Restoration on local lumber locomotive halted – Times-Standard

The Timber Heritage Association recently decided to abandon restoration efforts on the former Pacific Lumber Company Steam Locomotive No. 37 and instead focus on restoring another steam locomotive in its Samoa collection.

Restoration work on the locomotive has been underway for several years at the Strasburg Railroad Shop in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Not only have restoration efforts come to a halt but THA will sell Pacific Lumber Company Locomotive No. 37.

“After four years of debate, THA has decided to sell the Pacific Lumber Company No. 37,” THA President Sean Mitchell said. “While the work at Strasbourg is well respected as being some of the best in the industry, it was very expensive and moving at a pace that was unsustainable to THA,” he added.

Mitchell said it was a difficult decision to make, considering the mission of THA is to preserve timber/railroad heritage and history. “We completed this goal with No. 37 to the best of our ability,” Mitchell said. The organization had purchased the locomotive in November 2003, saving it from being scrapped.

He said several options were considered before coming to this decision, including moving the locomotive back to Samoa for cosmetic restoration, but moving the 102-ton steam engine carried a price tag of $110,000. Then Mitchell said, THA was approached by a buyer, the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

The Age of Steam Roundhouse is an 18-stall museum roundhouse including steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars and other railroad equipment.

“This is a world-class museum, enormously capable and well-suited toward cosmetic or functional restoration of the engine,” Mitchell said.

Michell and THA expressed their appreciation to all who donated over the years to the restoration efforts. The original plan was to restore the Pacific Lumber Company Locomotive No. 37 and bring her back to be an integral part of THA’s plans for an excursion train between Samoa and Eureka.

Locomotive No. 37 was built in 1925 and was acquired by The Pacific Lumber Company in 1935. For the next 20 years it hauled logs mainly from the Yager Creek area to Scotia.

THA restoration efforts will now shift to the Arcata & Mad River Railroad Steam Locomotive No. 7, currently in the THA roundhouse in Samoa. The proceeds from the sale of locomotive no. 37 will be applied to the new restoration effort, and other fundraising will be conducted.

“This (new restoration project) will still require years of work and a great deal of investment,” Mitchell said, “but when completed, Humboldt County could once again have a running Shay locomotive, a special, unique, deeply timber related style of engine.

Locomotive no.7 was used to haul logs and lumber, starting in 1942 from the then Northern Redwood Lumber Company in Korbel. When Simpson Redwood Company purchased the mill in 1956 and abandoned the logging railroad out of Korbel. In the early 1970s this locomotive was used for excursion runs associated with the Annie and Mary Days celebration in Blue Lake.

Locomotive no. 7 was built in 1918 and was first used for logging in Washington State. THA has owned this locomotive since 2001.

“We would love to see locomotive no. 7 running again,” Mitchell said.