HLCo #10 (now MRSR #10) at Elbe Depot.
Hillcrest Lumber Co. No. 10 is a standard gauge 3 truck Class C Climax steam engine, built May 1928 by Climax Manufacturing for Hillcrest Lumber Co to haul logging trains with other locomotives. This was the second to last Climax engine built & delivered as HLCo 3 to their Mesachie Lake mill on Vancouver Island, BC. At some unknown date, it was redesignated HLCo 10. It is equipped with Janney couplers with oversized 15-inch-tall split knuckles, typical on logging engines running on rough or uneven track.
In 1968, when the HLCo Mesachie Lake mill shut down, Engine No. 10 was the last Climax engine in regular operation in the world. It was then sold to a collector who planned to use it on the Victoria Pacific tourist railroad in Victoria, BC, but plans for this were never carried out.
In 1979, Engine No. 10 was sold to the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad and restored to become their first steam engine to operate.
Today the engine is still at the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, but, as of 2019, is stored inoperable, awaiting boiler work.
Trivia[]
In 1996, Engine No. #10 and Mikado Engine No. #5 helped rebuild a bridge by pulling rock trains before the coming winter storms. They were featured on "The Rock Trains" from Golden Rail Video.
Specs[]
- http://web.archive.org/web/20190721035657/http://www.sierrascalemodels.com/Gallery/Rainier/Climax.htm
- http://wikivisually.com/wiki/Climax_locomotive