GARIBALDI, Ore. — One of private preservation’s most effective individuals, steam locomotive owner Roland “Skip” Lichter, has died. The owner of Polson Lumber Co. 2-8-2 No. 2, long based in Wisconsin and relocated to Oregon in 2017, died Wednesday.
Lichter bought the locomotive in 1982 and ran it at Wisconsin’s Mid-Continent Railway Museum until it needed repair. Lichter performed massive amounts of work on the locomotive including a new boiler course, but could not get financial support from Mid-Continent, which led to a legal dispute. In the end, Lichter and Mid-Continent parted and Lichter moved to Oregon Coast Scenic, where he has been running No. 2 for the last four years.
In 2017, when it was time to head west, Trains News Wire asked Lichter about the locomotive. “I want to be able to run it,” he said. “I want it to perform. To do what it’s supposed to do to. Let the people enjoy it. Let the public enjoy it. I feel like I’m the caretaker for it. When I pass away, my family will take care of it.”
Polson No. 2 is owned by a trust made up of Lichter’s three children. They plan to keep No. 2 operating at Oregon Coast Scenic, as Lichter had intended.
Sad news! I was looking forward to being with Skip in Oregon next year. He was one of the Mid Continent folks most responsible for keeping the 1385 in shape to handle the North Western’s steam program with hardly a glitch as well, I’m sure as the rest of Mid Continent’s steam fleet at the time.
One of his stated goals in life was to leave a working steam locomotive behind for others to appreciate and enjoy. It wasn’t always clear he’d make it but he did!
Thanks to Skip and his understanding wife and kids. RIP
Skip could be a curmudgeon but when you got to know him, he was to steam locomotives what a shade tree mechanic is to cars. You needed something fixed, Skip found a way. He was disheartened at the treatment he received at midContinent but when I last saw him less than a month ago, that old twinkle was back in his eyes and his smile as he greased the rods on the 2. He leaves a wonderful legacy in “the old girl” as he liked to refer to the 2 and a big hole in my heart. I will miss my friend dearly.
RIP Skip! Thank you for bringing the locomotive to Oregon! I hope to ride behind it someday!