Steam & Excursion > One Of Only 2 New Engines For This Line-Her End Came Too Soon!

When the Bear Valley Timber Sale was put up for bid by the U.S. Forest Service in 1928 the Edward Hines Lumber Co. was the only bidder for this huge timber tract north of Burns, Oregon after another bidder was disqualified.  After being awarded this sale, Edward Hines Lumber was able to purchase the partially completed and bankrupt Malhuer Railroad and the partially completed mill started by that companies prior owner Ephraim Barnes.

This was the beginning of the Oregon & Northwestern Railroad which would serve the new Edward Hines Lumber mill at the new town of Hines, Oregon.  The initial steam roster for the O&NW was made up of a couple aging 2-8-0s brought up from the Ed Hines Mississippi operations.

In 1929 an order was placed with ALCO for the big 57-inch drivered 2-8-2 we see here in the form of O&NW #26.  This engine would prove to be a valuable workhorse on the O&NW line for a number of years and was one of only 2 locomotives ever bought new for the line. 

Unfortunately, #26 met an untimely death when in January 1947 when she lost her air and her train of loaded log cars piled up on top of her injuring her crew and destroying the engine in the process.  After this wreck the line purchased a couple of used locomotives from the Union Pacific to carry on #26's work until the end of steam when a set of Baldwin diesels arrived to retire all O&NW steam power.

A sad end to a handsome machine.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/15 05:23 by LoggerHogger.

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And the saw mill in Hines was the largest mill all inside a building in the US. Most of the main building still remains today.

I just went to an ariel view.  No logs at the mill and the railroad into town to the mill is visible but looks to be torn up.  When the mill closed it must have been a big hit to the local economy.

The mill was shut down years ago, the Seneca line torn up and subsequently the ex-UP line
into town as well. The L-P lam plant shut down because the mill shut down, the mill had strike
issues in the seventies, then tree issues, sorta the perfect storm. Right now the largest employer
in town is the government ie the Forest Service, BLM, the state, etc, sad.

Out

I drove thru Hines/Burns OR several years ago on US 20 east bound.  The only thing left of the mills was the smoke stack, Literally!  Had a very nice hotel and several nice places to eat in Burns.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/07/15 15:57 by DavidMKetchum.

Yup, it has that, tourists were supposed to replace the mills.

Out

Regarding the engine............handsome??