Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Not ready for the torch just yet




Class E-13 Baldwin Locomotive built in 1896 for the Spokane Falls & Northern Railway as their #10. Acquired by Great Northern Railway, renumbered as #949 in June 1908, put out of service in 1932 and scheduled for the scrap yard in 1934. It sat in the Spokane’s Hillyard yard dead for 2 years before the Waterville Railway Co. purchased it in 1934 and saved it from the torch. The WRY Co. placed it into service for the next 13 years and in May 1947 it was eventually scrapped. This locomotive was replaced by a small diesel locomotive. One year later the WRY Co. Line would be washed out and never rebuilt. Top photo shows the locomovtive in 1932 covered in snow at the Hillyard yard and the bottom photo shows the locomotive in service in 1936 on the Waterville Line.

2 comments:

SDP45 said...

This is great stuff. I wonder if the WRY actually paid for it, or was it a loaner?

Dan

MB Line said...

Records show that it was owned by the WRY. Now if the WRY actually paid for it, I don't know? My guess is that GN probably just gave it to them since the WRY brought freight to their line. Just my thoughts. My grandma told me that a man (she told me his name but I can't remember) lost his life coupling a steam loco up to some cars near the Waterville Grain facilities she thought back in about the 40's. I bet this locomotive was involved in that accident.

Darrin