J. Neils Lumber Company no. 5 Steam Engine


 J. Neils Lumber Co. engine in the rain at the Illinois Railway Museum. (May, 2019)


“J. Neils Lumber Co. No. 5 is a three-truck Shay locomotive that was built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1929 for the J. Neils Lumber Company.

The engine was designed to work for the J. Neils Lumber Company hauling log trains.

The locomotive was moved to the company’s logging plant in Klickitat, Washington in 1939.

The locomotive fell into the ownership of a new owner - the newly-merged St. Regis Lumber company - in 1957 for only one year.

In 1958, No. 5 was retired and it was put in storage in an engine shed near Klickitat, Washington.

No. 5 used to operate on the subsidiary Klickitat Logging & Lumber line in 1960.

The locomotive was purchased by and donated to the Illinois Railway Museum in 1969 and it became the first steam locomotive to operate on the museum's mainline.” It still operates today.

Thanks as always for reading!

Location: 7000 Olson Rd, Union, IL 60180, USA

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