Steam & Excursion > Another Big Day For The Skookum She Gets Her New Cab!

Yet another milestone was reached at Garibaldi, Oregon yesterday in the re-birth of the famous Skookum. Yes, she finally got her new cab!

Our crews of the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad were joined by Skookum owner Chris Bald9o and his Baldo Locomotive Works (BLW get it?) crew members for the installation of the new wooden cab for the famous Baldwin 2-4-4-2.

Given Skookum's original build date of 1909, she was outfitted by Baldwin with a wooden cab rather than a steel cab. This same cab would last on her for her whole life and even survived the roll-over that ended her working career back in 1955.

When Skookum was rescued in 1960 by Charlie Morrow and his Friends from the woods near Deep River, Washington, the cab had to be removed in pieces as the engine was still laying on her side with no way to right her without taking her all apart. Needless to say the cab pieces did not survive over the years.

Starting several years ago the Skookum's current owner, Chris Baldo researched the dimensions and the original Baldwin materials so he could commission a correct and historically accurate replacement cab made out of the same Bald Cypress that Baldwin originally used. When the cab structure was complete it was painted in the true Baldwin cab colors and the NOS electrical cab fixtures amassed by Chris were installed.

With the recent attachment of the boiler to the frame just a couple months ago, the time was right to install the cab itself. After 2 days of work on the engine hanging additional pieces and just a few hours with the crane, here you see the results!

The tender for Skookum has been completed for years and is already at OCSR. You can only guess what the next big step will be in our returning Skookum to operation!


Martin



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/15 04:25 by LoggerHogger.

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First time I noticed the high pressure cylinders appear to be on the rear engine, with the low pressure on the front. Somewhat unusual.

My grandmother nick named my father "skookumchuck" as she said it meant "running water".

Nearly every Mallets ever built had the high pressure engines at the rear and the low pressure on the front just like the Skookum has here.

Martin

Beginning to look like an engine. Congratulations to all.

Outstanding! Clearly Chris is really putting his heart into it, as well as his money. I can't wait till she's up and running; this, I gotta see!

Well done to all who are bringing Skookum back to life!

-Tom

rswebber Wrote:
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> First time I noticed the high pressure cylinders
> appear to be on the rear engine, with the low
> pressure on the front. Somewhat unusual.

I believe you are confused, as virtually ALL compound articulated steam locomotives have the low pressure cylinders on the front engine.

Because the low pressure side is the final exhaust and as such needs to go to
"atmosphere" ie out the stack!

Out



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/15 10:35 by callum_out.

Martin,

I think you may have mentioned it before but I don't remember. How many of the 2-4-4-2 wheel arrangement were built for logging railroads? I know it was not very many.
Thanks
Jason

Jason,

Only 3 of these 2-4-4-2 engines were known to exist. 2, including Skookum were built for the Little River RR which was primarily a logging railroad.

We have just learned that one or more of these 2-4-4-2's were built for China by Baldwin in 1911.

Martin

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It's just great to see this locomotive coming back together.
Luke

Posted from Android

Wow, Nice!

It's amazing as to what has gotten saved and is being rebuilt but beyond the large
projects like the 611, the common theme for most of the rest is a sensible size.
Skookum is incredibly cool, looking forward to see it run.

Out

How long will the restoration take before she actually is able to steam down the track? Just great to see
such determination on the part of so many to save and restore these "old beauties." Thanks to all.

Skookum is a real one of a kind, and I, like others here, look forward to seeing her run. Heck, riding behind her on the OCSR.

What a great looking engine. How many years have they been working on this project? If I remember correctly ten plus. Is the owner still alive.

Posted from Android

There is a 2-4-4-2 here in New Zealand, was built for the Taupo Totra Timber Co. and has been restored to operating condition. TT # 7.

Malcolm
New Zealand.

I remember in the mid 1960's reading with great interest about this engine in Model Railroader magazine and wished so much that it would run again. I visited the engine, in pieces, in Washington in 1970 and it was a very sad sight since it was almost completely engulfed in weeds.

I am glad I have been able to stick around to see this happen.

Dennis Livesey
New York, NY

What shape is the boiler in? Is it complete, or does it still need tubes? I think it was rebuilt pretty thoroughly, but I don't recall if it is a functional boiler now or still needs the tubes.

Assuming the boiler is more or less functional (tubes or not), I would think the running gear ought to be high on the list. That might take a couple of years, and if the tubes are in there, time is ticking.

We have left the tubes out of the boiler so the 1472 day time has not begun to run.

Martin

Great work. Was the locomotive's original Olive Green paint and Planished Iron jacket considered? http://loggingmallets.railfan.net/list/lr126/d-skookum.gif

Randolph Ruiz
San Francisco, CA
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