Steam & Excursion > If This Engine Looks Familiar But On The Wrong Railroad-She Is!

While the herald on the tender is most definitely that of the Great Northern, the line of this beautiful beast of an engine more closely resemble those of the North Bank Road - namely the SP&S.  That's where the story begins.

Built as part of the last new steam locomotives ever ordered by the SP&S in 1938, this fine engine left the ALCO factory in 1937 as SP&S #903.  That is how she entered service later that year.  However this would not last long.

In October 1939 the SP&S parent roads of GN and NP entered into a motive power equalization agreement which caused SP&S #903 (along with one more SP&S Z-6) to be sold to the GN for service on that road.  Thus in January 1940, the nearly new engine entered the shops and emerged as we see her here bearing GN lettering and the new GN number of 4000.

This beautiful 4-6-6-4 continued in GN service for the next 10 years.  Here primary service territory was on the Oregon Trunk between Wishram, Washington and Bend, Oregon.  In this photo taken by Al Farrow in April 1945, she is sitting between runs at the shops at Pasco, Washington.

In March 1950 her service on the GN was over and she was formerly returned to the SP&S where she was given her #903 back.  She would continue in service for the SP&S for the balance of the decade and would not be cut up until July 5, 1960.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/16 03:43 by LoggerHogger.

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I know that it is a Very Long Shot, but, are there any pics of her working the OT ?

Dave

Is this what you had in mind?

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,3584392,3584428#msg-3584428

-'Puff

Thanks for the image! I did not realize that GN had used the Z-6 engines before now. Too bad Athearn is doing the Z-8 instead of the Z-6, they could have added GN as a roadname.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR