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Spp101

St Paul & Pacific No. 1, named William Crooks, is a 4-4-0 "American Standard" type steam locomotive built in 1861 by the New Jersey Locomotive & Machine, which was later a part of the American Locomotive Company (ALCO).

The M&P was almost immediately absorbed into the St Paul & Pacific, and #1 was then named "William Crooks" after the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the SP&P. It was the first locomotive to operate in Minnesota, starting work in 1862 hauling passenger trains between St. Paul and St. Anthony.

The locomotive became under the ownership of the Saint Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway in June 1879 when the SP&P changed hands.

In 1890, the "William Crooks" was transferred to the Great Northern Railway with another change of ownership.

The locomotive was retired from regular service in 1897. It was fortuitously saved from scrapping by James J. Hill, President of the SP&P, the same year. The locomotive was restored to operation for Hill's 70th birthday in 1908, as he had insisted when informed of its condition. In 1924, "William Crooks" went on an exhibition tour from Chicago to Seattle. It was later displayed at the 1939 New York World's Fair and the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948, where it featured in the "Wheels A-Rolling" pageant. However, that was the last time it ever operated under its own steam.

It went on display at the Saint Paul Union Depot from 1954 to 1962 when it was donated to the Minnesota Historical Society by the Great Northern.

Today it is on static display at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN.

Gallery[]

Great Northern Herald

Steam locomotives and electric locomotives of the Great Northern Railway (U.S.)
0-6-0 A-1A-2A-3A-4A-5A-6A-7A-8A-9A-10A-11
4-4-0 1(1 William Crooks)B-1B-2B-3B-4B-5B-6B-7B-8B-9B-10B-11B-12B-13B-14B-15B-16B-17B-18B-19B-20B-21B-22B-23
0-8-0 C-1C-2C-3C-4C-5
2-6-0 D-1D-2D-3D-4D-5D-6D-7D-8
4-6-0 E-1E-2E-3E-4E-5E-6E-7E-8E-9E-10E-11E-12E-13E-14E-15
4-6-0 F-1F-2F-3F-4F-5F-6F-7F-8(1147)(1246)F-9F-10F-11F-12
4-8-0 G-1G-2G-3G-4G-5G-6
4-6-2 H-1H-2H-3H-4H-5(1355)H-6H-7
2-6-2 J-1J-2J-3
4-4-2 K-1
2-6-6-2 L-1L-2
2-6-8-0 M-1M-2
2-8-8-0 N-1N-2N-3
4-6-2 O-1(3059)O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8
4-8-2 P-1P-2(2507)(2523)
2-10-2 Q-1Q-2
2-8-8-2 R-1R-2
4-8-4 S-1S-2(2584)
4-6-6-4 Z-6
Electric 3-phase boxcabW-1Y-1Z-1
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