Steam & Excursion > A Steam Giant's Beautiful Beginning, Strong Middle & Then Her End

Here we can trace in just 3 photographs the short but powerful life of one of the West's most powerful steam giants.  With an active operating life of just barely 20 years this articulated giant was with for an all too brief period of time.

Built by ALCO in late 1937 as part of a 6-engine order of 4-6-6-4 articulateds known as the Z-6 Class on the SP&S, #901 had 105,000 pounds of tractive effort and weighed in at 1,014,700 pounds in working order.  What a beast of a locomotive!

She is seen in first photo in October 1937 in Lacrosse, Wisconsin while en-route from ALCO to Spokane, Washington to be set up for her first operations.

In the second photo, my old friend Al Farrow has caught up to #901 just outside of Pasco, Washington in March, 1939 as she leaves town with her freight on train #276.

By the late 1950's her short career would come to an end.  #901 and her sister engines would be stored for a time in the SP&S yard in Vancouver, Washington until they were finally deemed surplus by the new diesels and they were one-by-one scrapped.  The SP&S roundhouse foreman thought enough of #901 that he hung her builders' plate in his yard office until the roundhouse and his office burned on September 4, 1970.

A short life, yes.  But what a life she had!

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/15 03:48 by LoggerHogger.

---

---

---

Like the picture outside of Pasco also the landscape has changed looking at the lack of weeds and such. Now due to irrigation they grow tall and thick along the right of way.

Not sure exactly which 900 it came from, but the catholic church in Goldendale, WA has a bell on display that came off an SP&S Challenger.

Posted from Android