Great Northern 2-8-2 #3059 in Williston, North Dakota, in May 2004

Photo by Cliff West

My dad, Cliff West, took this pictures of Great Northern O-1 Class 2-8-2 #3059 from the train during the westbound Empire Builder’s station stop at Williston, North Dakota, in May 2004. The Great Northern had a total of 145 O-1 Class 2-8-2 Mikados built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in four groups between August 1911 and February 1919, and the last of them were retired in April 1958. Built in February 1913, #3059 was one of the last 15 in operation when it was retired in December 1957, and is the only survivor. It was donated to the City of Williston and placed on display in Railroad Park on August 2, 1958.

Trains in Minot and Williston in September 2003

I took these pictures while riding Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder on September 5, 2003. The Empire Builder’s Heritage Baggage Car for this trip was Amtrak #1851, which I photographed during the train’s service stop in Havre, Montana. This car was built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1953 as U.S. Army (USAX) Hospital Ward Car #89566. It became Amtrak “Le Pub” Bar-Lounge Car #3405 in March 1974 and was used in service on the Montrealer between Washington DC and Montreal, and notably featured an electric piano. In June 1982 it was rebuilt as a baggage car with head-end power and became Amtrak 1178. In 1998 it was refurbished for service on the Adirondack between New York City and Montreal, becoming Amtrak #1851 and receiving large advertising murals for the Adirondack. It was one of several Amtrak baggage cars to be decorated for trains in the Northeast. By this time the car had been transferred into general service, but retained its special paint scheme.

I photographed Great Northern O-1 Class 2-8-2 #3059 from the train during the eastbound Empire Builder’s station stop at Williston, North Dakota. The Great Northern had a total of 145 O-1 Class 2-8-2 Mikados built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in four groups between August 1911 and February 1919, and the last of them were retired in April 1958. Built in February 1913, #3059 was one of the last 15 in operation when it was retired in December 1957, and is the only survivor. It was donated to the City of Williston and placed on display in Railroad Park on August 2, 1958.

Riding the Westbound Empire Builder through Minnesota & North Dakota

On July 31, 1999, I was riding Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Vancouver, Washington. This train was running very late, (we were actually taken from Milwaukee to Midway Station in St. Paul by bus) but it did allow me to see some scenes that the train normally passed in darkness, such as Burlington Northern Santa Fe's yard in Dilworth, Minnesota, just east of Fargo, North Dakota. Parked here with some passenger cars was Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #119, a 3,800-horsepower GP60M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in June 1990.

Burlington Northern #1532 was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1956 as Great Northern 684, a 1,750-horsepower GP9. After the Great Northern was merged into the Burlington Northern, it became Burlington Northern #1836 It was retired on June 15, 1992, and was sent to Morrison-Knudsen in Boise, Idaho, on September 25, 1992, to be rebuilt as an 1,800-horsepower GP28M, with its 567C prime mover fitted with a 645C upgrade kit, a new control stand, dynamic brakes, a Dash 2 electrical system, an AR10E1 alternator, a centralized air filtration system, and a GP38-2-style carbody with a GP50 cab. It was completed on January 10, 1993, as Burlington Northern #1532.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2278 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1973 as St. Louis-San Francisco (also known as the Frisco) #423. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern in 1980, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #2278. It retained its number through the September 22, 1995 merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, being repainted into Burlington Northern Santa Fe's "Heritage I" paint scheme on June 22, 1998. In addition to being repainted, it has also had its headlight moved into the nose following Santa Fe practice.

The westbound Empire Builder was scheduled to make its station stop in Fargo, North Dakota, at 3:44 AM, but it was well after sunrise when I photographed Burlington Northern Santa Fe #4877, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in September 1998, from the train as it passed through Fargo.

Pictured in Minot, North Dakota, Burlington Northern Santa Fe #1067 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in November 1996. The westbound Empire Builder was normally scheduled to pass through Minot in daylight, making a service stop there in the morning from 8:36 to 8:56, but the sun was high in the sky by the time this train got there.

Burlington Northern #6227 is a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1959 as Colorado & Southern #832, The Colorado & Southern was a subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and after the CB&Q was merged into the Burlington Northern in March 1970, Colorado & Southern locomotives retained their numbers and reporting marks. These locomotives began to be renumbered into Burlington Northern's main numbering system in December 1978, and this locomotive became Colorado & Southern #6227 and finally Burlington Northern #6227. It was still in service in Minot after the Burlington Northern Santa Fe merger.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe #4993 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in December 1998. It is pictured here at the engine terminal in Minot, North Dakota.

Just west of Minot, the Empire Builder crosses one of the largest trestles on its route. The Gassman Coulee Trestle is a steel girder trestle that was built in 1899, replacing a wooden trestle that was blown down by a tornado. It is 1,792 feet long and 117 feet high. This is a view from the trestle.

The Gassman Coulee Trestle crosses over County Road 12W near the intersection with 62nd Street SW, as seen here in another view from the trestle.

Here is another view from the Gassman Coulee Trestle. This low area is aptly named Trestle Valley.

Here is another view of the scenery west of Minot.

The westbound Empire Builder was scheduled to stop at Williston, North Dakota, at 11:03 AM, but the evening light was already starting to fade when I photographed Great Northern O-1 Class 2-8-2 #3059 from the train during the Williston station stop. The Great Northern had a total of 145 O-1 Class 2-8-2 Mikados built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in four groups between August 1911 and February 1919, and the last of them were retired in April 1958. Built in February 1913, #3059 was one of the last 15 in operation when it was retired in December 1957, and is the only survivor. It was donated to the City of Williston and placed on display in Railroad Park on August 2, 1958.

