Ostrander Railway & Timber Company #7

 

Specifications:

Wheel Arrangement: 2-6-6-2t (as built) later 2-6-6-2t&t

Tank or tender type: Rectangular side tanks

Build date: December 1926

Serial number: 59701

Driver diameter: 44 in.

Boiler pressure: 200 psi

Cylinder dimensions: 18 & 28x24 in

Grate area: 32 sq ft

Tractive effort:  43,000 lbs

Weight:  246,000 lbs

Fuel: 1,200 gal oil

Water capacity: 3,200 gal

Service History:

1926-1939:  Ostrander Railway & Timber Co #7.  Ostrander, WA.

1939-1950:  Weyerhaeuser Timber Co #5.  Klamath Falls, OR.

1950:  M. Bloch & Co. (dealer) Seattle, WA.

1950-1953:  Kosmos Timber Co #11.  Kosmos, WA.

1953-1960:  United States Plywood Corp #11.  Kosmos, WA.

Disposition after logging service:

1961-1973:  Display at University of Washington, Seattle WA.

1974-1990:  Operational.  Puget Sound Railway Historical Association.  Snoqualmie, WA.  

1990-September 2002:  Storage.  Northwest Railway Museum.  Snoqualmie, WA.

September 2002-present:  Undergoing cosmetic restoration.  Northwest Railway Museum.  Snoqualmie, WA.

Notes:

Painted "Olive green & Aluminum, Style 220, Painting Scheme A" when built. - Jim Wilke notes from Baldwin records.

1939 (at Klamath Falls): side tanks partially removed.  One of the air reservoirs was placed inside the left side tank.

Tender added (converted 8000-gallon tank car).

Generator moved to between steam and sand domes.

Unknown date:  Configuration of walkways and handrails on tender changed.  Rear light moved to right side tender walkway (was centered previously).  

Unknown date:  fireman's side check valve relocated.

1953:  Smokebox front replaced.  The lower portion of the smokebox may have been replaced at this time as well.

Mid-70s:  Upper 1/4 of smokebox replaced.

1960 and 1966:  Northwest Short Line of Seattle, WA produced an HO scale brass model of #11. ~800 were imported.  The 1966 release has a few errors not present on the 1960 release.  The most apparent is the use of arch-bar trucks on the tender of the 1966 release, the 1960 version has the correct bettendorf trucks.  Photo of 1966 version  

Summary:

This side tank Mallet was built for the Ostrander Railway & Timber Company as their #7 in December 1926.  It worked the woods near Ostrander, Washington until being sold to the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company in August of 1939.  Renumbered to #5, the Mallet was moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon to be used on Weyerhaeuser's logging operations in that area.  After arriving at Klamath Falls in 1939, the side tanks were partially removed and an 8,000-gallon tank car was converted for use as a tender. 

No longer needed by 1950, Weyerhaeuser sold #5 to the locomotive dealer M. Bloch & Co. of Seattle, WA, who then sold the Mallet to the Kosmos Timber Company at Kosmos, WA.  At Kosmos, the locomotive received the number 11 and it worked there until being placed in reserve service after the arrival of diesels in 1953.  Also in 1953, #11 changed owners again, this time working for the United States Plywood Corporation.  It was around this time that #11's smoke box door was replaced.  #11 remained in reserve service at Kosmos until being retired in 1960.  #11 was then donated in June of 1961 to the University of Washington in Seattle and placed on display near the College of Forestry in January of 1962. 

