From the TRAINS News Wire: Former Northern Pacific Mikado to steam again on Grand Canyon Railway April 4, 2007 [photo inset - SP&S 539 SP&S 2-8-2 No. 539 is loaded onto flatcars at Battle Ground, Wash., on March 30, for the move to the Grand Canyon Railway at Williams, Arizona. (Sam Lanter, Grand Canyon Railway) BATTLE GROUND, Wash.] "The Grand Canyon Railway has acquired a former Spokane, Portland & Seattle/Northern Pacific 2-8-2, which it will restore to service for use on its 65-mile tourist line between Williams, Ariz., and the Grand Canyon. The railroad presently operates another 2-8-2, ex- Burlington Route No. 4960. "The acquisition of SP&S No. 539 had long been rumored, but the final deal was not complete until the end of March. Alco built the locomotive for the Northern Pacific in September 1917 as NP 1762 at a cost of $40,995. It was one of 135 class W-3 Mikados built for the NP by Alco's Brooks Plant between 1913 and 1920. The W-3s were heavy Mikados, which weighed more than 300,000 pounds with a grate area of 70.3 square feet. At 200 pounds of boiler pressure they produced 63,460 pounds of tractive effort and 2,800 cylinder horsepower. They worked across the NP system, from Duluth, Minn., on the Lake Superior Division to the Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain divisions. Several W-3s were sold to the SP&S in the mid-1940s, joining others sold to that road in the 1920s. No. 1762 was sold to the SP&S in September 1944 and became their 539, classified as an O-3. It was donated for display to the City of Vancouver, Wash., in September 1957 and placed in Esther Short Park. It is the sole surviving NP 2-8-2. "Moving the engine into the park was no easy task. Air pressure supplied by two city compressors and SP&S trucks helped the engine move, along with cables attached to winches. Several 33-foot sections of portable track were rotated to provide "roadbed" up Vancouver's Seventh Street to the park. After the engine moved about 60 feet, section gangs unbolted two sections at the rear of the engine and a lift truck carried them to the front where they were bolted on to provide an additional 50 feet for travel. When the time came to pull the locomotive up the grade into the park, two 100-foot ropes were attached to the pilot and spectators grabbed hold to pull No. 539 into place. About 200 railroad employees volunteered their time to move the locomotive. "In the 1990s the City of Vancouver hoped to redevelop the area where the locomotive sat and wanted to dispose of No. 539. A group formed in Battle Ground with the goal of restoring the engine, and Vancouver donated the engine to the City of Battle Ground. It arrived at Fairgrounds Park in Battle Ground on October 5, 1997. Will Pickering, who was involved in the restoration effort at the time, told Trains News Wire that Battle Ground soon discovered the engine was too large. "We had a building donated to us, dismantled it and moved it to Battle Ground to house the locomotive for restoration. But the city had plans for the park, and the building and the engine were too large for the park space. Also, some of the rail on the line out of Battle Ground was not large enough for the engine." While the 539 project withered, the group went on to form the Battle Ground, Yacolt & Chelatchie Prairie Railroad. Working with the support of Clark County, the ex-Northern Pacific track from Moulton Falls to Chelatchie Prairie has been restored, and excursion service resumed on May 26, 2001, on weekends and holidays from May to October. In addition to an Alco diesel switcher, the group operates a steam locomotive, ex-Crossett Lumber/Hammond Lumber/Georgia Pacific 2-8-2 tank engine No. 10, built in 1929 by Alco. Work continues on improving the track and upgrading equipment with the goal of restoring service to Battle Ground. "Still the 539 sat in Battle Ground without a home. The city took bids to sell the engine, hopefully for restoration and operation. Eventually Brian Fleming acquired the locomotive. Fleming hoped to restore it to pull tourist trains in Montana, but that plan also fell through. This year Fleming and the Grand Canyon put together a transaction to sell the 539 to the GCRY. As part of the deal Fleming received two of Grand Canyon's ex-Lake Superior & Ishpeming 2-8-0s, Nos. 18 and 20. Alco's Pittsburgh Works built both the Consolidations for the LS&I in 1910. No. 18 is close to operational and was the first steam locomotive restored for service on the Grand Canyon in 1989, while No. 20 has been used for parts. The 539 was loaded onto flatcars in Battle Ground on March 30, and is expected to begin the move to Arizona on BNSF this week. "After No. 539 arrives in Williams, the 2-8-0s will be loaded and moved to Hood River, Ore., where the 18 will see service on the Mt. Hood Railway, possibly as soon as this summer. This leaves one former LS&I 2-8-0 on the Grand Canyon, No. 29, built by Alco Pittsburgh in 1906, which is in service during the summer season along with No. 4960. LS&I No. 19 was sold by the GCRY in 2005 and is now on display in Frisco, Texas lettered for the Frisco. "In an e-mail to Trains News Wire, Sam Lanter, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Grand Canyon, said his wish is to have the 2-8-2 operable in time for No. 4960's 1472 inspection, which at the current usage rate would be no later than seven years. "Of course we have just been purchased by Xanterra Parks and Resorts. All of that could change when we are presented with what their operating wishes are going to be. I have had no indication that they intend to decrease steam operations. So we shall see if they intend to expand our steam season. In that case the rebuild could happen much sooner." Lanter said that as far as the appearance of the locomotive goes, the railroad would make that determination at the time of the rebuild. "Xanterra is a very history-conscious company, so I would not rule out anything at this point," Lanter said. "For more information on the Battle Ground, Yacolt & Chelatchie Prairie Railroad go to www.bycx.com; the Grand Canyon Railroad web site is www.thetrain. com."
She's ridin' the rails again! Well here's how she looks now in her new livery. All kinds of people trying to get their picture in front of her.... ...myself included To make life easier on the old girl they use an FA to help her along
That's 539? Certainly doesn't look like ex-SP&S, ex-NP. The tender is not NP. This would be a very fast rebuild! Isn't 4960 an ex-CB&Q? Or somewhere from the midwest? Boxcab E50
Those are pictures of the existing 2-8-2, not the one they just traded for. From the original article above "The railroad presently operates another 2-8-2, ex-Burlington Route No. 4960."
Ed- When he wrote: "Well, here's how she looks in her new livery", as we were talking about the ex-SP&S/NP loco... I presumed that's what he was referencing. Boxcab E50
Here is a shot of ex-NP/SP&S 539 shot in May before the engine was moved to GCRy. Obviously not the 4960, which has been in service at GCRy for several years.