Sumpter Valley Railway 2-8-2 #19 at the Portland Union Station Centennial

Sumpter Valley Railway #19 is the first of a pair of narrow-gauge 2-8-2 Mikados built for the eastern Oregon railroad by the American Locomotive Company in 1920. #19 & #20 were replaced on the Sumpter Valley in 1940 by a pair of used Baldwin articulated 2-6-6-2 Mallets. The tenders from the Mikados were put behind the Mallets, and the Mikados were sold to Alaska's White Pass & Yukon, where they served until 1957. The Mallets were sold to a railroad in Guatemala in 1947, and the tenders went with them. The Sumpter Valley reacquired the two Mikados in the 1970s and got the tenders back from Guatemala.

#19 was restored at the Brooklyn Roundhouse in Portland, Oregon, in the early 1990s. It had recently been completed and was brought to Union Station's 100th Anniversary on May 11, 1996, before being returned to the Sumpter Valley. A section of track at Union Station was converted to the narrow 3-foot gauge to allow #19 to be fired up and operate back and forth.

Mid-1992 Train Pictures

Photo by Cliff West

Here are some more of my dad's train pictures. He usually got his train pictures developed as slides, but he got prints of these as well. These were taken in mid-1992.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #9366 is a General Electric Dash 8-40CW, or C40-8W, that was built in January 1990.

Photo by Cliff West

Pictured at Union Pacific's Albina Yard in Portland, Oregon, UP #9366 still looks very new despite being more than two years old.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #3100 is a GP50 built by the Electro-Motive of General Motors in December 1980. It is pictured at BN's Hoyt Street Yard in Portland, Oregon. This was BN's first GP50. It was the first of a group of ten originally ordered by the St. Louis-San Francisco, or Frisco. It was originally intended to be SLSF #791. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern before these locomotives were completed, and they were delivered as Burlington Northern #3100-3109. They were the only GP50s to receive BN's standard paint scheme. BN would order more GP50s, but they would be painted with orange and black nose stripes and a different lettering arrangement.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #1800 is a GP9 originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1958 as Great Northern #727. Like all Great Northern GP9s, it was built with the long hood designated as the front, and even after Great Northern was merged into Burlington Northern in 1970, it retained this configuration, and received its white diagonal stripes on the long-hood.

Photo by Cliff West

This northbound Burlington Northern freight train was photographed across the Cowlitz River from the boat launch at Gerhart Gardens Park in Longview, Washington. All four of these Burlington Northern locomotives were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. Burlington Northern #7865 is an SD40-2 that was built in October 1978. Burlington Northern #7300 is an SD40G that was originally built in March 1971 as Missouri Pacific SD40 #770. It was renumbered to #3070 in May 1978. After Missouri Pacific was merged into Union Pacific, it was assigned UP #4070, but was not renumbered before its original 15-year expired, and Union Pacific retired it on June 1, 1986. It was used in short-term lease service as HLCX 5070 and then GATX 5070 before being rebuilt in April 1989 and leased to Burlington Northern as one of a group of ten. Burlington Northern #8058 is an SD40-2 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1979, and Burlington Northern #8019 is an SD40-2 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1978.

Photo by Cliff West

This is Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade #15 pulling a Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Association excursion train in Chehalis, Washington. This steam locomotive is a 2-8-2 and was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September, 1916. The locomotive was originally built for the Clear Lake Lumber Company, based in Clear Lake, Skagit County, Washington. The locomotive was lettered for the Puget Sound & Cascade Railway Company (presumably a wholly owned subsidiary of the Clear Lake Lumber Company) as their #200. It was later repossessed by Baldwin in 1926 as Clear Lake Lumber and the Puget Sound & Cascade had gone into bankruptcy. It was resold to the Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade, and became their #15.

Photo by Cliff West

After many years of service on the Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade, the locomotive was donated to the city of Chehalis in 1955 and placed on display in a park. In 1986, the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Association was formed to restore #15. Beginning in 1987, it was restored to operating condition at the shops of the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, and scheduled excursions began in the summer of 1989.

Chehalis-Centralia Railroad: CC&C 2-8-2 #15

This brings us to the steam locomotive.

Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade 2-8-2 #15

Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade #15

Builder	Baldwin Locomotive Works
Builder Number	44106
Wheel Arrangement	2-8-2
Delivered	September 1916
Tractive Effort	35,425 lbs.
Steam Pressure	170 psi
Cylinder Diameter	20.5 in.
Cylinder Stroke	28 in.
Driving Wheel Diameter	48 in.
Weight of Engine	174,650 lbs.
Weight on Drivers	138,500 lbs.

Builder’s Plate

Number Plate

The locomotive was built for the Clear Lake Lumber Company, based in Clear Lake, Skagit County, Washington. The locomotive was lettered for the Puget Sound & Cascade Railway Company (presumably a wholly owned subsidiary of the Clear Lake Lumber Company) as their #200. It was later repossessed by Baldwin in 1926 as Clear Lake Lumber and the Puget Sound & Cascade had gone into bankruptcy. It was resold to the Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade, and become their #15. It was donated to the city of Chehalis in 1955 and placed on display in a park. In 1986, the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Association was formed to restore #15. Beginning in 1987, it was restored to operating condition at the shops of the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, and scheduled excursions began in the summer of 1989.

Whenever another steam locomotive comes through Chehalis, the CCRA group typically runs #15 out to a point where the excursion train's route parallels the BNSF main line to greet the visitor. I had expected this to happen with this trip as well, and would have liked to beto be there if it did. However, I knew #15 had a scheduled run that day, and the doubleheader was running several hours late, so it might not happen. Plus, I thought I might still be behind the doubleheader when I went through Chehalis. As it turned out, #15 was waiting for the doubleheader, and they exchanged whistle signals as the doubleheader passed. If I had realized I was ahead of the doubleheader, I could have stopped and witnessed it. Oh well.

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