Lake Superior and Ishpeming RR No. 29 is an SC-3 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1906 for the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railway, originally as their No. 14.
The locomotive was designed to haul carloads of iron ore on the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railway.
On June 2, 1916, when the 29 was numbered 14, it figured in a wash-out wreck while coming down from Negaunee with an iron ore train. The locomotive and several hopper cars rolled down on their sides on a steep embankment. The possible cause of this derailment was the fact it was heavily raining in many Northern Midwest areas that day. It took about a month to get the 14 "on its pins" again, meaning the 14 was brought back to service after some repairs were done. It is unclear if the engineer, fireman, or leading brakeman were injured or killed.
The locomotive was retired from service in 1962 and it was sold to M&HM as 29, in July 1963 and then sold to the Ishpeming Steel Co in January 1985. (Immediately after being returned to the LS&I, #29 was sold on to the scrap dealer, the Ishpeming Steel Company.)
The locomotive was then donated to the Grand Canyon Railroad in 1989. When the locomotive arrived at the Grand Canyon Railway, it was not intended to operate; instead, it was put in the shop for a restoration to working order. No. 29 hauled the very first train on the Grand Canyon in the Spring of 1990 when it returns to service.
As of today it's still at the Grand Canyon Railway, but on October 2019, Grand Canyon Railway #29 made a final run before the expiration of her 1472-Day Inspection.
Trivia[]
- No. 29 is sometimes placed on static display at the Grand Canyon.
- No. 29 also pulled trains on Grand Canyon during the winter but only when No. 18 is undergoing maintenance.
- It was renumbered 29 in August, 1923.
- In 2006 and 2016 it doubleheaded with Grand Canyon Railway No. 4960.
- In February 2017, No. 29, and No. 4960 operated on a special photo charter on the Grand Canyon Railway out of Williams, Arizona.
- On May 21, 2019, No. 29 was re lettered to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe to be filmed by MacGillivray Freeman Films to make several appearances in "Out Where the West Begins", a four-episode documentary series narrated by Tom Selleck and directed by Tom Brainard and Greg MacGillivray.