#11 remained on display until 1971 when the University decided to remove the locomotive citing upcoming construction and that the locomotive was considered a liability on outdoor display.  The National Railway Museum at Green Bay, WI, who had claim to the locomotive per the original deal with US Plywood, decided not to purchase #11 and take on the task of moving #11 across country.  Other interested parties at the time included the Western Washington Forest Industries Museum (Camp Six) of Tacoma, WA, BC Tours, Ltd., of British Columbia, the city of Morton, WA, and the Puget Sound Railway Historical Assn. of Snoqualmie, WA.  The locomotive was transferred to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission when the PSRHA agreed to move it to Snoqualmie.  A group of volunteers then set about preparing #11 for shipment.  Months of work were required to lubricate #11, obtain a state boiler certificate, and replace the many missing parts.  Eventually #11 was fired up and moved off the campus to Kenmore, WA, under steam.  From there #11 was towed the rest of the way to Snoqualmie by Burlington Northern.  The next time #11 was under steam was on July 14, 1974, when it was double-headed with 2-6-6-2 Weyerhaeuser #6 for a few runs at the Association's Niblock Yard.

After some more work, including replacing window frames, doors, piston rings, and fabricating a new jacket, #11 was regularly hauling tourists in the Snoqualmie Valley until the boiler tubes were condemned in 1982.  #11 was back in service on May 4, 1985 with new tubes and flues.  A new crown brass, rod brasses and rebuilt shoes and wedges were applied to the high pressure engine in 1988 and 1989.  #11's operating career was interrupted again in 1990 when a knuckle pin on the low pressure engine fell out, breaking one connecting rod and severely bending another.  New rods were fabricated and installed, and since it was again time for new boiler tubes, work also started on re-tubing the boiler.  This work was not completed since the PSRHA was evicted from Niblock Yard and its temporary shop in 1991 due to an upcoming housing development in the area.  Without proper facilities available, #11 could not be prepared for its initial FRA inspection and the decision was made to place the locomotive in storage until a new shop could be built.

Since that time the PSRHA has reincorporated as the Northwest Railway Museum, and by the late 1990s, much progress had been made at the Museum.  Among other projects, trackage was restored to Snoqualmie Falls, and several cosmetic restorations were commenced on pieces of equipment like the Northern Pacific #10 rotary snow plow.  Fund raising for a new shop facility began in earnest in 1998, and the permitting process for the facility is now in its final phases.  After this new facility is built, it is hoped #11 will be restored to operation.

In September 2002, #11 was removed from storage so that phase 1 of its eventual restoration could begin.  The locomotive was moved to the Snoqualmie depot, and cosmetic restoration was initiated.  Upon completion of the cosmetic restoration, #11 will be put on display near the corner of Railroad Avenue and Snoqualmie Parkway.

Drawings:

Ostrander #7 as built.  

Weyerhaeuser #5 - 1939

Weyerhaeuser #5 - 1940s

Kosmos Timber Co. #11 - 1951

US Plywood #11 - 1956

US Plywood #11 - 1987  

Photos:  

As Ostrander #7:

Ostrander #7 at Portland, OR in transit to Klamath Falls - Martin E. Hansen Collection

As Weyerhaeuser #5:

Weyerhaeuser #5 in 1939 at Camp 4 enginehouse with Heisler #3 - Martin E. Hansen Collection

As Kosmos Timber #11:

Kosmos Timber Co. #11 at Kosmos, WA in 1951 - Martin E. Hansen Collection

As US Plywood #11:

US Plywood #11 at Kosmos, WA in 1953 - Martin E. Hansen Collection

US Plywood #11 at Kosmos in 1955 - Warren W. Wing Collection

US Plywood #11 in operation near Kosmos in 1957 - Martin E. Hansen Collection

US Plywood #11 at Kosmos in 1959 - Warren W. Wing Collection

At the University of Washington:

US Plywood #11 on display in 1969 - Steve Thompson Collection

US Plywood #11 on display in 1969 - Steve Thompson Collection

At Snoqualmie:

#11 in operation at Snoqualmie - 1986

#11 in storage, engineer's side - 2000

#11 undergoing cosmetic restoration - February 9, 2003

#11 undergoing cosmetic restoration - February 9, 2003

#11 undergoing cosmetic restoration - October 24, 2004

#11 undergoing cosmetic restoration - October 24, 2004

 

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