Copper Range 29

Last updated
Copper Range 29
Copper Range - 29 steam locomotive (2-8-0) & tender 2 (19152300740).jpg
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder American Locomotive Company
Serial number42535
Build dateFebruary 1907
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 2-8-0
 •  UIC 1'D
Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.50 in (1,300 mm)
Loco weight170,000 lb (77,000 kg)
Fuel type Coal
Boiler pressure180 psi (1,200 kPa)
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 22 in × 26 in (560 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear Stephenson
Performance figures
Tractive effort 38,510 lb (17,470 kg)
Career
Operators Copper Range Railroad
Keweenaw Central Railroad
Class C-2
NumbersCR 29
RetiredApril 1953 (Revenue service)
October 10, 1971 (Excursion service)
RestoredJune 1967
Current owner Mid-Continent Railway Museum
DispositionOn static display

Copper Range Railroad No. 29 is the sole survivor of the C-2 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotives. Built by ALCO in 1907, No. 29 was primarily used to pull loaded copper trains out of copper mines in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as well as occasional passenger trains between Houghton and McKeever, until it was removed from service in 1953. In 1967, it was leased to the Keweenaw Central Railroad, who used it to pull excursion trains between Calumet and Lake Linden, until 1971. For thirty years, the locomotive was stored outside the abandoned Quincy Smelter plant in Hancock under the ownership of Mineral Range Inc.. In 2003, No. 29 was purchased by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum for static display purposes, and the locomotive's move to North Freedom, Wisconsin was funded and financed by the museum the following year. As of 2023, No. 29 remains on static display in front of two passenger cars on the museum's grounds, slowly undergoing a cosmetic stabilization.

Contents

History

Revenue service

In the mid-1900s, the Copper Range Railroad purchased a fleet of eight C-2 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotives from the American Locomotive Company (ALCO)'s former Schenectady Locomotive Works in Schenectady, New York, and they were numbered 23–30. [1] No. 29 was the seventh member of the class, and it was initially fitted with an oil lamp, high polished boiler jacketing, and a 19th-century design wooden cowcatcher. Upon arrival in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the Copper Range initially assigned the locomotive to pull various freight trains, including loaded copper trains out of mines and mills, and the locomotive occasionally served as a substitute for 2-6-0 "Mogul" No. 58. As time dragged on, No. 29 was modified with an electric headlight with a lightbulb, as well as a modernized tender and a modernized cowcatcher made of steel materials. Its boiler jacketing was also repainted to utilitarian black. Whenever a heavy snow storm occurs in the area, No. 29 would operate with a large steel snowplow in front of its cowcatcher.

No. 29 would also be briefly used for pulling passenger trains throughout Copper County, such as short trains that carried miners and mining communities between their homes and the copper mines, as well as area school trains that carried school students between their homes and the area high school in Painesdale. Beginning in 1944, No. 29 became one of a few locomotives that were used to pull the Chippewa passenger train between Houghton and McKeever to interchange with the Milwaukee Road's passenger train of the same name. However, the Copper Range discontinued passenger service on September 15, 1946. The following year, 1947, after the railroad purchased two DS-4-4-1000 diesel locomotives from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the Copper Range began scrap ping most of their steam locomotive fleet, but No. 29, as well as Numbers 26 and 27, remained in service, and No. 25 remained in storage as a standby locomotive. [2] No. 29's last revenue freight train took place in April 1953, before it was stored inside their Houghton roundhouse. Two years later, Numbers 25-27 were sold for scrap, making No. 29 the last remaining steam locomotive from the Copper Range's fleet.

