Does anyone have a status report on the NP 4-6-0 undergoing restoration in Toppenish, WA? The group's last update on their website was in 06 or 07 and the backhead was being put back together and the cab had been recently installed. She should be coming together pretty well by now.

Rob Gardner

I sure hope this project is going well! I was very involved with 1364, starting in 1965. Jack Anderson, Matt Graham, Tim Johnson and I (Stephen Thompson) cleaned and scraped and sanded the old paint off, NP's Tacoma shops donated the left over engine paint, and we painted her. Before this, she was really getting dingy.





A few years later, we removed her to Nalley Valley, where we started a restoration project, but, due to a Tacoma Centenial Director heart attack, litterally the day before the papers were signed, lost out on a very large grant to do the restoration. The rest is history!

I'd love to see her run, after all these years of dreaming!

Steve

Jack Anderson continued to work with old locomotives; have the other "boys" done so as well?

Howard P.

My close friend Jack passed away several years ago. He was working for the Nevada Northern at the time, and only in his late 40's. I have his collection of RR photos, what most folks don't realize, he was also a very serious photographer. He and I went through commercial photo school together, and bummed around the PNW taking thousands of photos of the railroads in the late 60's and the 70's.

I've lost track of Matt completely. Last I heard of Tim, he was working for the BN, but that was 10 years ago. Wish I new where he was today!

I've done some work at various museums, and quite a bit of restoration of old photos for various RR groups. Presently, I live on the coast, but 60 miles from the closest tracks in Coos Bay, OR (not active) and over 100 from a running RR. Frustrating!

Steve

To all of those interested in the restoration of Northern Pacific 1364 in Toppenish. The locomotive is now on its spring/equalizing gear, and the brake rigging is on, one brake cylinder is giving us problems, that is soon to be resolved, i hope. The valves are next, then rods, complete the air system and then on to fire pan. Past that we will see how far the money goes.

A question, does anyone have pictures of the oil conversions on the s4's?

and if anyone wants to help out with the restoration please let me know.


Andy Breeding
project 1364 coordinator
andy_b@live.com

Andy,

Do you have any photos to share? Maybe a blog?

as of august 2011, this is what 1364 looks like, since then the brakes have been installed

Andy -

Thanks very much for the photos. As Frisco1522 once commented in the "Obscure Steam Locomotive Restorations" thread, the pix really show that the Northern Pacific S4's are indeed, attractive locomotives! Although a minor facet of your restoration, I especially like the fact that the lettering on the cab sides appears to be 100% authentic N.P. lettering; in size, font and location. I have seen too many locomotive projects that use "close enough" lettering. I'm glad you guys are keeping this one little part of the project "right on the advertised!"

Les

I just saw this get posted recently. Apparently, the photos are from around 2 years ago (which show some good work being done). If the work has been progressing as well as it sounds like it has, #1364 might be operational in the near future. If this is true, this could be very exciting.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1556113 ... 832542208/

From the last FB posts, it would seem they are basically done with the Form 4 and any other major boiler work as it looks like they were starting to replumb the backhead of the boiler. Am I missing something else? Hope to see her back in operation very soon.

Rob Gardner

Also in the FB post is a very lovely looking repair on the backhead, likely from the NP boiler shop!