Northwestern Pacific Railroad

Photo by Cliff West

This is the herald of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, which ran from Schellville and San Rafael to Eureka on the northern California coast. Established in 1907, the Northwestern Pacific was initially jointly owned by the Southern Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. The Northwestern Pacific purchased its last new steam locomotives in 1922. In 1929 the Santa Fe sold its half to the Southern Pacific, making the NWP a subsidiary of the SP. The last Northwestern Pacific steam locomotive ran on September 20, 1953. From then on, the Northwestern Pacific leased locomotives from its parent, Southern Pacific.

I think this herald was on the tender of T-46 Class 4-6-0 locomotive #112, which was built by the American Locomotive Company in 1908. It was last run in May 1952 and was retired on October 31, 1952. It was donated to the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society on June 18, 1953. Repainted in two-tone green, it was exhibited at Southern Pacific’s centennial display in Sacramento, California, in August 1955.  A restoration was completed on May 18, 1965, and it was moved to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento in 1978. It is the sole surviving Northwestern Pacific locomotive.