Lake Superior & Ishpeming RR No. 18 is a SC-4 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1910 for the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad (LS&I), originally as their No. 11.
The locomotive was designed to haul iron ore to the dock at Marquette, MI on Lake Superior, where the ore was shipped to steel mills on the lower lakes. In August 1923, she was renumbered No. 18, continuing service on the LS&I until 1962 then 1 year later in July 1963, she was rescued from scrap and sold to the Marquette & Huron Mountain Railroad.
On November 9, 1969, No. 18 was once again on the scrap line in Marquette, MI where she would remain until being sold to Ishpeming Steel Co. in January 1985, and then to the Lake States Steam Association five months later.
Between 1989-2006, No. 18 would undergo an extensive restoration before being returned to service as the first steam locomotive in operation on the Grand Canyon Scenic Railroad.
In July 2007, No. 18 briefly visited the Mt. Hood Scenic Railway in Oregon for a string of special excursions.
No. 18 would then be restored for service on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad in Alamosa, CO. But SLRG has not had a steam program since September 2013.
In March 2021, No. 18 was purchased by the Maguire Foundation and will soon be moved to Boyertown, PA to be operated by the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust.
Trivia[]
- No. 18 used to be the Grand Canyon's favorite steam locomotive.
- This locomotive was featured in films, such as "'92 Southwest Steam Safari: Steam in Arizona, Colorado & New Mexico," "The 45 Steam Locomotive," "A Quarter Century of Steam," "Shining Time Station" (The holiday christmas special), "I Love Toy Trains" (during a "Real Trains" segment), "Climbing to the Canyon", and Goldhil Video's Great Trains of America: Eastern Railroad based on Grand Canyon Railroad.
- When the locomotive appears in the Shining Time Station (The holiday Christmas special) it appears again during the third musical number, "It's Christmas Time at the Railway Station", and also contributes the sound of its whistle, a Southern Pacific six-chime, for Mr. Nicholas' heard-but-not-seen "Northern Star".
- No. 18 is not the only LS&I engine that was was sent to Grand Canyon Railroad. No. 20, 18's sister locomotive, was also purchased by Grand Canyon Scenic, but No. 20 has not yet been rebuilt to operational status and is only in storage.
- The locomotive has been operating at the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad since January 31, 2008 when the Mt. Hood Railroad sold her, and restored since the Spring of 2008.
- On February 2003, No. 18 double headed with Grand Canyon Railway No. 29.
- On January 15, 2011 No. 18 did a one time run in the snow at the Rio Grand Scenic Railroad.
- In 1995, it double headed with Grand Canyon #4960.
- In 2012, it was being visited by Union Pacific 844.
- In 2005, the locomotive was retired from the Grand Canyon Railway and it was put on static display.
- In 2006, the engine was not operational because it was under restoration back to operating condition. But in 2007 the Grand Canyon Railroad sold it to Mt. Hood Scenic Railway.
- For four days during the 1989 - 1990 New Year's Holiday Weekend No. 18 was chosen to pull the Grand Canyon's regular train during the event. While operating No. 18 runs solo, and later requiring assistance from 2 of the GCR's GP7u diesel locomotives coupled to the front of the steamer.
- On February 1991, Phoenix hosted a special "Union Station Days" and the Grand Canyon Railway was invited to take part in it No. 18, heads the train as it makes this special trip down to Phoenix.
- In August 2002, No. 18 used to triple headed with Santa Fe #3751 and Grand Canyon #4960.
- When steam operations ceased on August 31, 2007, the locomotive was placed up for sale again.
- The only reason that the Mt. Hood Railroad placed No. 18 for sale is because she was too expensive to operate, and that's the reason why steam operations ceased at the Mt. Hood Railroad on August 31, 2007.
- The reason that No. 18 was chosen to operate on the Grand Canyon first was because that she was already on her way back to running condition thanks to boiler works by her previous owners. They did an outstanding job on the restoration to restore the locomotive.
- No. 18 was the perfect steam train to operate in the snow (either both light, heavy, snowfalls, and even snowstorms) while operating at the Grand Canyon Railroad, and the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad on the one time run.