Skookum is days away from being fired up for the first time in 63 years in the final phase of a 15-year overhaul at the preservation railroad on the former Southern Pacific Tillamook Branch. The 1909 locomotive has an amazing story that starts with its rejection by a Tennessee logging railroad, its acceptance in the Pacific Northwest, and its tragic 1955 derailment that left it abandoned in the woods. Enthusiasts saved the locomotive and moved it to safety and eventual restoration. Pacific Northwest railroad historian Martin Hansen’s in-depth story about this unique locomotive is an 8-page feature in the current issue of Trains.
Dates for the second photo charter are March 14 and 15 prior to the annual Winterail multi-media show in Corvallis, Ore. A special guest locomotive, Polson 2-8-2 No. 2, is expected to operate as well. Both locomotives will be featured on log and mixed trains. A night photo session will be part of the event, as well. The $895 per person fare covers two days of operations, two trains with two steam locomotives, and box lunches each day.
Following the Trains Magazine event, the engine will be relocated to California.
Tickets are available only by phone at 503-842-7972.
I am trying to find a legal way to see and hear Skookum for less than 800 bucks. I missed my opportunity in 1955 when I was learning to drive more than 200 miles north of Deep River.