Spokane Portland & Seattle 700
Built: 1938 Manufacturer: Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, PA
Length: 111’ Weight 440 tons Drive Wheel: 77”
Horsepower: 5,000 Boiler Pressure: 260 psi Fuel: Oil
Donated to PDX: 1958 Volunteer Organization: Pacific Railroad Preservation Association
Built in 1938 as a 4-8-4 Northern Pacific Class A design, she is close to 111′ long, 10′ wide and almost 17′ tall. With locomotive and tender weighing almost 440 tons and a boiler pressure of 260 psi, her 77″ diameter drivers can apply 5,000 horsepower to the rails and exceed 80 mph. It’s oil fired, and features design specified roller bearings throughout which was quite advanced for the era.
This beautiful example of the latter years of steam locomotive development pulled the famous Empire Builder until that train was dieselized in 1947. She continued to faithfully provide passenger service from Portland up the Columbia River Gorge to Spokane until 1956, and in 1958 the 700 was ultimately placed on permanent display at Oaks Park in SE Portland. Returned to operation in 1990, she is lovingly operated and maintained by the all-volunteer Pacific Railroad Preservation Association.