Preservation

In 1967, businessman Clinton Jones created a non-profit group called the Keweenaw Central Railroad with the intention to operate steam-powered excursion trains over the Copper Range's mainline. [3] [4] In June of that year, the Keweenaw Central purchased No. 29 from the Copper Range, and they briefly repaired the locomotive at the Houghton roundhouse before they moved it to their location in Calumet. No. 29 subsequently spent four years pulling 13-mile excursion trains on the Copper Range's mainline. After leaving Calumet, the locomotive would run over a steep 2% grade on St. Louis Hill, and then it would travel through the Top Rock Valley and across Bridge 30, a 350-foot long and 120-foot high steel bridge that lied over the waters of Douglas Houghton Creek, before the trip would end at Lake Linden. [5] The locomotive would also pull Ex-Copper Range passenger car No. 60, which No. 29 had been pulling in revenue passenger service for years. [4] The Keweenaw Central also owned Ex-Chicago and North Western R-1 class 4-6-0 "Ten-wheeler" No. 175 to serve as a running mate and an emergency backup for No. 29, but its restoration there was never finished. In the fall of 1970, No. 29 had suffered some boiler problems, and it was temporarily removed from service to undergo some repairs to be ready for the 1971 operating season while an Ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy motor car was used as a temporary stand in. [4] The locomotive's last excursion passenger train took place on October 10, 1971. [6] The following year, the Copper Range Railroad was put up for abandonment after they declared bankruptcy. Their trackage was subsequently ripped up, and the Keweenaw Central was forced to remove their equipment from Calumet, including their locomotives. [4]

No. 29 was moved along with No. 175 inside a shed at the Quincy Smelter plant in Hancock for storage purposes. However, the Soo Line Railroad subsequently abandoned and ripped up the only trackage that connected the smelter plant to the national rail network, and No. 29 became landlocked. The locomotive spent the next three decades in storage at the abandoned smelter plant, and during that time, the shed it was stored inside of collapsed, and it was towed outdoors. In September 2003, Jones, who still owned No. 29 under the banner of Mineral Range Incorporated, was approached by the Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society (MCRM), who had interest in adding the locomotive to their museum collection, due to its cultural significance in the Upper Midwest, and they already owned two Ex-Copper Range passenger cars, including No. 60, to recreate the Copper Range's short-lived Chippewa passenger train. Clint Jones soon came to an agreement with the MCRM to trade No. 29 in exchange for Ex-Union Pacific 2-8-0 No. 440. Shortly afterward, however, the Quincy Smelter plant fell under ownership of the National Park Service, and they ordered No. 29 to be removed from the area as quickly as possible. The MCRM began a fundraiser in March 2004 to have No. 29 disassembled and moved by truck to their museum grounds in North Freedom, Wisconsin. By May 1, over thirty people contributed to the MCRM's needs, and $20,000 was raised to fund No. 29's move. [7]

Copper Range No. 29 is on static display while undergoing a cosmetic stabilization with a new circular numberplate and a new wooden pilot beam. Copper Range - 29 steam locomotive (2-8-0) 2 (19333882822).jpg
Copper Range No. 29 is on static display while undergoing a cosmetic stabilization with a new circular numberplate and a new wooden pilot beam.

The MCRM hired Steve Butler's Mid-West Locomotive and Machine Works of North Lake, Wisconsin to separate the locomotive's boiler from the frame and running gear and load them onto four separate flatbeds provided by Deppe Transportation Services of Baraboo and R. Becker Interprises of Warren. Despite bad weather hovering Hancock, work began on May 20, and the locomotive's journey to North Freedom began six days later. On May 27, No. 29's components arrived in one of the MCRM's parking lots, and museum employees and volunteers used ballast to create a suitable base for the cranes that would be used to unload the locomotive's components. Railfans came to the museum to watch the unloading process, which began with the tender being placed on the trackage. After that, the frame and running gear were unloaded, and then the boiler was placed back onto the frame. No. 29's move was officially completed when the wooden cab was placed back onto the backend of the firebox. Afterwards, the MCRM began inspecting the locomotive's condition, and as a result of being stored out in the elements for several years, many of the locomotive's components were found to be in poor condition. The firebox was deteriorated, its end beams were rotted, and both of its knuckle couplers were missing. Beginning in 2006, museum crews painted the locomotive in primer-red in preparation for a cosmetic stabilization, and as of 2023, No. 29 has been repainted back to utilitarian black with a grey smokebox, and the locomotive's bell, numberplate, and electric headlight have returned. [8] The rotten wooden bar in front of the pilot deck has also been replaced with a new one. The MCRM is currently awaiting funds to complete the cosmetic stabilization by bringing back the locomotive's couplers and connecting rods. [9] For the time being, No. 29 sits on static display in front of passenger car No. 60, as well as another Copper Range car, to represent the Copper Range's Chippewa train. [10]

