Northern Pacific 328

Northern Pacific 328 is a restored 4-6-0 steam locomotive originally operated by the Northern Pacific. The 328 was used on Northern Pacific's branch lines in Washington, Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas. It was retired in 1950 and saved from scrap by the Minnesota Railfan's Association. It was then donated to city of Stillwater, Minnesota. In 1976 the locomotive was leased by the Minnesota Transportation Museum and restored to operation. From 1987 to 1991 it operated on the MTM's line in Stillwater, which later became the Minnesota Zephyr. From 1992 to 1999 it operated on the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway.

History

The story begins in 1904, when the Chicago Southern railroad was incorporated to build 114 miles of track from Chicago to a connection with the Southern Indiana Railway. Forty locomotives were ordered in 1905 from the American Locomotive Company's Rogers works in Patterson, New Jersey. The order included twelve 2-6-0 "Mogul" types, eight 4-4-0 "American" types, and twenty 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" types. The first sixteen were delivered in July and August, among them six 4-6-0's. By the end of 1905 the Chicago Southern fell on hard times, and the remaining fourteen 4-6-0's sat unfinished at Rogers, without a buyer.

During the winter of 1906-1907, the Northern Pacific was experiencing power shortages on its Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Dakota branch lines. It purchased ten of the unfinished engines for $14,500 each. They were completed and delivered in February, 1907. The Northern Pacific assigned them class S-10 and numbers 320 to 329. In their early years, 321 and 322 were assigned to the Dakota Division, 320, 323, and 324 to the Pharoah Division, and the rest to the Minnesota Division. In 1925, 325 and 326 were re-assigned to the Montana Division. Small, light engines even when new, the great depression rendered them surplus. Between 1929 and 1933 eight were cut up for scrap.

The two survivors, 321 and 328, remained because of their light weight and a rickety old bridge. The Northern Pacific's mainline from the Twin Cities to Duluth sported a number of branchlines. The seventeen mile branch from Rush City, MN, to Grantsburg, WI crossed the St. Croix river on a very light bridge. Only D-3 engines or S-10 engines like 328 were light enough to cross it safely. 321 and 328 also frequented the branches from Wyoming to Taylors Falls and from White Bear Lake to Stillwater. By 1946, dwindling traffic and the new diesels resulted in 321's scrapping. On July 1st, 1948, 328 pulled the last train to Taylors Falls. In 1949 L-10 O-6-0 number 1167 replaced 328 on the Grantsburg branch. 328 still found work on the Stillwater branch and pulling railfan excursions, but in March 1950 was retired.

328 was also ordered scrapped, but was saved by the Minnesota Railfan's Association, who managed to get it donated to the city of Stillwater. It was put on display in the park along the river, a couple blocks from the depot. In 1976 the Minnesota Transportation Museum leased the 328 and restored it to operating condition in the BN's ex-NP Como Shops in St. Paul. It pulled its first excursion train in 1981 during New Brighton's Stockyard Days festivities..^[1]

Excursion career

Between about 1987 and 1991, NP 328 returned to the Stillwater branch. At that time the branch was owned by MTM, and 328 was a "crown jewel" of the historic experience.

From 1992 to 1999 NP 328 served as a regular locomotive on MTM's Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway, giving train rides to an older generation who remember when steam locomotives ruled the rails and exposing a new generation to steam locomotives and passenger trains for the first time. It ran between Marine on St. Croix, MN and Dresser, WI, a mere few miles from the Stillwater and Taylors Falls branches it once frequented. It also made occasional special trips to other locations around the Twin Cities.

In 1998, it operated as the leading locomotive in a triple-header special at Osceola with Soo Line 2719 and Soo Line 1003.

Historical significance and preservation

The only preserved Northern Pacific 4-6-0 S-10 locomotive.

Present day

In 2000, following numerous boiler explosions from excursion steam locomotives, the Federal Railway Administration rule in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 49, Part 230, created new guidelines for restored steam locomotives. Regardless of whether the locomotive has operated, its owner/operator must provide engineering documentation to the FRA every 15 years or 1,472 operating days. CFR49 Part 230 superseded all state regulations.

A locomotive must have extensive inspections at one year and five year intervals to determine if repairs are needed to maintain the boiler with the required safety factor. Experience since the year 2000 has shown that bringing a retired locomotive back to operating condition typically costs between $600,000 and $1.5 million depending on the condition of the machinery. Performing the 15 year inspection involves complete disassembly of the locomotive and costs between $300,000 and $600,000 because the boiler and machinery are likely to be in better condition and require less repair.

This requires the 328 to undergo an extensive (and expensive) overhaul and restoration, but the Minnesota Transportation Museum found its funds better spent on other projects, and thus put the 328 on "permanent display" inside the museum's Jackson Street Roundhouse. The 328 is displayed along with two other Northern Pacific steam locomotives, both NP Q-3 4-6-2s, numbered 2153 and 2156.

Potential restoration

Through the years various attempts to restore the 328 have been made unsuccessfully. The Minnesota Transportation Museum inspected the 328. Aside from the boiler, which needs significant work even without a full ultrasonic work-up, all the wheels need to be turned to establish concentricity and the correct profile. Until the running gear is completely disassembled it is unknown what other repairs are necessary. The 328 will have to be lifted off its wheels to inspect the driving boxes, brasses and the journals. It is possible that the journal diameters are now at or below the minimums allowed which would require new axles and probably new brasses.^[2]

It is also believed its firebox is too thin and would require ultrasonic thickness testing and form-4 calculations, along with new flue sheets.

References

External links

Media related to Northern Pacific 328 at Wikimedia Commons

• Lake Superior Railroad Museum Where the 328 is displayed.