shop switcher. Upon retirement in 1947 it was made the “honorary No. 1” and used for special occasions until be- ing
placed on its current
pedestal in 1952. The Return of Big Steam
The big steam news in Alaska, how- ever, is the repatriation of Alaska Rail- road 2-8-0 No. 557, which is undergoing restoration in Wasilla. No. 557 was built by Baldwin in 1944 for the United States Army Transportation Corps as No. 3523, but was immediately divert- ed (along with 11 sisters) to Alaska for World War II logistics. Eventually, No. 557 would become the last steam loco- motive in service on the ARR, finishing its career in Nenana where it would oc-
display
casionally switch the yard when flood waters made diesels non-functional. It would also be used for special events. The last use for No. 557 came in 1962 as it shuttled passenger trains through flood waters at Nenana, handing the trains off to diesels at either end of the
water. In 1964 the locomotive was pur- chased by a scrap dealer in Everett, Wash., but was saved by Monte Holm, who bought the engine for his “House of Poverty” museum in Moses Lake, Wash. (the locomotive and its original tender were separated prior to the
RIGHT: The drivers for Alaska Railroad No. 557 sit in the shop in Wasilla awaiting a return to steel rails. BELOW: Sister engine No. 556 has just undergone a cosmetic restoration in Delaney Park in Anchorage. Both locomotives were built for the U.S. Army and diverted to the ARR during World War II.
62 OCTOBER 2013 •
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