(The Associated Press circulated the following article on June 6.)
MINOT, N.D. — Soo Line Locomotive No. 735 came close to being hauled off to the local landfill, encased in plastic and buried under a pile of dirt.
Instead, the 93-year-old steam engine was feted Monday by members of the Minot Rotary, Minot Park Board and railroad enthusiasts who fought to save it. They attended a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday to rededicate the engine, which has rested at the entrance to Minot’s Roosevelt Park since 1956.
“We hope that it will be here for another 50 years,” said Minot Rotary president Rick Anderson.
The Rotary raised money to remove asbestos from the engine and give it a new paint job as a community service project. Each Rotary Club took on a service project as part of a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the International Rotary.
President Ron Anderson said the Rotary had originally procured the engine from the railroad in 1956 and arranged to have it transported to Roosevelt Park for display.
Asbestos on the engine became a concern a few years ago and CP Rail and the Minot Park Board had considered burying it in the landfill. At that point, the Rotary stepped in and arranged for the National Guard to remove asbestos from the engine so it could be saved, Anderson said.
The total restoration cost about $10,000.
The steam locomotive is a favorite photo background at the park for families with children.
The engine was built in 1913 by Schenectady Works in New York and was in operation until 1956. It was called a 4-6-2 due to its wheel configuration and was built to be fast. It transported settlers and goods to the prairie from Chicago. The locomotive measures 85 feet long and weighs more than 158 tons. It carried 7,500 gallons of water and 12 tons of coal in its heyday.
The locomotive has a “twin sister,” the No. 736, which is on display in Appleton, Wis.