Steam & Excursion > Sierra #38 & Rayonier #120 - Weyerhaeuser's Twins!

In the Railroad Camp thread below I posted several photos of "Lokies" (as logging locomotives are called by loggers).
I reprint one of the photos here to show one of the rare times that Mallets #38 and #120 were parked side-by-side demonstrating how nearly identical these 2 engines were. This photo was taken by Al Farrow in 1956.

While these 2 engines were built by Baldwin only 2 years apart (1934 and 1936) and both built for Weyerhaeuser, they did not work on the same logging line until they were by purchased by Rayonier in the mid-1950's.

Sierra #38 was built as Weyerhauser Timber #4 for the West Side logging line out of Klamath Falls, OR. She had a rough life there with several derailments on the lightly built track and in 1947 she was caught in an enginehouse fire at Camp 4 and nearly destroyed. The second shot shows her pulling logs early one morning on the WTCo line in the forests West of Klamath Falls.
In 1952 WTCo began buying Baldwin diesels for the Klamath Falls line and #4 was sold to the Sierra Railroad as their #38 for the Sierra's last fling at steam. After 3 years on the Sierra #38 was sold in August of 1955 to Rayonier for use out of Railroad Camp. She continued in service there until 1967 when she was finally retired and later put on display at the new RR shops at Rayonier's Crane Creek Camp, North of the old Railroad Camp.

Rayonier #120 started life in 1936 when she was ordered by Weyerhaeuser Timber for use on their logging line out of Vail, WA. She was built from the same specifications as #4 with only minor deviations. For a time she was used on WTCo's Chehalis Western to haul logs down to the Milwaukee RR interchange. She later was transferred to Weyerhaeuser's Longview, WA logging line where she worked until 1954 when Rayonier bought her and shipped her to Railroad Camp.

So, by September 1955 these 2 identical Mallets were working together for the first time hauling logs on the same railroad. In 1962 #120 suffered a low-water event and her crown sheet was burned beyond repair. She was scrapped in 1968. Here tender was used as a water car until it too was cut up when the railroad was scrapped in 1984. Her smokestack currently holds up my mailbox.

#38 remained on display at Crane Creek until 1984 when Rayonier's holdings were sold and the railroad scrapped. Fred Kepner was the only one who offered to save her and he bought her from the scrapper who was planning to cut her up when no one else came forward to preserve her. She was moved first to McCloud, CA and then to her current resting place of Merrill, OR.

Martin



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/19 03:50 by LoggerHogger.

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[img::]https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/328000/Rayonier#38-120.AL.JPG[/img]

Here is the side by side shot.

Martin

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Martin, Very interesting item. Thanks.

Nice photo of two locomotives built to the same Baldwin specifications. I read where these two locomotives and at least two others were the biggest of the 2-6-6-2 logging mallets offered by Baldwin. Most of the logging roads did not have heavy enough rail to support their weight or curves to deal with their wheelbase.

Even the Sierra found that #38 did not eliminate all the double heading westbound up Chinese Hill. I have seen old conductor's
books showing helpers up Chinese Hill with #38 the trains were so heavy.

Are there any photos out there showing helpers in train with #38 heading west up Chinese Hill?

Before the #38 was placed in regular service, it was a common practice for helper service up Chinese Hill heading west. For the eastbound train in the morning, it was mostly empties, but over 20 cars could result in having to double the steep grades of Canyon Tank. One written comment by the conductor went something like this in regards to a string of 24 empties, "Pulled this train up the canyon without doubling!" I believe it was #36 that was the motive power that day.

Say Martin... any chance of #38 being put together, at least good enough for a decent photo? and, or course... any chance of anyone rebuilding her to run? Thanks. Keystone1

Actually the engine needs to stay in this stage of dis-assembly to facilitate her re-build. The running gear needs work and having the boiler off the frame is the way to do the job right.
We all will just have to wait for the re-build to see her back together again.

Martin

I didn't wanna go here, but what the hey! As long as that engine belongs to Fred Keppner, it ain't gonna move. I have had many discussions with many people on this subject and that's that! I even tried to get it up here for static display at the Polson Museum at Hoquium and every avenue I chased was told that it'll lay in Merrill and rot befor he let's anything go!

I noticed this first shot of #120 has a different stack cap than the twin shot, was that a modification made by Rayonier? Also, what was the purpose of the large doghouse on the tender?

Thanks,
Chris

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The "Trash Can" spark arrestors were used by Rayonier and added by them. The large "doghouse" on #120 was added by WTCo when in the rainy country of Longview, WA.

Martin

The Polson Museum already got rid of the locomotive they had, Rayonier #45.

The Northwest Railroad Museum, of Portland, sponsors of almost all of the 4449 excursions, member of ORHF, would LOVE to have the "38"...

patd3985 Wrote:
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> I didn't wanna go here, but what the hey! As long
> as that engine belongs to Fred Keppner, it ain't
> gonna move. I have had many discussions with many
> people on this subject and that's that! I even
> tried to get it up here for static display at the
> Polson Museum at Hoquium and every avenue I chased
> was told that it'll lay in Merrill and rot befor
> he let's anything go!

patd3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I didn't wanna go here, but what the hey! As long
> as that engine belongs to Fred Keppner, it ain't
> gonna move. I have had many discussions with many
> people on this subject and that's that! I even
> tried to get it up here for static display at the
> Polson Museum at Hoquium and every avenue I chased
> was told that it'll lay in Merrill and rot befor
> he let's anything go!

Whatever else might be said about Fred Kepner's management
of his collection, he has to be given a lot of credit for
what he's done; saved historic railroad equipment from the
scrapper's torch. Years ago, nobody wanted a lot of those
pieces of equipment. Fred Kepner, to his credit, went to a
lot of trouble and personal expense to save these items at
the last minute. If it weren't for Fred Kepner, some of the
equipment he owns would have long since been turned to
Toyotas, or the like. I like to believe that because of
Fred's efforts, some day his locomotives will steam again.
When that day comes, it should be noted that but for Fred
Kepner, that equipment would no longer exist.

I'm not gonna flame over Mr.Kepner's business. I just wanna say 2 things. 1) I was there when #38 took her last breath and just hate to see her in that condition. 2) I was 13 years old when I began working on VSP&S #105,and put lotsa days in with my father and friends to get her running back in the 60's. Hell, it was my father and I who delivered her drivers to the Albina backshops to be turned and rebuilt! I personally have no anamosity whatsoever towards Mr Keppner. I just hate to see those engines in that condition, but I'm sure he means well. It just...ahh, never mind !!!

"The Polson Museum already got rid of the locomotive they had, Rayonier #45.

The Northwest Railroad Museum, of Portland, sponsors of almost all of the 4449 excursions, member of ORHF, would LOVE to have the "38"..."

Did the Polson Museum have the #45? I remember the #45 sitting in a park, not at the Polson Museum.

Are you speaking on behalf of the Northwest Railroad Museum? I suppose the 38 will come in handy for the Northwest Railroad Museum, especially since they have trackage to run the locomotive on, and it can run on the mainline with the 4449 to Rocky Point when Weyco calls the 38 back to haul logs out of Headquarters. Yea right.

Well said, my man!!!

Cut and pasted from the Mt Rainier Scenic website:

"#45 continued in service around Railroad Camp and in work train service until she was retired in 1960 and donated to the City of Hoquiam and put on display at the Polson Museum at Hoquium, WA. By 1998 #45 was deteriorating badly from the salt air at her display site. The City of Hoquiam donated #45 to the Mount Rainier Scenic RR in 1998 and she was shipped to the shops at Mineral, WA. Due to her small size and badly deteriorated condition, present plans call for her to be cosmetically restored and preserved as a testament to the loggers use of early rod-type logging locomotives."

So I guess not owned by the museum, but on display there.

I see Rayonier Shay #3 was also owned by the Polson Museum at one time....

http://www.ocsr.net/polson3roster.html

It's a shame, really, how these towns, museums, collectors, etc., will cling to a steam locomotive until it's so badly deteriorated that there's very little chance of it ever being restored to operating condition again; only finally letting it go when it's condition is such that it's prohibitively expensive, if not impossible, to fully restore it.

JDL