Steam & Excursion > Stillwater, Minn 1983

I stumbled upon this red ribbon event at Stillwater quite by accident. Seems it was the first run of NP 328, or the first revenue run. A really good looking ten wheeler.
Brian N.

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> I stumbled upon this red ribbon event at Stillwater quite by accident. Seems it was the first run of NP 328, or the first revenue run. A really good looking ten wheeler.
Brian N.

It may be the first run of 328 on THAT restored line, but certainly not her first run after restoration of the engine.

I LOVED 328.  But, I can't agree on her looks.  Built by Alco (actually Rogers)  for export to Mongolia [Edit: Or was it Manchuria?] in 1906, the sale was blocked by the US Gov't.  Alco "Americanized" her as best they could and gave NP a deal they couldn't resist.  Try as they might they just couldn't make her look like an NP engine.  Top heavy, too.

NP first assigned her, I understand, to North Dakota branchlines, then to branches off the St. Paul to Duluth LIne, including Stillwater.  Mostly on the White Bear to Stillwater line.  When retired NP gave her to the City of Stillwater where she spent many years after her first retirement sitting in a park alongside the St. Croix River.   Showing signs of deterioration and no longer wanted by Stillwater she came under control of the Minnesota Transportation Museum where she was restored to operation on several fantrips throughout southern Minnesota.

MTM aquired the NP's Stillwater branch and operated tourist trains.  328 became a frequent visitor.  This was, appartently, her first.

-LD




-LD

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/22 08:27 by LarryDoyle.

Does the locomotive exist and if so where?

Mothballed, on public display inside at Minnesota Transportation Museum, St. Paul.

-LD

We spent an afternoon in Stillwater, but I didn’t notice an signs of train tracks. Fun little town, we even walked over to the Wisconsin side of the drawbridge. Guessing everything in the photos has been removed.

Interesting story on the history of the loco. And fun pictures of the event.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

atsf121 Wrote:
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> We spent an afternoon in Stillwater, but I
> didn’t notice an signs of train tracks. Fun
> little town, we even walked over to the Wisc......

The route through town and the yard can still be traced through town, a trail now.  The yard was smack in the middle of downtown and unauthorized parking usually took much of the space.  Right now it's occupied by a gigantic sculpted ice castle/maze.

One evening I was returning 328 and train to our makeshift station (it was a trailer) and events in town had attracted hugh numbers of visitors - takeing every available parking space and then some.  Cars were cramed into ever nook and cranny, including VERY close to our (actually BN's) rails.  I inched forward watching clearances, and saw one particular vehicle parked dangerously close to the rails, its driver oblivious to the fact that a train is actually wider than the width of the gauge.  The pilot and front steps got by.  The cylinders were high enough that they got by, by an inch.  As the second driver passed the vehicle the main pin was in such position that it circled OVER the vehicles hood without touching it.  If 328 would have had outside valve gear or were in any position than top quarter...... crunch.

I stopped the train, climbed down with several chunks of coal and piled them neatly on his hood, then proceeded on to the station stop to unload our passengers.  I hope he got the message.  <G>

-LD



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/22 07:53 by LarryDoyle.