Appears that the Western Pacific Railroad Museum has run 0-6-0 number 165 all the way around the balloon track on their property. Engine still need the boiler painted, but otherwise looks complete. Great job! Photos and comments welcome!

Les

The story I heard is that #165 will be unveiled to participants in the WP Historical convention. Specifically, on the Sunday after the convention, delegates will spend the day in Portola.

congrats to them to have it running again

Yet another classic case of an historic Arizona steam locomotive making a name for itself over in California................

Video of the test run:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=514854723652902

WP 165 is a 0-6-0 steam locomotive built by Alco-Schenectady for the United Verde Copper Company in Jerome, Arizona, one of a couple rail companies to serve the Jerome mining industries, as UVCC 87 in November of 1919. However, on September 17th, 1927, UVCC 87 and two other sister engines were sold to the Western Pacific RR, becoming the WP S-34 class. (as well as being renumbered 163-166).

(I will advise that I have four published histories of the railroads and rosters before me, and they all seem to conflict with one another on which ones WP bought, even the "authoritative" books..... and the one I would rely on is 30 miles to my north right now....)

Sister steamer WP 164 (UVCC 86) is on display at a park in Oroville, California.

And, of course, one past contender for "the most famous steam locomotive in the U.S.", Sierra RR 3, the 4-6-0 that starred in "Petticoat Junction" and many other shows and movies, started life as Prescott & Arizona Central 3 before being removed to California by the founder of both railroads, Thomas S. Bullock...............

Well, the engines served in Arizona for only about 8 years but were in service for the Western Pacific for much longer. Also, I believe there were 4 of these United Verde Copper Company 0-6-0's that ended up on the WP, not just three (WP numbers 163-166).

Les

Finally got it figured out:
WP also purchased a nearly identical Schenectady 0-6-0 from Verde Tunnel & Smelter, VT&S 3, which went to WP in 1927 by way of the United Commercial Co. which acquired it in 1926. That became WP 163, from the books I'm reading. To make things a wee bit more complicated, VT&S was a common carrier while UVCC was an "industrial" line.

So: 163 ex-VT&S, 164-166 ex-UVCC.

It seems most of the WP accounts just lump al four as coming from UVCC, and functionally they could have been in the same transaction, as just about everything in Jerome was one big overlapping/incestuous operation.

Here is the sister engine vt&s #2

PS:
Arizona <-> California is not a one way track
e.g. Hammond Lumber #6 in Flagstaff