Northern Pacific Railway locomotives

Contents

Steam Locomotive Classes

Below is a table of information for the Northern Pacific Railway’s steam roster with a symbol, Whyte notation, common name and notes. (The notes were compiled by Richard Boyland and Wes Barris and first posted May 30, 1991, to the electronic newsgroup rec.railroad.) Included is a breakdown of the Northern Pacific classes, along with the date of their first construction (when known), builder, and road numbers.

Wheel Arrangements

Symbol | Wheel Arrangement | Type/Name

Class, date built, builder, road numbers

0-4-0

OO | 0-4-0 | Four-Coupled
Minnetonka, built 1870, Smith and Porter, NP 1
Class H, built 1880–1883 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, NP 1050–1064.
Class H-1, built 1871 by Baldwin, NP 1070, rebuilt as 0-4-0T shop switcher #11
Class H-2, built 1883 by Rhode Island Locomotive Works, NP 1003 (ex St. Paul and Duluth #37)
Class H-2, built 1889 by Baldwin, NP 12 (ex HHS&S)
Class H-3, built 1883 by Rhode Island, NP 1004
Class H-4, built by Grant, NP 1071
Class H-4, no date, Rhode Island, 1072

0-6-0

OOO | 0-6-0 | Six-Coupled
Class D-1, built 1881 by Baldwin, NP 942–947 (rebuilt from 2-6-0)
Class I, built 1883–1887 by Baldwin, NP 224, 297–300, 385–394, 398–400
Class I-1, built 1891 by NP’s Brainerd, Minnesota shops, NP 981
Class I-2, built 1887 by Dickson Manufacturing Company, NP 1000–1002 (ex St. Paul and Duluth #60–62)
Class K-1, built 1881, Baldwin, 948-976
Class K-2, built 1882, Baldwin, 980
Class L, built 1883, Baldwin, 977-976
Class L-1, built 1889, Grant, 940-941
Class L-2, built 1887, Rome, 930-939
Class L-3, built 1880, Rome, 929
Class L-4, built 1896, Baldwin, 926-928
Class L-5, built 1899, Rogers, 923-925
Class L-6, built 1901, Alco, 900-919
Class L-6T, built 1901, NP Brainerd, Minnesota, 9
Class L-7, built 1902, 1903, Baldwin, Alco, 1020-1029, 1030-1035
Class L-8, built 1891, Baldwin, 922
Class L-9, built 1906-1910, Alco, Baldwin, 1040-1134
Class L-10, built 1912, Alco, 1160-1169

0-8-0

OOOO | 0-8-0 | Eight-Coupled
Class G, built 1906, NP, 1151-1159
Class G-1, built 1919, Alco, 1170-1173
Class G-2, built 1920, Alco, 1174-1193

2-4-0

oOO | 2-4-0
Class H-5, no date, Rhode Island Locomotive Works, 1072

2-6-0

oOOO | 2-6-0 | Mogul
First rigid frame 1852; first swiveling frame 1864 (Louisville and Nashville). Being the largest locomotive at the time, it was named after the Mohammedan Empire (India).
Class D, built 1883, Baldwin, 580-591
Class D-1, built 1881, Baldwin, 942-947
Class D-2, built 1888, Baldwin, 550-572
Class D-3, built 1889, Baldwin, 420-424, 451-547
Class D-5, built 1889, Baldwin, NP Brainerd, Minnesota, Schenectady, 404-418, 426-432
Class D-6, built 1893, Rogers, 400-403
Class K, built 1883, Baldwin, 595-599

2-6-2

oOOOo | 2-6-2 | Prairie
In 1885, six were built by Baldwin for New Zealand. In 1900, Brooks Locomotive Works built this type for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy to be used on the prairies of the American Midwest.
Class T, built 1906, Alco, 2300-2449
Class T-1, built 1926, Alco, 2450, 2451, 2453-2457, 2459-2161, 2463, 2465-2467

2-8-0

oOOOO | 2-8-0 | Consolidation
First built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1866 for the Lehigh Valley Railroad (recently been created by the consolidation of several smaller roads). The most popular wheel arrangement in the United States.
Class F, built 1883, Baldwin Locomotive Works, 95-103
Class F-1, built 1888, Baldwin, 50-81
Class F-2, built 1888, Baldwin, 82-83
Class F-3, built 1889, Rome Locomotive Works, 84-91
Class F-4, built 1887, Grant Locomotive Works, 92-94
Class F-5, built 1900, Schenectady Locomotive Works, 45-46
Class F-6, built 1895, Richmond Locomotive Works, 47
Class F-7, built 1888, Rhode Island Locomotive Works, 48-49
Class F-8, built 1891, PRR Altoona, Pennsylvania, 4-6
Class Y, built 1898, Schenectady, 30-43
Class Y-1, built 1900, Schenectady, 17-29
Class Y-2, built 1901, Alco, 1250-1279
Class Y-3, built 1901, Alco, 1200-1213
Class Y-4, built 1903, Alco, 1280-1293
Class Y-5, built 1903, Alco, 1214-1223

