Steam & Excursion > Whose was I? - Found an engine today.

I was visiting Wilmington and Western on an overcast Saturday afternoon on the 29th and came across this 2-8-2 engine sitting at the end of the line, just past the shops.

Anyone know anything about it?
Whose was it? Who's is it?
And since it wasn't last used by the B&O, why was it brought to W&W?

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Mgoldman Wrote:
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> Anyone know anything about it?
> Whose was it? Who's is it?
> And since it wasn't last used by the B&O, why
> was it brought to W&W?

The Surviving Steam Locomotives List has it as Sugar Pine Lumber #37, 2-8-2T, privately-owned, with a note that the engine was apparently sold to the Timber Heritage Association, Glendale, California.

It follows that the engine did not operate on the W&W as it awaits transport to its home in California...

Why is it on the East Coast at W&W?
Storage, perhaps?

Here is a link to the page on the Timber Heritage Association's website detailing the history of this locomotive, along with an earnest plea for lots of money to help them bring this locomotive back to California and get it operational:

http://visithumboldt.com/loggingmuseum/locomotive37.html

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

#37, built as Sugar Pine Lumber Co #4 in 1924. It was brought to the East coast by a priavate individual for operation on the now defunct Wawa & Concordville tourist operation that used the then Penn Central Wawa-Colora line. The W&C only operated for a couple seasons, ceasing operations in 1968. After Hurricane Agnas hit in 1972, the line was washed out and never restored. In the late 1970's a couple of idividuals from the Wilmington & Western purchased the #37 and the #3 (Vulcan o-6-oT) and brought them to the W&W shops. #3 was restored for operation first and was used in tandem with the 98. #37 was restored and put into operation on the W&W in 1987 and indeed operated in regular tourist service until 1991 when a regular winter shopping found some problems with the rear tube sheet. The tube sheet was removed and a lengthly legal battle ensued between the owner and the railroad as to who should pay for repairs. The engine was sold to the group in California for operations out there this past year. At the time of the tube sheet removal, repairs were only expected to cost $35,000. Now with all the new regulations this cost will be significantly more.

Shame to see the #37 leave the W&W. It is a brute of an engine and suited the RR very well in regard to small size, but BIG power. 37 logged in many, many miles on the W&W as well as on the neighboring Octoraro Railway (former RDG and PRR lines in DE and PA)

Any photos of the engine in service on the W&W will show a tender behind it. This tender only carried water and that was done only to reduce the load weight on the then wooden bridges. The tanks on the loco were usable.

Nice machine...and one with an interesting history. She was built for the Sugar Pine Lbr. Co,. out of Pinedale, Ca. & was the 4th locomotive of that type supplied by Alco. She was a little different from her sisters in that her water capacity was 500 gallons more than the 1,2, & 3. This also served to increase her weight on the drivers, adding to adhesion.
This type of saddle tank was the bigger version of the one that is at Mount Rainier Scenic RR in WA. This one has 20" cylinders & a t.e. of around 35,000 lbs. while the 17 @ MRSR has 28,500 lbs. & 18" cylinders.
Previous poster was right on when he said a lot of power in a small package.
I'd like to see her back in Northern California...the group that purchased her would like to use her pulling tourists around Humboldt Bay in Eureka.

Tom

Small point that I should have picked up on the first time that I read this thread...but the locomotive was actually Pacific Lbr. Co. 37, not Sugar Pine 37.
It was built was Sugar Pine Lbr. 4.

Tom