Steam & Excursion > On Her 2nd Railroad This Locomotive Was Ideal For This Duty!

Built new for the Great Northern in March 1907 as that roads #1583, this high-wheeled 2-6-2 was give #1583 as her original number.  This made her part of the J-2 Class on the GN.  However, she would not stay long on her parent railroad.

In August 1908, when the SP&S opened it's Vancouver to Kennewick, Washington mainline, the GN transferred #1583 and 9 other J-2 Class locomotives to the SP&S where they were renumbered and made part of the F-1 Class on the SP&S.  #1583 became the #455 that we see here.

#455 basks in the morning light of a summer day on August 25, 1933 at Bend, Oregon.  Southern Pacific engineer H.L. Arey was on vacation that day and brought his trusty camera along with him to record the railroads he visited while on a break from his duties on the SP Tillamook Branch.

#455 has arrived with a morning freight train, having traveled down the Oregon Trunk with Bend as her final destination.  The box cars she brings with her will be filled for the return trip with lumber and box shook from the Shevlin-Hixon and Brooks-Scanlon mills that are still working despite the Great Depression being underway.

#455 was built to haul frieght fo rthe GN and she still finds her calling for that same duty on the SP&S.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/19 03:11 by LoggerHogger.

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The interesting details that tell us that the SP&S thought highly enough of the loco to spend considerably on modernizing her.    Universal Piston valve conversion valves and Walshaerts gear means that they converted her to superheat.  Twin cross compound air pumps replaced a single air pump to enable her to haul longer and heavier trains.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/19 06:49 by elueck.

Martin:

Was the SP&S a water level line? That lokey has pretty large diameter drivers for a freight loco. Seems like she'd be a little "slippery" on grades of any substance with healthy tonnage behind her.

John Mills

The SP&S to Bend has some pretty good grades as they climb out of the Columbia River Gorge and then up the Deschutes River to Bend.

Martin