2-8-2

oOOOOo | 2-8-2 | Mikado, Mike, MacArthur
Built by Baldwin in 1897 for the Japanese Government Railways. Mikado meant "Emperor of Japan." This was one of the largest classes of steam locomotives on the Northern Pacific.
Class W, built 1904, Alco, 1500-1659
Class W-1, built 1910, Alco, 1660-1699
Class W-2, built 1904, Alco, 1900-1919
Class W-3, built 1913, 1917, 1920, Alco, 1700-1834
Class W-4, built 1918, NP Brainerd, Minnesota, 2500-2505
Class W-5, built 1923, Alco, 1835-1859

2-10-0

oOOOOO | 2-10-0 | Decapod
On the NP the Decapods were used at either end of a very short train over the temporary switchback line across Stampede Pass while Stampede Tunnel was being constructed between 1887 and 1888. They featured blind drivers (no flanges on the wheels) for operation on sharp curves. They were later relegated to use as yard switchers.
Class M, built 1886, Baldwin, 1-2

4-4-0

ooOO | 4-4-0 | American
Class B, built 1887, Baldwin, 650-671
Class B-1, built 1889, Baldwin, 672-673
Class B-2, no date, Baldwin, 9-10, 70, 309-316
Class B-2, no date, Hinkley, 150-151
Class B-2, built 1887, Schenectady, 649
Class B-3, built 1888, Grant, 691-692
Class C-1, built 1883, New York Locomotive Works, 680-690
Class C-2, built 1879, Baldwin, 13-33, 84-93, 96, 98-99, 114-124, 152-153
Class C-3, built 1883, Baldwin, 703
Class C-4, built 1882, Baldwin, 741-742
Class C-5, built 1883, New York, 743-747
Class C-6, built 1883, Portland Company, 748
Class C-7, built 1888, Pittsburgh Locomotive and Car Works, 804
Class C-8, 1882, Baldwin, 39-47, 49, 60-64, 66, 805
Class C-9, built 1882, Pittsburgh, 11-12, 303-305, 807
Class C-10, built 1882, Baldwin, 817-818
Class C-11, built 1879, Baldwin, 695, 819
Class C-12, built 1880, Manchester Locomotive Works, 866-869
Class C-13, built 1881, Portland, 870
Class C-14, built 1881, Baldwin, 899
Class C-19, built 1887, Rome, 675-678
Class C-20, built 1887, Dickson Manufacturing Company, 635-637, 1127, 1132
Class C-21, built 1888, Rome, 638-640
Class C-22, built 1886, Baldwin, 1110-1118
Class C-23, built 1881, Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works, 1123-1128
Class C-24, built 1881, McQueen Locomotive Works, 1129-1130
Class C-25, built 1879, Baldwin, 1131-1134
Class C-26, built 1870, Baldwin, 1135-1136
Class C-27, built 1870, Baldwin, 1137
Class C-28, built 1871, Baldwin, 1138-1139
Class C-29, built 1874, Baldwin, 1140-1144
Class C-30, built 1887, Rhode Island, 1145-1148
Class C-31, built 1888, Rhode Island, 1149-1150
Class C-32, no date, Baldwin, 1151
Class C-33, no date, no builder, 1153

4-4-2

ooOOo | 4-4-2 | Atlantic
Class N, built 1899, Baldwin, 600-602
Class N-1, built 1909, Baldwin, 603-605

4-6-0

ooOOO | 4-6-0 | Ten-Wheeler
Class E, built 1882, Baldwin, 390-398
Class E-1, built 1888, Manchester, 360-364
Class E-2, built 1888, Baldwin, 370-383
Class E-3, built 1889, Baldwin, 330-358
Class E-4, built 1890, Rhode Island, 388-389
Class E-5, built 1893, Schenectady, 386-387
Class E-6, built 1890, Rhode Island, 365
Class E-7, built 1892, Cooke Locomotive Works, 366-368
Class E-8, built 1890, Baldwin, 369
Class P, built 1897, Alco, 250-258
Class P-1, built 1899, Schenectady, 207-218, 226-236
Class P-2, built 1900, Schenectady, 240-299
Class P-3, built 1901, Alco, 1400-1419
Class R, built 1897, Schenectady, 170-189
Class S, built 1898, Schenectady, 153-168
Class S-1, built 1899, Schenectady, 134-147
Class S-2, built 1900, Schenectady, 104-133
Class S-3, built 1901, Schenectady, 1300-1323
Class S-4, built 1902, Baldwin, 1350-1389
Class S-10, built 1907, Alco (Rogers), 320-329
Class S-11, built 1888, Grant, 150-152