Historical significance

No. 29 is the last remaining steam locomotive of the Copper Range Railroad, and its last excursion train was the last steam-powered train to run on the Copper Range's trackage. [11] It was also the steam locomotive to run out of Calumet. No. 29 is one of less than fifteen 2-8-0s to have operated on mainline trackage after 1960.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hancock, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

Hancock is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of Hancock was 4,501 at the 2020 census. The city is located within Houghton County, and is situated upon the Keweenaw Waterway, a channel of Lake Superior that cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula. Hancock is located across the Keweenaw Waterway from the city of Houghton, and is connected to that city by the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. The city is located within Michigan's Copper Country region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad</span> Former railroad in the Midwestern United States

The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and also in Texas through subsidiaries Colorado and Southern Railway, Fort Worth and Denver Railway, and Burlington-Rock Island Railroad. Its primary connections included Chicago, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver. Because of this extensive trackage in the midwest and mountain states, the railroad used the advertising slogans "Everywhere West", "Way of the Zephyrs", and "The Way West".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Road 261</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive

Milwaukee Road 261 is a class "S3" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York in July 1944 for the Milwaukee Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soo Line Railroad</span> American class I railroad

The Soo Line Railroad is one of the primary United States railroad subsidiaries for the CPKC Railway, one of six U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM), which was commonly known as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of that company with two other CPKC subsidiaries: The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway, and the Wisconsin Central Railway. It is also the successor to other Class I railroads, including the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. On the other hand, a large amount of mileage was spun off in 1987 to Wisconsin Central Ltd., now part of the Canadian National Railway. The Soo Line Railroad and the Delaware and Hudson Railway, CPKC's other major subsidiary, presently do business as the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). Most equipment has been repainted into the CP scheme, but the U.S. Surface Transportation Board groups all of the company's U.S. subsidiaries under the Soo Line name for reporting purposes. The Minneapolis headquarters are in the Canadian Pacific Plaza building, having moved from the nearby Soo Line Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quincy Mine</span> United States historic place

The Quincy Mine is an extensive set of copper mines located near Hancock, Michigan. The mine was owned by the Quincy Mining Company and operated between 1846 and 1945, although some activities continued through the 1970s. The Quincy Mine was known as "Old Reliable," as the Quincy Mine Company paid a dividend to investors every year from 1868 through 1920. The Quincy Mining Company Historic District is a United States National Historic Landmark District; other Quincy Mine properties nearby, including the Quincy Mining Company Stamp Mills, the Quincy Dredge Number Two, and the Quincy Smelter are also historically significant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keweenaw National Historical Park</span> U.S. national historical park in Michigan

Keweenaw National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. Established in 1992, the park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a federal-local cooperative park made up of two primary units, the Calumet Unit and the Quincy Unit, and almost two dozen cooperating "Heritage Sites" located on federal, state, and privately owned land in and around the Keweenaw Peninsula. The National Park Service owns approximately 1,700 acres (690 ha) in the Calumet and Quincy Units. Units are located in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago and North Western 1385</span> Preserved American 4-6-0 locomotive

Chicago and North Western 1385 is a preserved R-1 class 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in March 1907 for the Chicago and North Western Railroad (C&NW). The locomotive was mainly used to operate the C&NW's freight trains until 1956, when it was retired from service. In 1961, the original members of the Mid-Continent Railway Museum (MCRM) purchased No. 1385 for $2,600 scrap value, and the locomotive was moved to the museum's original location in Hillsboro, Wisconsin.

