GN #3100 in black paint, c. Early 1950s.
The Great Northern Railway O-1 class were 2-8-2 "Mikado" type Steam Locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works during 1911-1919 for freight service on the GN where they were used system-wide.
Early Years and Design Stats[]
During the early 1910s the Great Northern Railway was looking for a larger two cylinder locomotive for its heavier freight assignments in the western region as the newer F-8 class 2-8-0s and J class 2-6-2s had taken the work, but the GN needed more power to handle the trains up the mountains for the increasing demands of the new century. The Baldwin Locomotive Works came up with a Belpaire-Boilered 2-8-2 type with rather large 28" x 32" cylinders, 63" drivers, with a working pressure of 170 Lbs. PSI, making 57,543 Lbs. tractive effort. Trailing a 4-axle rectangular tender, the first of the Class, No. 3000, was completed in August 1911. More were built and the first locomotive was received by the GN on October 1st, 1911. The O-1s were mostly originally built as Coal burners and crews liked them, the first 20 were delivered by the end of the year and more were built following earlier specifications, but with Increased Boiler pressure to 210 Lbs. PSI for the next three batches built between 1912-1919, this increased the tractive effort to 71,083 Lbs. The Locomotives of the second batch in 1913 were Oil fired, although some were Coal burners in some stages. The third batch during 1916 seen not much changes but with larger sand domes following the final forth batch in 1917-1919. By the time the last locomotive, #3144 was built in February 1919, the O-1s serving in numerous locations in Montana, Washington, and upper parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin became the primary Backbone in the GN Railway's freight service, as the O-1 was the most numerous Mikado class owned by the GN of 145 units.
Modern Years and End of Steam[]
The O-1s were fitting locomotives for many freight assignments in any weather, and served well throughout World War I. After the war many received the Great Northern's Glacier Park Green paint on their boilers and cylinders. Several of them were heavily modified to increase performance stats, such as some having Worthington Water Heaters installed, even few having Elescos. Several of the O-1s had Booster engines equipped on the trailing truck to speed up heavy starts as well as some re-equipped with 6-axle Vanderbilt styled tenders to increase fuel capacities. Many were converted to Oil firing in various dates as well as rebuilding the old tenders for larger fuel usage. Several of the engines were sold to the Neighboring Spokane, Portland and Seattle Ry. in various years as the Class survivors remained active throughout the Great Depression and World War II working hard. More of the majority of the class began retirements after the War when the GN shifted interest in Diesel locomotives during the late 1940s and 1950s. Two were wrecked in the late 1940s and were never repaired as they were too damaged to be rebuilt. In 1947 the Great Northern began repainting the remaining O-1 units to an all-black boiler and cylinders with red cab roofs and modern aluminum-colored painted lettering and numberings, #3059 was one of these to receive this treatment. Being the backbone of freight service for more than 40 years, all GN's O-1s were put out of use during the decade as the last fires of GN steam took place in the Autumn of 1957. Engine #3059 was among the last to stay on the railroad's deadline in the late 1950s as it was retired by the railroad in December 1957, the GN considered donating the #3059 and in August 1958 the GN Railway donated the older March 1913-Built Mikado to Williston, North Dakota where it still remains today. All other remaining O-1s were all retired by May 1958 as the GN switched from Steam to Diesel, and all others were cut up by 1963. Today the Great Northern Railway #3059 is the only surviving O-1 class steam locomotive of the railroad and the GN's last remaining 2-8-2 Mikado.
Roster Batches[]
| Batch Listings | Numbers | Builder | Build Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order No. 1 | #3000-#3019 (20 Locomotives) | Baldwin | 8-9/1911 | #3004 equipped with Booster in 1940s. |
| Order No. 2 | #3020-#3069 (50 Locomotives) | Baldwin | 1-2/1913 | #3022, #3023, #3024, #3033, and #3048 equipped with Boosters in 1940s. #3023, #3024, #3026, #3028, #3039, #3043, and #3064 sold to the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Ry. during 1925-1929 and 1943. |
| Order No. 3 | #3070-#3094 (25 Locomotives) | Baldwin | 8-11/1916 | #3071 equipped with Booster in 1940s. |
| Order No. 4 | #3095-#3144 (50 Locomotives) | Baldwin | 8/1917-2/1919 | #3100, #3106, #3135, #3137, #3138, #3142, and #3144 equipped with Boosters in 1940s, #3099, #3108, #3121, #3122, and #3144 were sold to the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Ry. #3113 scrapped 1946 after severe wreck, #3128 scrapped 1949 after severe wreck. |