Spokane, Portland and Seattle 539

Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway No. 539 is the only preserved example of the class O-3 2-8-2 "Mikado" steam locomotive. It was built by the American Locomotive Company in 1917 for the Northern Pacific Railway as engine No. 1762. It was sold to the NP's subsidiary, the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway and renumbered 539, in 1944. The locomotive was retired in 1957, and it was displayed in Esther Short Park, Washington, until 1997. That year, it was moved to Battle Ground for a potential restoration that never came to fruition. In 2007, it was acquired by the Grand Canyon Railway and moved to Williams, Arizona for an operational restoration that also never came to fruition. In 2019, the 539 was purchased again by the Port of Kalama, who moved it back to Washington with the hopes of putting it on static display inside a visiting center that was constructed in 2014.

Spokane, Portland and Seattle 539
No. 539 on static display at the Williams Depot shortly after its cosmetic repaint, 2014
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderAmerican Locomotive Company
Serial number57954
Build dateSeptember 1917
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-8-2
 • UIC1D'1 h
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.63 in (1,600 mm)
Length77 ft (23 m)
Axle load64,400 lb (29,200 kg)
Adhesive weight247,000 lb (112,000 kg)
Loco weight337,000 lb (153,000 kg)
Total weight551,000 lb (250,000 kg)
Fuel typeNew: Coal
Now: Bunker oil
Fuel capacityCoal: 36,000 lb (16,329.3 kg; 16.3 t)
Fuel oil: 4,357 US gal (16,490 l; 3,628 imp gal)
Water capNew: 10,000 US gal (38,000 l; 8,300 imp gal)
Now: 9,300 US gal (35,000 l; 7,700 imp gal)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		70.3 sq ft (6.53 m2)
Boiler pressure180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size28 in × 30 in (711 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Valve typePiston valves
Loco brakeAir
Performance figures
Maximum speed40 mph (64 km/h)
Tractive effort57,120 lb (25,910 kg)
Career
OperatorsNorthern Pacific Railway, Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
ClassW-3(NP)
O-3(SP&S)
NumbersNP 1762
SP&S 539
GCRY 539
Last run1956
Retired1957
Current ownerPort of Kalama
DispositionBeing placed on indoor display, based in Kalama, Washington

History

Revenue service years

In the early 1910s, the Northern Pacific Railway,[1] a class I railroad that ran in the Northwestern United States between Washington (state) and Minnesota, had experienced an increase in traffic. They decided to design a series of 2-8-2 "Mikado" types, and they either ordered some from the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) or built some themselves at their own shops[2] in Brainerd, Minnesota. One such class was the W-3, with 135 such locomotives built by Alco's former Brooks Locomotive Works in Dunkirk, New York, numbered 1700–1834. First, there were fifty-three built between March and May 1913, and then there were nineteen locomotives built in September 1917, and then thirty-nine locomotives in June 1918, and finally, twenty-four locomotives in November 1920. The 539 was numbered 1762 at the time, and was among the second batch of locomotives built in 1917. These enlarged versions of the basic W class were assigned for dual service trains across the NP system, and they showed the effects of superheating on the layout of tubes and flues, and compared to the Q-5 4-6-2 "pacifics" built by Brooks in 1920, these Mikes had slightly larger boilers, albeit with less firebox heating surfaces. The 1917 locomotives, as well as later ones, had 216 tubes, which raised the evaporative heating surface area to 3,634 square feet.

The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway[3] was jointly owned by the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern and was never permitted to design steam locomotives of its own. Rather, it received most of its motive power as hand-me-downs from its two parent companies, or as add-ons to one of its parents' order of locomotives, such as the E-1 class 4-8-4 "Northerns". The SP&S operated twenty-six 2-8-2s, which were all obtained second-hand. Ten of these locomotives were NP W-3s that were acquired between 1926 and 1944; Nos 1765, 1704, 1727, 1744, 1747, 1702, 1726, 1723, 1751, and 1762, and in that order, they were renumbered 530–539. While on the SP&S, they were reclassified as O-3s, and they were converted to oil firing, since the SP&S preferred that all the steamers on their roster burn oil, as opposed to coal, a common fuel source to the NP. 539, as well as 538, would have their water capacity decreased by 700 gallons in order to hold 4,357 gallons of oil. They also held four more boiler tubes than the other eight. These husky Mikes were assigned for dual service runs to Wishram and on the Oregon trunk to Bend, Oregon, and after 1954, when Diesel locomotives had completely replaced steam for passenger service, the O-3s were fully reassigned to only freight service. By 1957, the SP&S, the NP, and the Great Northern all made a complete transition to diesel power, and the 539's fire was dropped for the last time, after logging some 174,378 miles without any major accidents or derailments.

Preservation

In 1957, the SP&S donated the 539 to the City of Vancouver.[4] On September 30 of that year, a lift truck moved 33-foot sections of track in place in front of No. 539 as the locomotive made its 31/2-block run from Seventh and Harney Streets to its new display site at Esther Short Park. About 200 members of the railroad brotherhoods volunteered to move the locomotive, and it was accomplished in about five hours. Reuben E. Brown, a retired SP&S engineer, fireman, and Great Northern employee, was one of the engineers who drove No. 539 to its new home in the park, and he was one of several railroad old-timers who showed up for that day's operation. Gleaming in a new repaint job of black and silver, the locomotive would remain in the park as a lasting memorial to railroading's steam age for the next forty years.

