Oahu Sugar No. 1 (later renumbered 4), named Waipahu, is an unclassified 0-6-2ST Webb-type saddle tank steam locomotive built for the Oahu Sugar Railroad in 1897.
History[]
Built by Baldwin in Philadelphia for the Oahu Sugar Railroad in May 1897, No. 1 served on the Oahu Sugar Railroad hauling sugarcane trains; the locomotive was named Waipahu as it operated at the Waipahu complex near Pearl Harbor. The locomotive appears to have undergone modifications in 1940. No. 1 was withdrawn from the Oahu Sugar Railroad's roster after World War II. No. 1 was later bought by businessman J. Dale Gentry in 1954 for use on his own private railroad, the Cottonwood & Southern Railway.
After Gentry's death, the locomotive was sold to the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad in 1975, where it was renumbered to 4 and operated until 1988. After which, No. 4 was put up for sale; the locomotive was then exported to Japan for use on the Western Village Railroad in the western-themed theme park Western Village in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. No. 4 operated on the railroad for five years before it was taken out of service for a lengthy maintenance involving deteriorating parts due to aging; No. 4 returned to service in Fall 1998. No. 4 was used in service along with No. 6 until 2006 when the park closed for "long-term maintenance" due to financial difficulties.
When Western Village closed for "long-term maintenance" (the park never reopened), No. 4 was left in one of the sheds in the park, along with No. 6; ownership was later transferred to the Tobu Railway. In July 2017, No. 4 was transferred to the Tobu World Square theme park, where the locomotive was put on display at the SL Square exhibit. No. 4 underwent a cosmetic restoration in 2022.
Design[]
Sporting an unusual wheel arrangement for an American locomotive, No. 1 is a saddle tank steam locomotive with a few notable features. No. 1's wheels are located on the inside of its frames, with its side rods being on cranks. She has a welded boiler and has a wood cab. Originally a wood/sugar cane burning locomotive, No. 1 was converted to burn oil in Japan. A dynamo is situated on the top of the cab. No. 1 has a slightly different appearance after its rebuild in Japan, with the most notable change being the addition of a large red pilot.
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