Robert Dollar Company No. 3 is an operating
steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
on the
Niles Canyon Railway in
California. It is notable for having been the last wood-burning locomotive built for an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
company.
History
The No. 3 was built new by the
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer of locomotives, diesel generators, steel, and tanks that operated from 1901 to 1969. The company was formed by the merger of seven smaller locomo ...
for the
Walter A. Woodard Lumber Company in November 1927. The Woodard Company assigned the 3 to its
sawmill in
Cottage Grove, Oregon
Cottage Grove is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Its population was 10,643 at the 2020 census. It is the third largest city in Lane County. It is on Interstate 5, Oregon Route 99, and the main Willamette Valley line of the CORP railr ...
.
In 1942, the sawmill, and the locomotive along with it, was sold to
J. H. Chambers & Son. They kept it for just four years before selling to facility and locomotive to the
Lorane Valley Lumber Company in 1946. In 1951, the locomotive was sold again, to the
Robert Dollar Lumber Company. The Robert Dollar company converted the locomotive to burn oil, and finally donated it to the
San Francisco Maritime Museum Association in 1959.
The
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park ended up not having much use for a locomotive, and she was leased in 1973 to the
Bay Area Electric Railroad Association (it was eventually donated). The
Western Railway Museum began restoration of the engine in 1979, but this project was not finished, and the disassembled No. 3 was donated to the
Pacific Locomotive Association
The Pacific Locomotive Association, Inc. (PLA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the physical aspects and atmosphere of Pacific Coast railroading during the period from 1910 to 1960.
The Pacific Locomotive Association ...
(
Niles Canyon Railway) in 1999.
Restoration on Robert Dollar Company No. 3 took eight years and was completed in February 2007, and it has been operating in regular excursion service ever since. It also took part in several special events, including a photo session in 2009, where it sat side by side with
Southern Pacific 2472
Southern Pacific 2472 is a P-8 Class 4-6-2 heavy "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in 1921. SP No. 2472 is one of three surviving Southern Pacific P-8 class 4-6-2 Pacific l ...
and
Union Pacific 844, and Steamfest III, where it performed a quintupleheader with
Quincy Railroad No. 2, Santa Cruz Portland Cement No. 2, Clover Valley Lumber Company No. 4, and Mason County Logging Co. 7.
References
{{More footnotes, date=May 2009}
Robt. Dollar No. 3 - Niles Canyon Railway
ALCO locomotives
2-6-2T locomotives
Individual locomotives of the United States
Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Railway locomotives introduced in 1927
Preserved steam locomotives of California