the plants boiler. Don't know when the company disposed of the Northern. Incidentally, the 5100 series engines were made to the same basic design as the Milwaukee Road's S-3 class 4-8-4's numbered 260-269. The Rock had 10 coal burners and 10 oil burners, but I can't recall if the 5103 burned coal or oil.

Les

I will presume you mean PRR B6sa #60. She ultimately did survive, taken to the Wilmington & Western in 1984 and then sold to a private owner in Hockessin, Delaware, where she was on static display last I saw.

I vaguely remember hearing about Reading T1's being used for this at a steel plant maybe? Not sure, don't have any more details.

Two Reading T-1s were sent, under their own power, to Portland, PA (I think that's the location) to provide steam to clean a boiler. Another one, 2102 I believe, saw stationary steam service at a Reading steel mill after a mishap at the plant.

Two of George Hart's CPR 4-6-2s (since sold, now in VA) saw stationary steam service in Reading when the local utility company's boiler failed, they were manned by Reading crews. This was after the cessation of the Rambles and the T-1s were sold.

DL&W also did this after steam era was fiinished, one in NJ, and in Syracuse.

Joshua

If my memory is serving me correctly, Bill Nedden was an IRM member.

Jeff

New Hope & Ivyland 9, an 0-6-0 that Virginia Blue Ridge had after it was built by ALCo for the Army, and was just sold to SMS in Pureland, N.J., ran under its own power to and from the United States Steel Mill in Fairless, Pa., to heat water for the wash house for about 2 months in 1984! Was this the last time an operating steam engine did such duty?

Jeff -

So then, is the C&NW Hudson article from IRM's publication Rail & Wire?

Les

Near the end of N&W steam, class M 4-8-0 #433, now displayed at Abingdon Va, did a stint as a stationary boiler at the Clover Creamery in Roanoke.

B&O Q-4 #421 was used for house steam at the W. 3rd St. roundhouse in Cleveland for months following the official "last trip" sponsored by the Cleveland Railroad Club in 1958. I have seen photos taken of it running under it's own power from the roundhouse to and from the coal tipple and ash pit there for refueling and servicing. Not sure how long that lasted, but steam running under it's own power on the B&O unofficially lasted longer than is generally acknowledged.

William F. Nedden is also the author of CERA bulletin titled TM which provides a detailed history of the interurban and power company that served Milwaukee, WI.

Sloan

Bill Nedden was a friend of My fathers. When I went HO scale he gave me a bunch of HO equipment. I knew him from Purdue Lafayette and visited us a lot, sharing train stories whatever, train watching, the usual.

He was a member of IRM, sadly passed away not too long ago.