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The Brooklyn Roundhouse was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad to
service and maintain steam locomotives in its Brooklyn Yard, which
served as the northern-most terminus of the railroad. A much larger
roundhouse was originally built of brick, and to meet demand during war
time, the timber-frame structure was built next to it.
Eventually, the original brick Roundhouse was torn down, but the
timber-frame version still exists as our temporary home for the steam
locomotives. Southern Pacific, now Union Pacific railroads have done a
lot for us as far as allowing us to maintain the locomotives, keeping
them sheltered, and granting access to the main line for excursions. If
it weren't for the railroad's long-term support, the steam locomotives
would have no place to go other than being "stuffed and mounted" in a
park like they did in the 50s.
We've occupied the Roundhouse on a month-to-month lease for over 25
years, solely for the purpose of restoring and maintaining historic
rail equipment -- The time has come to build a new home, largely due to
the expansion of the rail yard, inaccessibility to the public,
crumbling Roundhouse with broken windows, leaky roof, and insecure
location makes the steam locomotives prone to damage and theft. Once
the locomotives are secure in a new facility, the idea of relocating
and rebuilding the Roundhouse as a display center is one option being
explored.
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Built in 1905 by Baldwin Locomotive Works as a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type
locomotive for the E. H. Harriman rail empire that later merged into
the Union Pacific, she's 79' long and, with 200 psi boiler pressure and
76" diameter drivers, is capable of sustained speeds of 80 mph.
This treasure of the early 20th Century era of steam locomotives
arrived in Portland just in time for the 1905 Lewis & Clark
Centennial Exposition, just 17 months before the Wright Brothers first
flew at 9.8 mph, when Teddy Roosevelt was President and 3 years before
Henry Ford rolled out his first Model T. She then went on to serve
Portland commerce for over 50 years before retirement in the 1950s.
Residing as only a display piece in Oaks Park like her sisters since
1958, in 1996 she was moved to the Brooklyn Roundhouse where she is
undergoing restoration today
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Most of the tools and machinery are privately owned by individual
volunteers, or were donated to the locomotive groups. The Roundhouse
houses three steam locomotives, two of in working order, one being
brought up to that standard, and they require parts that are no longer
on the market today. With these tools, volunteers are able to fabricate
their own bearings, pipes, brass to keep the steam locomotives
chugging. |
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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
1954. In 1945 she was honored to pull a "special" of United Nation
Delegates. |
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Built in 1941 as a 4-8-4 GS-4 "Northern" type locomotive, she is 110'
long, 10' wide and 16' tall. With locomotive and tender weighing 433
tons and a boiler pressure of 300 psi, her eight 80" diameter drivers
and unique firebox truck booster can apply 5,500 horsepower to the
rails and exceed 100 mph. Retired to Oaks Park in 1958 for display
only, in 1974 she was completely restored specifically to pull the 1976
Bicentennial Freedom Train throughout the United States to the delight
of over 30 million people.
The only remaining operable "streamlined" steam locomotive of the Art
Deco era, this grand Lady of the High Iron pulled Southern Pacific
"Daylight" coaches from Los Angeles to San Francisco over the scenic
Coast Route and then on to Portland until 1955. She is arguably one of
the most beautiful locomotives ever built
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