4-6-2

Class Wheel
arrangement		 Fleet
number(s)		 Manufacturer Serial
numbers		 Year made Quantity
made		 Quantity
preserved		 Year(s) retired Comments
4-6-2 — ooOOOo — Pacific
Q 4-6-2 2080–2099 Alco 27317–27336 1903 20 0 1929–1947
Q-1 4-6-2 2100–2147 Alco 30228…42501 1904–1907 48 0 1930–1952
Q-2 4-6-2 2175–2176 Alco 39999–40000 1906 2 0 1934
Q-3 4-6-2 2148–2170 Baldwin 33248…33627 1909 23 4 1945–1959
Q-4 4-6-2 2177–2207 Baldwin 33796…34144 1909–1910 31 0 1931–1959
Q-4 4-6-2 2208–2205 Alco 48186–48203 1910 18 0 1931–1959
Q-5 4-6-2 2226–2235 Alco 62422–62441 1920 20 0 1947–1959
Q-6 4-6-2 2246–2265 Alco 64328–64347 1923 20 0 1953–1959

4-8-0

Class Wheel
arrangement		 Fleet
number(s)		 Manufacturer Serial
Numbers		 Year made Quantity
made		 Quantity
preserved		 Year(s) retired Comments
4-8-0 — ooOOOO
X 4-8-0 13–16 Schenectady 4523–4526 1897 4 0 1936–1940

4-8-4

Class Wheel
arrangement		 Fleet
number(s)		 Manufacturer Serial
numbers		 Year made Quantity
made		 Quantity
preserved		 Year(s) retired Comments
4-8-4 — ooOOOOoo — Northern
A 4-8-4 2600–2611 Alco 67010–67021 1926 12 0 1949–1959 Serial nos. not in order
A-1 4-8-4 2626 Alco 68056 1930 1 0 1955 ex-Timken 1111
A-2 4-8-4 2650–2659 Baldwin 61771–61780 1934–1935 10 0 1953–1958
A-3 4-8-4 2660–2667 Baldwin 62163–62170 1938 8 0 1954–1958
A-4 4-8-4 2670–2677 Baldwin 64155–64162 1941 8 0 1954–1958
A-5 4-8-4 2680–2689 Baldwin 64667–64676 1943 10 0 1957–1959

Mallet and Simple Articulated Locomotives

Class Wheel
arrangement		 Fleet
number(s)		 Manufacturer Serial
numbers		 Year made Quantity
made		 Quantity
preserved		 Year(s) retired Comments
Mallet and Simple Articulated Locomotives
Z 2-6-6-2 3000–3015 Baldwin 30566…31557 1907 16 0 1927–1939
Z-1 2-6-6-2 3100–3105 Baldwin 34389…34483 1910 6 0
Z-2 2-8-8-2 4000–4004 Baldwin 34382–34386 1910 5 0 1945
Z-3 2-8-8-2 4005–4025 Alco 52839…62472 1913, 1917, 1920 21 0 1945–1958
Z-4 2-8-8-2 4500–4503 Alco 64373–64376 1923 4 0 1951–1954
Z-5 2-8-8-4 5000 Alco 67578 1928 1 0 1952
Z-5 2-8-8-4 5000–5011 Baldwin 61292…61495 1930 11 0 1953–1957
Z-6 4-6-6-4 5100–5120 Alco 68760–68780 1936–1937 21 0 1955–1959
Z-7 4-6-6-4 5121–5126 Alco 69540–69545 1941 6 0 1956–1959
Z-8 4-6-6-4 5130–5149 Alco 70143…71962 1943–44 20 0 1955–1959

Both of the Northern Pacific's 2-6-6-2 classes were copies of GN designs, including their Belpaire fireboxes, a rarity on NP steam locomotives. NP 3015, last of the Class Z's, had a troubled existence, suffering a crown sheet failure at Kennedy, Washington, on Stampede Pass circa 1916, then later derailing on the Wallace Branch in Idaho in 1933. In both instances the engine crew members were killed or injured.

The Z-2 2-8-8-2s wound up in helper service on Bozeman Pass. The Z-3s, purchased in successive batches, became the main line road and helper power on the route across Stampede Pass until the arrival of EMD's FTs in April, 1944. They were also used as helpers on the steep ascent of the NP's Prairie Line out of Tacoma, Washington, as well as in hauling wartime munitions trains over Stimson Hill between Elma, Washington and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington, circa 1944–1945.

