Steam & Excursion > NP 2435 - Finished!

Northern Pacific T Class 2-6-2 2435 was released from the Lenard Draper Maintenance Facility at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum (Duluth) yesterday after a 5-year total cosmetic overhaul overseen by Curator Emeritus Tom Gannon.  It was 41 years ago that the locomotive was rescued from open display at Duluth's zoo (photo 3).  It is a real tribute to Tom and a group of volunteers and indicative of the quality of work done at LSRM.

Gordon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/18 08:23 by gbmott.

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Very neat looking engine. Not too many Prairie-types of that size. The NP features give it a real 1920's look.

Very handsome!

The period after "Pacific" on the tender is an interesting NP touch.

Congrats to the folks for doing a great cosmetic job on this locomotive. It looks marvelous.
Your second photo almost looks like a model.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

What’s the vintage of photo 3?

W.

wcamp1472 Wrote:
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> What’s the vintage of photo 3?
>
> W.

Fall of 1974 when the locomotive was moved from the Duluth Zoo to the railroad museum.

Gordon

Hummm......beautiful!  Now, you know what we all are thinking...any chance?

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Hummm......beautiful!  Now, you know what we all
> are thinking...any chance?

Well,,,,,,,what I'm thinking is,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I sure hope it is properly displayed INDOORS!

To Keystone1 . . . No

To HotWater . . . Absolutely!

Gordon



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/18 10:18 by gbmott.

King_Coal Wrote:
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> Very neat looking engine. Not too many
> Prairie-types of that size. The NP features give
> it a real 1920's look.

The Milwaukee (The St. Paul Road, as it was then known) and the Northern Pacific both pinned their hopes on nearly indentically designed 2-6-2's for transcontinental freight across Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Montana.  Not sure how many the NP had, but Milwaukee had 195.

As they built west, to populate their new line with experienced help, the Milwaukee would move an engineer from lines east and give him a brand new 2-6-2 to take with him!

The 2-6-2's quickly proved themselves inadequate to mainline tasks on both roads, and their fleets were soon relegated to switching and branch duties.  Replaced by huge fleets of 2-8-2's on the flatlands, and by 2-6-6-2's (sort of a "double Prairie") in the mountains.

-LD

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Hummm......beautiful!  Now, you know what we all
> are thinking...any chance?

One could save lots of bandwidth if someone would just say lets get ALL preserved steam locomotives restored to operating condition!

4489 Wrote:
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> Keystone1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hummm......beautiful!  Now, you know what we
> all
> > are thinking...any chance?
>
> One could save lots of bandwidth if someone would
> just say lets get ALL preserved steam locomotives
> restored to operating condition!

And "operate" them where???????

HotWater Wrote:
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> 4489 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Keystone1 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Hummm......beautiful!  Now, you know what we
> > all
> > > are thinking...any chance?
> >
> > One could save lots of bandwidth if someone
> would
> > just say lets get ALL preserved steam
> locomotives
> > restored to operating condition!
>
> And "operate" them where???????

Exactly!  Hell, lets scrap all the diesels and bring steam back.   This little NP Prarie has been lovingly restored and is beautiful.  Put her inside and let people enjoy her.  The idea of restoring everything to operation is a pie in the sky thing.  Nobody considers all the other things involved.   Where to run it?.  Who will bankroll it? What to pull with it? Maintenance facility?   Insurance?  Track maintenance?  I'm sure everybody gets the message.   If you DO restore to op, never, ever have an unprototypical consist.  And God forbid a....a diesel in the train.  Probably nobody loves steam any more than I do, but use some common sense.

2435 is a real jewel- running or not. Reminds me a bit of the SP 2472, which of course is a 4-6-2 and in running condition.
I like these mid sized locos, that sometimes get overshadowed by the larger, more well known ones. The early and mid 1920s
was a really interesting time frame for railroads; glad to see the renovation of 2435.  Thumbs up to the Team that got it done.

Ok guys.....I understand. But, they used to run a Soo Line Pacific from Duluth to Two Harbors. I rode her on that line in 2011. Now, the route is covered by a Duluth & North Eastern 2-8-0. So what replacement steam engine is next? A 2-6-2 is about the right size. Just thinking outside the box and asking. That’s all.

Gordon -

Where will NP 2435 be displayed for the public to view?!?

TIA,
SP 2472 Don
Manoa Valley, O'ahu

HotWater Wrote:
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> 4489 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Keystone1 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Hummm......beautiful!  Now, you know what we
> > all
> > > are thinking...any chance?
> >
> > One could save lots of bandwidth if someone
> would
> > just say lets get ALL preserved steam
> locomotives
> > restored to operating condition!
>
> And "operate" them where???????

Don't let deatails like that get in the way, LOL!

2472Don Wrote:
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> Gordon -
>
> Where will NP 2435 be displayed for the public to
> view?!?
>
> TIA,
> SP 2472 Don
> Manoa Valley, O'ahu

It is currently on Track 3 (I am told) inside the main building of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, coupled behind a restored NP Russell snowplow of the same vintage.  Equipment gets shuffled around as exhibits change, but I am confident 2435 will always be found somewhere inside the building, at least until a planned new fully-enclosed storage building is built after which items may rotate and periodically be given a “rest”.  To see it outside will be the rare occasion when it gets displayed outside for a day for some special event.

Gordon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/18 04:21 by gbmott.

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Ok guys.....I understand. But, they used to run a
> Soo Line Pacific from Duluth to Two Harbors. I
> rode her on that line in 2011. Now, the route is
> covered by a Duluth & North Eastern 2-8-0. So what
> replacement steam engine is next? A 2-6-2 is about
> the right size. Just thinking outside the box and
> asking. That’s all.

It was a legitimate question as the locomotive is a nice size for the Two Harbors line, but as Wes, HotWater, Don and Bob know only too well, restoration to operating condition is a VERY expensive undertaking, and while LSRM is well-run and debt-free, money is always a concern.  D&NE 28 has several years left on its ticket. The thinking was that during this period SOO 2719 would  get its overhaul, but that’s before the city of Eau Claire exercised their one-time opportunity to reacquire it so it could again be stuffed and mounted.  I am not aware of anything having been done to NP 2435 that would preclude it being made operational if someone wins the lottery and wants to fund it.

Gordon

Well Gordon...where’s the money coming from to REacquire the 4-6-2 and give her a 1472?   When they run out of engines for the run up to Two Harbors, they might just have to do the 2-6-2.     Unless of course, they have their eyes on on the DM&IR 2-8-8-4!