Steam & Excursion > Northern Pacific's Last L-5 Inland Empire Paper #924!

This is a follow up to the news out of Snoqualmie that the NWRy Museum will be restoring 2 1890 era coal burning steam locomotives. A couple weeks ago I chronicled one of these engines, Canadian Collieries #14. Today let's look at the second of these engines.

Built in 1899 by the Rogers Locomotive Works as their serial number 5425, she was built for the St. Paul & Duluth RR as their #74. She later was purchased by the Northern Pacific who renumbered her as their #924. She was part of the L-5 class of NP locomotives that served as yard goats all over the NP system.

This engine was deemed to be surplus by the NP in the 1920's and was sold to the Inland Empire Paper Co. of Spokane, Washington. In this role #924 at IEP #924 was "discovered" by railfans in the 1930's and was often photographed by them going about her duties at the IEP plant. The first photo is by Harold Hill in the late 1930's when he caught #924 performing her daily switching chores.

By the late 1950's when the next 2 photos were taken, #924 was kept as standby for the new diesel that had been purchased to replace her. She was retired in the late 1950's and kept in storage at IEP until 1969 when she was donated by IEP for preservation.

Initially #924 was taken to Chehalis, WA where she was preserved and even operated on rare occasions. Finally she became part of the collection of steam and trolley equipment at Snoqualmie, WA where she is today.

As I pointed out in my post on the CC #14, #924 is yet another example of the foresight by a few individuals that led to the preservation of a historic piece of railroad motive power that made her restoration to operation today a possibility.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 03:51 by LoggerHogger.

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Martin,

Thank you for providing these great histories of local PNW lokies that we'll soon be chasing and riding behind!

I'm always taken by the amazing clarity of the photography of Harold Hill and railfans back then; so sharp you can cut yourself looking at them!

Is that a 55-gallon drum covering her stack in that second photo? Good idea, if it is...though a heavy lift up there, I would think.

-Tom