The Z-5 Yellostones were two locomotives under one boiler, these were the largest locomotives in the world when delivered in 1928. They eliminated the use of two locomotives on the head-end of freight trains on the Yellowstone Division in eastern Montana and western North Dakota. The 2-8-8-4 was first built for the Northern Pacific Railway in 1928.

The 4-6-6-4 locomotives were so large that in many places in Montana the Northern Pacific had to widen the centers of its double track on the Rocky Mountain Division. As a rule they did not work west of Easton, Washington, due to the confines of Stampede Tunnel under the summit of Stampede Pass. Despite the inaccuracy, these classes were generally referred to by NP engine crews as Mallets.

Diesel Locomotives

American Locomotive Company

Northern Pacific Railway’s Alcos were mostly confine to the east end of the road, on the Lake Superior and St. Paul Divisions.

Model hp Quantity Built Road numbers Notes
HH-660 660
3
 1940 600–602 Delivered as 125–127; first two sold to NP subsidiary Walla Walla Valley Railway
S-1 660
1
 1945 603 Delivered as 131
S-2 1000
13
 1941–1949 700–712 Delivered as 107–108, 113–118, 150–152
S-4 1000
12
 1951–1953 713–724
S-6 900
1
 1955 750
RS-1 1000
4
 1945 800–803 Delivered as 155–158
RS-3 1600
14
 1953–1955 850–863
RS-11 1800
18
 1958–1960 900–917

Baldwin Locomotive Works

Model hp Quantity Built Road numbers Notes
VO-660 660
3
 1940–1942 650–652 Delivered as 128–130
VO-1000 1000
28
 1941–1945 400–427 Delivered as 109–112, 119–124, 153–154, 159–174
DRS 4-4-1500 1500
2
 1948 500–501 Delivered as 175–176. Rebuilt 1959 and 1966 with EMD 567 engine
DRS 6-6-1500 1500
1
 1948 525 Delivered as 177. Rebuilt 1959 with EMD 567 engine

Electro-Motive Division

Model hp Quantity Built Road numbers Notes
NW 1000
1
 1938 100 Rebuilt 1956 by EMD as SW900m
NW2 1000
7
 1940–1948 99, 101–106 99 was New York, Ontario and Western 115, bought 1957
SW7 1200
8
 1949 107–114
SW9 1200
4
 1952–1953 115–118
SW1200 1200
59
 1955–1957 119–177
GP7 1500
20
 1950–1953 550–569
GP9 1750
176
 1954–1958 200–375
GP18 1800
9
 1960 376–384
FT 5400
11 A,
11 B
 1944 5400ABCD–5410ABCD Delivered as 6000ABCD–6010ABCD
F3 1500
25 A
24 B
 1947–1948 6000A-6004C, 6005B-6006C, 6500A-6509C, 6005A-6006D, 6051A-6052A, 6503C-6506C 6000s are freight, 6500s are passenger
F7 1500
45 A
34 B
 1947–1952 6007A-6012D, 6007B-6012B, 6013D-6018D, 6013C-6018C, 6019D-6020D, 6019C-6020C, 6050B, 6500C, 6501C-6502C, 6507C-6508C, 6509C-6512C, 6510B-6512B, 6513C, 6513B, 6550B, 6551B-6553B,
FP7 1500
2
 1952 6600–6601 Used on St. Paul to Winnipeg passenger train
F9 1750
39 A
32 B
 1949–1956 6700C, 6700B, 6700C, 6701C, 6701B, 6702A-6704A, 6702B-6703B, 6702C, 6703A-6705A, 6703C, 6704B-6709B, 6704C, 6705C, 6706A, 6706C, 6707A, 6707C, 6710B, 7000D-7001D, 7000C-7001C, 7002D-7006D, 7002C-7006C, 7007D, 7007C, 7008D-7009D, 7008C-7009C, 7010D-7014D, 7010C-7014C, 7050A, 7051A-7051A 6700s are passenger, 7000s are freight
SD45 3600
30
 1966–1968 3600–3629 20 more on order at merger into Burlington Northern

General Electric

Model hp Quantity Built Road numbers Notes
44-Ton 380
1
 1946 98 South Tacoma shops switcher
44-Ton 400
1
 1943 99 Ordered by NP subsidiary Duluth Union Depot and Transfer; temporarily delivered to NP while DUDT resolved labor issues, then transferred to them as No. 5
U-25C 2500
30
 1964–1965 2500–2529
U-28C 2800
12
 1966 2800–2811
U-33C 3300
10
 1969 3300–3309

References