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Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad’s shop at Tillamook, Ore., for restoration. When the Polson Museum initially approached Baldo about acquiring No. 45, they were told that it wasn’t for sale. Then in 2014 two Hoquiam residents approached the museum with a $100,000 pledge to help find a Polson steam locomotive to bring back to Hoquiam. After months of negotiation, Baldo agreed to sell No. 45 to the museum in 2015. No. 45 was loaded at Tillamook and shipped to Hoquiam in May. Visitors to the Polson Museum can view the 2-6-2 within the museum’s Railroad Camp exhibit building where its restoration is taking place. Polson and Rayonier maintained their locomotives at “Railroad Camp,” 15 miles north of Hoquiam. In 2009 the Polson Museum erected a new “Railroad Camp” building as a homage to the original Polson Logging Company facilities. The first work sessions were held in
June; the restoration team includes museum director John Larson, Tim Daubert of the Mountain Rainier Scenic Railroad, and Christopher King, formerly with the C&TS, who is serving as chief mechanic of the No. 45 restoration. A complete boiler survey will be performed in 2015, as well as inspections of the running gear and appliances. It’s estimated that seven years and $500,000 will be required to bring No. 45 back into operation, which will likely include the construction of a new tender and cab.
Crown 4-4-0 No. 7 Returns to Service
The Historic Jefferson Railway of Jefferson, Texas, has returned its 4-4-0 steam locomotive No. 7 to service following extensive boiler repairs. The 36" gauge locomotive, a full-scale reproduction of a 1870s-era 4-4-0, was built in 1964 by Crown Metal Products of Wyano, Pa., for the “Southern Railway & Six Gun,” a tourist ride that encircled the Six Gun Territory theme park at Ocala, Fla. It was the fifth 36" American-type built by Crown and carried the name Robert E. Lee. After Six Gun closed in the early 1980s,
No. 7 was sold to the City of Jefferson in 1985. The city constructed a three-mile narrow gauge line along the Big Cypress Bayou and began offering tourist trips over its Jefferson & Cypress Bayou Railway in 1987. The railroad closed in the late 1990s, and was later acquired by a private owner that rebuilt No. 7 and reopened the line as the Historic Jefferson Railway in 2002. No. 7, which originally burned
wood during its time at Six Gun Territory, has been converted to burn propane. It operates during special events throughout the year. Visit
www.jeffersonrailway.com for more information.
Sturm & Dillard No. 105 to Age of Steam
The Age of Steam Roundhouse, located near Sugar Creek, Ohio, has acquired former Sturm & Dillard Company 0-6-0 No. 105, which has been privately owned since 1959. A true Ohio engine, it came from Baldwin in 1920 and spent its working life near Circleville, Ohio, working for Sturm & Dillard, which was founded in 1902 by John L. Dillard and L.E. Sturm as a railroad construction company. In spring 1928, the company opened a gravel pit at Circleville that rostered three steam locomotives operating over eight miles of track. From this pit the company obtained ballast for railroad building projects and produced items for the construction industry including gravel, sand, fill dirt, and concrete blocks. In 1959, No. 105 was sold to Art Davis
of Wooster, Ohio, who moved it to Erie, Pa., in 1970 for overhaul in anticipation of its operation at nearby Conneaut Lake. When these plans fell through, the 0-6-0 was shipped to Davis’s used railroad equipment company Dabo, located in Orville, Ohio. Davis nicknamed No. 105 the Jessie B., and lettered its tender for the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton, his favorite childhood railroad. Davis maintained No. 105 in operating condition, and it was occasionally fired up and operated on holiday weekends. No. 105 was successfully moved to
the prviate Age of Steam Roundhouse collcection on July 1.
Replacement Boiler for NCNG No. 5
In June, Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum of Nevada City, Calif., acquired a replacement boiler from the Nevada State Railroad Museum that will allow it to return Nevada County Narrow Gauge 2-6-0 No. 5 to operation. No. 5, the NCNGRR Museum’s centerpiece display, was one of two Baldwin 2-6-0s built in 1875 for the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company and was originally named Tahoe. It was obtained by NCNG in 1899 and ran there until 1939. After being retired, in 1942 it was sold to Universal Pictures and used in movies such as “The Spoilers,” “Shenandoah,” and “The Twilight Zone Movie,” and had roles in
more than 100 television episodes. When its original boiler was deemed beyond repair in the 1960s, it was replaced with a low-pressure welded laundry boiler that produced just enough steam to propel it down the track and blow its whistle. After being set aside by Universal,
No. 5 was brought back to Nevada City in 1985 on a 75-year loan to the Nevada County Historical Society. It has since been cosmetically restored and is housed indoors at the museum’s permanent facility, which opened in 2003. The replacement boiler was fabricated
in 1983 by Dixon Boiler Works of Los Angeles for No. 5’s sister engine, the Glenbrook (see the August 2015 RAILNEWS). Unfortunately, design flaws prevented it from being used during Nevada State Railroad Museum’s restoration of Glenbrook to its 1875 appearance (which, unlike No. 5, was preserved in mostly original condition). The replacement boiler, however, will be a good fit for No. 5, which has been cosmetically restored to its 1930s appearance — the way it looked during its last years of service on the NCNG. The boiler was loaded at Carson City,
Nev., on June 21 and is now in Nevada City awaiting next steps.
Keokuk Union Depot
The Keokuk Union Depot Foundation was the recipient of a $5000 grant from Archer Daniels Midland Company through its ADM Cares program. The donation will go toward the restoration of the depot roof including the installation of red clay roof tiles and the rebuilding of the original central tower. The mission of the Keokuk Union
Depot Foundation is to develop funding to support the preservation of the Keokuk Union Depot, located in Keokuk, Iowa. Built in 1891, the depot primarily served the passenger trains of the Burlington until 1963. It is significant as one of the final projects of architect John Root, of the eminent Chicago firm of Burnham & Root. Successor Keokuk Junction Railway acquired the depot in 1981. Pioneer Railcorp acquired the railroad in 1992, and used the depot for storage. The depot was conveyed to the city in 2011, and a thorough examination of the structure revealed the building to be an excellent candidate for restoration. The contribution from ADM will be applied to a matching grant challenge that must be completed by 2017. For a complete depot history and information on donating to the project, please visit
www.depot125.org.—O.M.V.
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