Timber Heritage Association
Preserving Humboldt County's Timber History since 1977
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Virtual Museum / Locomotives / Pacific Lumber Company #37
Pacific Lumber Company #37
Builder/Year: ALCO 1925
Type: 2-8-2
Weight:
Construction #:
Location: Strasburg Railroad, PA
Satus: undergoing restoration
In November of 2003 the Association purchased former Pacific Lumber Co. steam locomotive No. 37 with the over $50,000 raised at fund raising events, through mail contributions or borrowed for this purpose. Our historic locomotive sits on a siding in Wilmington, Delaware Delaware until spring when it will be moved to Strasburg, Pennsylvania to be restored. Funds for the move are available, having been raised at past dinner and auction fundraisers. It will be restored by the highly qualified Strasburg Rail Road Shops on an as-time-available basis at their lowest shop rate. The estimated cost is $400,000; $39,000 is on hand to start the project. Your contributions are needed to keep this project on schedule and return this historic locomotive to operation on the same tracks it traveled 70 years ago.
Locomotive No. 37 is a 2-8-2 (wheel arrangement) tank locomotive built in 1925 by the American Locomotive Company. It worked in the Sierras hauling Sugar Pine for eleven years before being sold to Pacific Lumber Company in 1935. As one of PL's main logging locomotives, it hauled redwood, usually in the Yager Creek area, until retired in 1956. Sold to a local private party in 1962, it remained in Scotia until sold again in 1966 to a Pennsylvania tourist line where it operated in 1968. After that line closed, No. 37 was purchased by another private party and moved to Wilmington, Delaware. There it was overhauled and began operating on the Wilmington and Western Railroad pulling their excursion train from 1987 to 1990. The lease ended when a dispute arose between the owners and the railroad thus making it available for us to purchase. The current owners would like to see the locomotive come home. The individual who did the FRA inspection for us made a preliminary inspection trip to the locomotive and said, "It is as good of a steam locomotive as you are going to find".
Our vision is to operate an excursion train around Humboldt Bay and maybe elsewhere on Northwestern Pacific Railroad tracks on the Northcoast to improve our economy. We have been told by our consultant and others in the tourism industry locally that an excursion train will help make this a destination that people want to visit. A market survey done by our consultant found that tourists would stay an extra day to ride a steam train. Humboldt County's Film Commissioner has also mentioned that she has received several inquiries about a steam train by film makers. In addition we will be preserving the history of our area to delight and educate young and old from our community."