The Lac La Belle and Calumet Railroad was an American, 3 ft narrow gauge railroad that operated in the Keweenaw Peninsula, or the extreme northern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The line was owned by the Conglomerate Mining Company and ran between a stamp mill at Lac La Belle and the Delaware copper mine from 1883 to 1888, when poor economic conditions forced the line's closure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copper Range Railroad</span> Railway line in the United States of America

The Copper Range Railroad was a former U.S. Class I railroad that operated from 1899 to 1972 in the western Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Canyon Railway 4960</span> Preserved American CB&Q O-1a class 2-8-2 locomotive

Grand Canyon Railway 4960 is a preserved O-1A class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in August 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad. It was used by the CB&Q to pull freight trains, until 1958, when the locomotive pulled its first excursion fantrip, as part of the railroad's steam excursion program.

Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad No. 33 is a preserved SC-1 class 2-8-0 "consolidation" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in April 1916 for the Munising, Marquette and Southeastern Railway as No. 44. In 1924, the MM&SE was purchased by the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad and the locomotive was renumbered to 33. It served the LS&I by pulling heavy iron ore trains until it was retired from revenue service in 1962. The following year, it was sold to the Marquette and Huron Mountain tourist railroad to operate in excursion service, but instead sat idle in Marquette. In 1965, No. 33 was purchased by the founders of the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Ohio. Rebuilt to operating condition, No. 33 ran on the HVSR for many years before being sidelined in 1996 for an FRA-required overhaul that couldn't be accomplished. In 2003, No. 33 was traded to the Ohio Central Railroad and was overhauled for some occasional excursion runs between 2005 and 2008. The locomotive briefly operated again around the Age of Steam Roundhouse between 2018 and 2020. As of 2024, No. 33 is sidelined, awaiting to go through a 1,472-day inspection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Creek and Gauley 4</span> Preserved American 2-8-0 locomotive

Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad No. 4 is a preserved 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive. It was constructed by Baldwin in 1926 as the only locomotive to be bought-new by the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad. It served the railroad by pulling coal and lumber trains throughout Clay County, West Virginia until it was retired in 1965. No. 4 was restored to operating condition by the Quakertown and Eastern Railroad for excursion service in Pennsylvania, and it made its way to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in 1978. No. 4 was subsequently used to pull tourist trains across the museum's property in Spencer, North Carolina from when its multi-year overhaul was completed in 1986 to when its flue time expired in 2001. The locomotive spent fourteen years in storage, waiting for a rebuild that never came to fruition. In 2015, No. 4 was purchased by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad, who moved it to their shops with the hopes of restoring it to run it on their trackage between Durbin and Cass, West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1238</span> Preserved CP G5c class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1238 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. It was purchased by George Hart, who used it for excursion service in the 1960s. It was later sold to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. In late December 2023, No. 1238 was purchased by the Waterloo Central Railway, and they have plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1286</span> Preserved CP G5d class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1286 is a preserved G5d class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company. It was sold to George Hart, who used it to pull excursion trains in the 1960s. It was eventually sold again to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. As of 2023, No. 1286 is stored under private ownership at the Prairie Dog Central Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago and North Western 175</span> Preserved American 4-6-0 locomotive

Chicago and North Western 175 is a preserved R-1 class 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in December 1908. The locomotive was used for pulling various passenger and freight trains throughout Wisconsin, until the Chicago and North Western (C&NW) Railroad ended commercial steam operations in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway 5</span> Steam locomotive in Missouri

