Famed standard gauge mallet, logging locomotive 2-4-4-2, Skookum, leads a double-headed steam excursion at the Niles Canyon Railway.
Dan Howard
SUNOL, Calif. — As part of the Heritage Rail Alliance 2019 spring conference, a pre-conference tour to the Niles Canyon Railway took place on Wednesday, April 24.
Some “firsts” included the first revenue run on the new rail up north — to new end of track at approxrimately mile post 40.5.
Also Skookum No. 7 was double-headed for part of the run in the Sunol, Calif., area.
Skookum is a recently re-built logging locomotive that was build in the early 20th century by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. The 2-4-4-2 locomotive was abandoned by it’s last logging railroad owner and was out of service for decades before being restored by shop crews in late 2018 at the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in Garibaldi, Ore.