In the early 1990s, a group formed in Battle Ground with the intent to restore the 539 to operation.[5] Beginning on April 26, 1997, a restoration group removed some components to make moving the 539 easier, including the connecting rods for smoother motion, and the cowcatcher for easier crane rigging access. Extended temporary rails were also installed behind the locomotive for easier crane access, since at the time, the 539's display site was surrounded by trees. On June 21, workers with two trucks with "Oversize load" banners and a heavyweight crane arrived to move the locomotive[6] down the street to the Burlington Northern mainline, and people gathered to watch the process. First, the tender was pulled out and lifted from the rails, and placed onto the flatbed of the first truck. Then, the locomotive itself was backed out of the park and then lifted up and then placed onto the second truck. The locomotive and the tender were brought onto BN trackage and then towed to a nearby Power station under a rooftop.

On October 5, the locomotive finally arrived at the park in Battle Ground. In June 1999, a 120' x 90' steel building has been donated to the group. The building was dismantled and moved to Battle Ground awaiting reconstruction, since it was intended to be used to house the locomotive for restoration. Despite all these plans and donations, however, the potential restoration on the 539 never came to fruition. Instead, the 539 sat on static display surrounded by portable metal fences. The locomotive was also missing most of its essential components, including all of its connecting rods, it's boiler jacket, it's cylinder coverings, it's headlight, and it's Builder's plate. At some point while it was in Battle Ground, the 539 was purchased by Brian Fleming, a former owner of the Mount Hood Railroad.[7] There were plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition in Montana, but those plans never came to fruition, either.

No. 539 at the Williams Depot near EMD f40ph No. 295, 2017

In 2007, the Grand Canyon Railway,[8] a former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe branch line that lied between Williams, Arizona and the south rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, was looking for a bigger and heavier locomotive to meet the demand for more tractive effort, since their loaded passenger trains were getting longer. The MHRR approached an agreement with the GCR to trade the 539 in exchange for Ex-Lake Superior and Ishpeming 2-8-0 "Consolidations" 18 and 20. A train was made and tied on a skate of the main line at Battle Ground just before the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad crew went off duty on April 5, and they expected to deliver the 539 to the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) the following day. The boiler was separated from the frame and running gear, and they were placed on separate flatcars. The locomotive finally arrived at Williams in May of that same year.[9] The initial plan was to give a thorough rebuild to the 539 to have it operate alongside Ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 2-8-2 4960, and possibly replace Ex-LS&I 2-8-0 29. However, 2007 was also the year the GCR first became a subsidiary of Xanterra Travel Collection, and they started growing concerns about steam locomotives over double diesel fuel costs and the affects to the environment. Thus, they ceased steam operations in late 2008, and in 2009, they brought back steam operations, albeit the 29 and 4960 now burn Vegetable oil fuel,[10] and they are limited on when they could run. This was yet, another planned project to restore the 539 to operation that was cancelled, since Xanterra also deemed the restoration project on the locomotive to be too expensive. The 539 sat idle by the GCR's locomotive shops until early 2014, when the GCR gave the 539 a partial cosmetic restoration to improve its overall appearance as a static display,[11] and then it was placed on the platform of Williams Depot.

In 2014, the Port of Kalama opened an Interpretive Center, and they planned to place a Northern Pacific steam locomotive inside as an icon that Kalama was created by the NP. However, there are only 20 locomotives from the NP left to survive, and none of them were available at that time.[12] In late 2019, the Port of Kalama approached the GCR, who agreed to sell the 539 for shipment back to the Pacific Northwest. On January 23, 2020,[13] the 539 was separated into flatcars to leave Williams almost the same way it left Battle Ground in 2007.[14] The following day, the 1,200 mile journey began, and on March 18, the locomotive arrived at Kalama, as it was unloaded, and boiler was re-attached to the frame and running gear once again.[15] The locomotive was placed on extended rail and pushed inside the interpretive center without incident. As of 2021, the 539 is still being given another cosmetic restoration inside the interpretive center. Although, the building is wide enough to fit the locomotive itself inside, it can't fit the locomotive and the tender together. Hence, the tender is being planned to be displayed just outside on the extended rail with a small rooftop built over it. The 539 will soon be part of the center's opening, where "Rail meets Sail".

See also

References
  1. "Northern Pacific 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  2. "Crow Wing County Historical Society - Northern Pacific Railroad In Brainerd". www.crowwinghistory.org. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  3. "Spokane, Portland & Seattle 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  4. "SP&S 539 Locomotive How to move in to the park 1957". www.hoghead.com. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  5. "Whistle Stop". www.hoghead.com. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  6. "SP&S 539 - Move from Esther Short Park 1997 - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  7. "Mount Hood Railroad | Scenic Train Rides & Tours in Hood River, OR". Mt. Hood Railroad. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  8. "Grand Canyon Railway". Grand Canyon Railway. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  9. "RailPictures.Net Photo: SPS 539 Spokane, Portland & Seattle Steam 2-8-2 at Williams, Arizona by Mitch Goldman". www.railpictures.net. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  10. "Grand Canyon Railway Steam - Powered by WVO - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  11. "Grand Canyon Railway #539". Trainorders.com Discussion. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  12. "SP&S 539 come full circle: Port of Kalama buys steam locomotive". The Columbian. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  13. "San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society : NEWS : FROM THE YARD". www.sbrhs.org. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  14. "Steam locomotive finds new home in Washington | Williams-Grand Canyon News | Williams-Grand Canyon, AZ". www.williamsnews.com. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  15. Fairbanks, Katie. "Vintage steam locomotive installed in Port of Kalama's museum". Longview Daily News. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
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