SP&S 700 Engine

The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S) was the product of a joint venture between the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway. It’s purpose was to create a railway on the northern bank of the Columbia River.

On June 21st, 1938, a brand new 4-8-4 Northern Type locomotive – was delivered to the SP&S.  It was the 700 and it was used exclusively in passenger service until diesel engines replaced it as the lead units in 1953. After that, it worked as back-up power for the passenger trains, and it pulled freight.

On May 20, 1956, the 700 pulled its last passenger train – with 21 cars carrying over 1,300 passengers from Portland, Oregon to Wishram, Washington and back – on the Farewell to Steam run.

Following the Farewell to Steam run, the 700, 701, 702, Challengers and other SP&S engines were sent to the scrap yard.  However, the SP&S had a change of heart about the 700 and donated it to the city of Portland. Two years later, it was delivered to Oaks Park, where it sat for almost 30 years.

During it’s years in the parks, several citizens voluntarily took care of the engine – keeping things cleaned, well greased and oiled. One of those concerned individuals was a man named Jack Holst, who passed away in 1972. The other was a young 15 year old boy named Chris McLarney who began caring for it in 1975.

Chris McLarney started the Pacific Railroad Preservation Association (PRPA) in 1977 and in
the mid-eighties, Chris and a group of other volunteers began restoration in earnest. chris-mclarney-june-2-19904444On November 9th, 1987 the engine was towed from Oaks Park and delivered to the Brooklyn Roundhouse to complete the restoration project.

On May 15th, 1990
the SP&S 700 was under steam
for the first time in over 30 years

A few weeks later, on June 2, 1990, the engine moved under its own steam and later that month it ran two test runs – one to Longview, Washington and the other to Wishram, Washington.

Since those dates, the engine has been on several excursions and lead many Holiday Express trains.  The furthest trip the 700 has undergone was to Billings, Montana in 2002. Here is a complete list of the 700’s public displays and excursions.

On January 1, 2016, the engine began undergoing work needed for its 15 Year Inspection. See our News for current updates on the progress.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE ENGINE:

  • It is the only surviving E-1 (oil burning) 4-8-4 Northern Type steam engine
  • The drivers (wheels) are 77″ tall prior to wear, tear and shaving.dsc00912
  • The firebox is so immense that several grown adults can fit in it comfortably.
  • Including the tender, the 700 is over 110 and a half feet long. That is just under a third of the length of a football field.
  • The 700 is 17 feet tall.
  • Her nickname is “The Lady”.
  • United States Department of The Interior added the SP&S 700 to the National Register of Historic Places.

LINKS:

Official PRPA Page – SPS 700 Engine Specifications and Service History
Official PRPA Page – Galleries of Historical SPS 700 and Excursion Photos