Thanks for the information, John; I hadn't seen anything that suggested the business car was going as well. Sounds like you shouldn't have any trouble with getting 557 running again.

Hi,

Here is the info on the tender that was with the 557 in Moses Lake:

It has been incorrectly published in a few places that it is ex Northern Pacific.
it is former Copper River & Northwestern from a 70 class 2-8-2:
All were built by Alco-Brooks. 70,71,72 in 1915; 73, 74 in 1917.
The CR&NW was an isolated line running north from Cordova, Alaska.

Like many RR's the CR&NW might have swapped tenders on their locos
occasionally. Or possibly the tenders were swapped when the locos were
sold when the CR&NW was abandoned in 1938. At abandonment # 72,73
were sold to the McCloud River RR. # 70,74 were sold to the Midland
Terminal RR. #71 was left in Cordova through WW2.

Their are some castings on the tender dated 9/1915, which implies that
this tender was delivered with the first batch of CR&NW mikes # 70, 71, 72.

In the early 1980's you could see the paint remnant of "73" on the rear
of the tender; also a centered "3" on the side from it's ARR rotary days.

CR&NW 2-8-2 #73 became McCloud River RR # 27, and arrived with a CR&NW
tender. The McCloud River bought two smaller vanderbuilt tenders from the SP for
their two x CR&NW mikes. Those two CR&NW tenders went to Shevlin-Hixon Lumber
Co. near Bend, Oregon. The tender from McR #27 (CR&NW 73) was put behind
S-H Co. 2-8-2 #4. It was scrapped in mid/late 1952 in Portland, Or.

So at some point on the CR&NW # 73 had a tender swap.

The ARR ended up with this tender, possibly after WW2, if it came with CR&NW #71,
which the ARR never used.
It might have come with the CR&NW piledriver that ARR (# PD-7) got, which came in
1940, but that's SPECULATION on my part. Photo's taken during
WW2 at Cordova, Alaska show loco # 71, but no tender from any of the 2-8-2's show
up in any WW2 pictures in Cordova that I've seen. But possibly the tender was still there ... yet another mystery.

At some point (late 1940's/early 1950's - I haven't found an exact date
yet) it became the tender for ARR rotary snow plow #3.
It was replaced behind the rotary in February 1960 with a larger
vanderbuilt tender acquired from the Union Pacific.

When # 557 was retired, the ARR kept its tender: it became an ARR water car.

When # 557 was sold for scrap, the old tender from Rotary # 3 (the CR&NW one),
was sent with # 557. Photos of #557 being loaded on the barge at Whittier for its
trip to the scrap yard show it with this tender.

Monte Holm bought the 557 and tender from the scrapyard.

This is one of the last remnants of the CR&NW, so I'd like to see it saved. Perhaps
someone needs a tender/water car ?

Hope this helps.

Don

Supposedly, 557 is now in Alaska and on its way to the Alaska Railroad shops for restoration.

Gentlemen-

557 is in fact at the shops in Anchorage and it is intended to make her operational. After a short stop at the company back shop for a lube job and a temporary repair to the pilot axle journals she will move on her own wheels under tow to its overhaul site.
Jeff

Has 557's tender, that was left behind in Moses Lake, found a home yet? A Copper River & Northwestern tender seems like a pretty unusual and interesting item to me.

As of yesterday it was at the location where the loco was displayed for many years in Moses Lake. Stored with the tender is the business car and the two cabooses.

Gary Dunn
Lind, WA

The Alaska Railroad issued a press release on 6/29/2012:
http://www.alaskarailroad.com/Portals/6 ... ant_PR.pdf

Not knowing what condition 557 is in, but doesn't $600,000-$700,000 seem like an optimistic number to get that locomotive restored to operation?

Since you don't know the condition, seems like it would be difficult to say what the price should be.

Every report I've heard, from a variety of sources, indicate that the engine is in very good to excellent condition. Obviously she'll need boiler work, but overall, the work may be minimal.

In any case, if anyone has the qualifications to evaluate an engine and determine what work needs done and what it would cost, it's Wasatch.

The press release says..."According to locomotive experts, #557 is in excellent, near-running condition. So much so that the boys in the shop are thinking about throwing a few logs in the firebox....just for effect mind you....and taking her for a test drive.....but just on air. ;)

I hadn't gone back and re-read the first page and had forgotten that Wasatch was doing to work. That makes me feel better.

I was concerned that an inexperienced concern was giving unrealistic numbers and suddenly half way through they realize they need a million dollars more.

Thanks for the mention of Wasatch above.

Folks, I can not impress upon all of you enough the fact that the 557 is indeed, the very last BRAND NEW STEAM locomotive in the USA. When I say Brand New.....what do I mean?

I mean, it is Brand Spanking New. It has very few miles, it has had repairs made only for "repair training sake", it has been stored well in a good climate and it has been unchanged and unaltered for many years.

In no way will I argue with Alaska Railroad. Suffice to say, I believe that the locomotive could be placed in service for less than $250,000.00 as is, right now. In fact, with a good volunteer group, a new set of tubes and some good equipment, the actual "get her running number" could be as low as $50,000.00. Really, I am not joking a bit. It is a Brand New Steam Locomotive.

Now, the joke about putting a fire in her and testing her out; Short of re-starting what is now a locked thread, if I were in the shoes of ARR I would hang a sign on the cab noting the locomotive as non-compliant, I would hydro test the locomotive, with the jacket off. I would finish a good UT examination to be safe and sure and I would indeed test fire the locomotive. I would not haul a car with it, nor would I cross a public crossing or navigable waterway. I can assure you that every aspect of the locomotive will function. I can assure you that the locomotive would run great and other than the front truck tram issue....there is little to be done.

So why does ARR have a price tag of $600,000.00 plus? Maybe they want to change the look, or add a new tender, or re-do the cab, or.....who knows what. At any rate, $600,000.00 is more than enough, no matter how you cut it.

Check out our report which can be found here;

http://files.wrrc.us/file.php?id=42

At the bottom/center of the page is a button that says "download" click on that button and the report will load for you.


Enjoy and best of luck to ARR!!!!

Note the Alaska RR press release mentions installation of positive train control.

I suspect a major part of the cost is safety and mainline related modernizations.

Got curious and started looking for photos. Hope you enjoy them:

http://www.alaskapublic.org/2012/01/05/ ... ngine-557/

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/393631/

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-l ... index.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/557/index.

http://www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Jou ... omes-home/

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-l ... index.html

http://www.adn.com/2012/06/28/v-gallery ... on-to.html

Fascinating, between this engine, the 611, and maybe the 612 and 1702--not to mention at least one such preserved engine in the UK, and possibly others--sounds like good news for those who like to recall railroaders in uniform.

Check.