St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway #5 is a 2-4-2 "Columbian" type steam locomotive. It was originally built by H.K. Porter, Inc. in 1946 as a saddle tank engine for the Central Illinois Public Service Company. In 1963, the locomotive was donated to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin as a static display piece. In 1971, #5 was sold to the Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway to be restored to operating condition, and #5 began pulling passenger excursions on the Crab Orchard and Egyptian's track line, as well as occasional freight runs. During this career, the locomotive was converted to a tender locomotive, and the saddle tank over the boiler was presumably scrapped. In 1985, #5 was sold again to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, who one year later began using the locomotive to run tourist trips in Missouri. This career lasted until 1999. Presently, the #5 is out of service, waiting for an overhaul to be completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polson Logging Co. 2</span> Preserved American 2-8-2 steam locomotive

Polson Logging Company 2 is a 2-8-2 “Mikado” steam locomotive built by Baldwin in 1912. It was originally built for the Saginaw Timber Company to pull logging trains. After that, it went through several ownership changes throughout both the steam era and the preservation era, before it was purchased by caretaker Skip Lichter in 1982. Lichter restored Polson Lumber 2 to operational condition and loaned it to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin. The engine was later removed from service in 2000 to undergo a federally-mandated rebuild. Disagreement over who should cover the restoration costs ultimately led to an arbiter finding in Lichter's favor. After a 16-year restoration process, Polson Logging 2 returned to full steam in 2016. It was moved to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad the next year to operate on the railroad in Garibaldi, Oregon. As of 2023, it is owned by Rick Franklin, and it is stored at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center for use in pulling their Christmas trains in Oaks Park. It was set be moved to the Albany and Eastern Railroad some time in 2023, until a boiler tube leak prompted Oregon Rail Heritage Center to commence the 15-year overhaul of the locomotive's boiler.

Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Co. 38 is a preserved 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive. It was built by Baldwin in April 1927 for use on the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company in south central Pennsylvania in the United States, which commonly used the locomotive to pull short-distance freight trains, as well as occasional passenger trains, until the railroad shut down operations in 1954. The locomotive was subsequently acquired by the Rail City Historical Museum in Sandy Creek, New York for static display. In the late 1960s, No. 38 was sold to the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad in Lakeville, New York, who restored the locomotive to operating condition to pull their excursion trains. In 1977, the locomotive was sold again to the Gettysburg Railroad, which used the locomotive to pull their own tourist trains until 1986, when No. 38 was transferred to the Knox and Kane Railroad to be used there. The locomotive had been removed from service in 1989 for a long-term overhaul that was eventually completed, but it never returned to service for the Knox and Kane. After No. 38 fell victum to an arson-related roundhouse fire in 2008, it was sold at an auction to Alan Maples for the Everett Railroad. As of 2023, the Everett Railroad is restoring No. 38 to operating condition for use in excursion service alongside 2-6-0 No. 11.

Western Coal and Coke Company No. 1 is a preserved Canadian 4-6-0 "ten-wheeler" steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1913. It was originally built as part of a standard locomotive design with 1880's specifications, in order to help construct the Canadian National Transcontinental Railway. It was retired from revenue service in 1964, and it was subsequently purchased by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum, which subsequently used it to pull their tourist trains. As of 2023, it is undergoing restoration to operating condition.

References

  1. ↑ "Copper Range Railroad Steam Engine Roster". www.copperrange.org. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  2. ↑ "Copper Range Railroad". www.railroadmichigan.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  3. ↑ "Keweenaw Central". www.railroadmichigan.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, George E.; Taylor, Richard E. (2008). Copper Country Rail. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7385-5058-9.
  5. ↑ "Past-E-Mail". www.pasty.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  6. ↑ "Algoma Railroad". www.mccloudriverrailroad.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  7. ↑ "Steam Locomotive Information". www.steamlocomotive.info. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  8. ↑ "Pictures of COPR 29". www.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  9. ↑ "Copper Range #29 – Mid-Continent Railway Museum" . Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  10. ↑ "Mid-Continent Railway Museum North Freedom - www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  11. ↑ "Copper Range RR". donsdepot.donrossgroup.net. Retrieved 2022-03-08.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.