Great Northern locomotive returning to Wishram

The locomotive, which was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923, is owned by Klickitat County. It has been in storage in Pasco for the past several years.

"The commissioners authorized $50,000 to take care of moving No. 2507 back to Wishram," said Tom Seifert of the county's Economic Development Department.

The cost covers preparing the locomotive for movement by rail, painting and lettering it into its original Great Northern scheme, and then hauling it to a temporary site in Wishram.

The county has hired Steam Operations Corp. of Birmingham, Ala., to handle the project. A Steam Operations Corp. crew is expected to arrive in Pasco July 22 to begin the work.

"They are going to prepare it to federal and BNSF standards so it can legally be moved by rail," Seifert explained.

When it's ready, the historic engine will be hauled dead-in-tow on a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway freight train from Pasco.

The locomotive will first be moved to a siding in Wishram before being set in its final resting place, in a park area east of the BNSF/Amtrak station.

Plans call for the county to purchase a small piece of land currently owned by the railroad. The parcel is adjacent to the county park in Wishram and would be added into the park.

In the early 1990s, the locomotive was moved from Maryhill State Park, where it had rested for many years, due to safety concerns. A preservationist group planned to restore the engine to working condition, at no cost to the county, but the project fell through and 2507 remained in storage in Pasco.

"Hopefully by the end of the summer we'll have it here," said Wishram resident Debbie Evans.

"It'll be ready to move in early September," Seifert said. "And we need to close the deal on the property."

The community of Wishram identified the return of the steam locomotive as one of its top priorities in its Community Action Plan in 1996. Community leaders hope to encourage tourism by billing Wishram as a historic railroad town.