The Deep River Logging No. 7, named Skookum is a preserved 2-4-4-2 "Mallet" type steam locomotive. It was built in June 1909 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Little River Railroad Company in Tennessee but was returned that same year due to being unsatisfactory for the Little River. It was quickly sold to the Columbia River Beltline Railroad who had later sold it to the Deep River Logging Railroad.
For twenty-two years it served as Deep River’s primary locomotive. Then, on Wednesday, February 23, 1955, No. 7 derailed going over a trestle and landed on its side in the muddy creek bed below. The damage was minimal but Deep River only had a few months left of operating time and still had another operable locomotive in use. It was decided to simply just abandon it right where it sat. When scrapping commenced on the company's remaining fleet, the scrappers opted not to torch No. 7, because it was too inconvenient to get the remains out of the remote area. It sat where it fell for years rotting away in the forest.
In 1960, Skookum was rescued from its resting place. Due to its size and location, it was taken apart and removed from the woods piece by piece. All of its parts were trucked off to a railroad museum in Snoqualmie, Washington but work was slow due to its rusted and deteriorated components. After passing through several hands and failed attempts to rebuild it over the years, the locomotive finally ended up at the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad where it was reassembled and restored.
On March 2, 2019, Skookum made its official first public run on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad. It was later sent to the Niles Canyon Railway where it has been running excursion trains regularly.
Trivia[]
- Skookum is the only operational 2-4-4-2 in the Americas.
- the name "Skookum" is derived from the Chinook term for "Strong, Good, Powerful and Well Made".
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