Late this morning, I was driving wesbound on I-40 just east of Barstow, CA. While passing an eastbound BNSF freight, I looked over and in the middle of the train was 3 flat cars with a steam loco loaded on them. One car was carrying the tender, one car was carrying the boiler/cab and the third car was carrying the running gear. There was white lettering on the tender but I couldn’t read it. The locomotive appeared to be a 2-8-2 but we passed so fast I couldn’t tell for sure.
Anyone have any idea what this loco is and where it is going?
Didnt Grand Canyon buy a 2-8-2?
That’s Grand Canyon RR’s newly purchased ex-Spokane, Portland & Seattle (also ex-Northern Pacific) 2-8-2. It arrived at Williams, AZ the other day. The extensive overhaul of this Mikado is expected to last though 2010.
This engine was acquired in trade for GCRy’s spun-off ex-LS&I 2-8-0s No’s 18 and 20(?), the latter being the parts hulk used to maintain the two active GCRy’s 2-8-0s until recently. The 18 is expected to take up service on the Mount Hood Railroad in Oregon sometime this summer.
http://www.mthoodrr.com/excursion.html
That’s good news. The GCRW is a great little operation, and its business has been booming. I wonder if they went for the bigger engine for more power? We rode it this past summer and the employees were explaining that at times, they run the max allowed cars possible to keep up with the traffic. They only run the Steam during the summer, which is their busiest time and I am sure the cold of the winter is just to hard on the steam engine’s parts.