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Reassembled 2-4-4-2 ‘Skookum’ again upright after nearly 60 years
This is good news about the SKOOKUM locomotive, and it is well presented. However, the rollover “near Grays Harbor, Wash.” is not quite factually correct. Deep River is near Grays River, in another county and a long way from Grays Harbor. It is possible that at one thim the engine worked in Grays Harbor County for Carlile Lumber Company at Carlile, but that company used the engine mostly at Onalaska, Wash. a long way away in still another county.
The word that is the locomotive’s name?..
Southern California teen’s used “bitchin” in the late “50s like we, me anyway, used “cool” earlier.
Skookum,…I was told that it is an all-purpose word for” cool" and “bitchin”’ and good and satisfactory and happy…and like that.
If you were skookum, everything was good…
It’s from First Generation Alaskan, First Generation Canadia(e)n, and American Indian’s heritage.
Skookum… it’s warm and fuzzy when you say it…agree or not?
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My impression since I started working with Washington loggers 55 years ago is that Skookum means strong or powerful. In Native American thinking there could be other connotations.
Is the Little River Railroad referred to related to the tourist railroad in Michigan?
The 4-6-2 in Michigan is also from the same Little River Railroad in Tennessee that the Skookum was originally built for.
Lawrence, thanks for the response.
My reference came from farther north; my wife and her 3 sons lived more than a few years in Fairbanks. 25 years ago my stepson and his wife had us deliver (drive them) from dealers in Portland and Seattle,on my 2 successive annual vacations.
My definition was (slightly amplified) an Alaska, Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia meaning of the word, often used there…then…
Scewed that up. Forfeiting my “Editor” merit badge.
Where I wrote in parenthesis "drive them, " I wanted to say “drive their new cars.”
Let us please get some black paint on its boiler before people start calling it “Spookum…”
I was 15 years old and my dad drove us down to Deep River and drove up and hiked into the sight of where she tipped over, this was just before they pulled the rails up. I took two pictures of it, but they are long gone now.
Read the article about it being restored when I visited Roots of Power Museum in Willits, Calif. last Sept and purchased their Newsletter, “The Highline.” Next year as the weather improves will have to buzz down to Tillamook and take a look at it.
I’ve loved this unique locomotives at a distance for decades…it’s the coolest thing since sliced bread. Big Boy, eat yer heart out!