Development and design In 1909, the Baldwin Locomotive Works of
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, received an order by
Tennessee's
Little River Railroad (LRLC) to construct a
Mallet locomotive. He successfully managed to purchase the Mallet for its scrap value of $1,200. Baldo also had an exact replica of No. 7's original wooden
cab made from scratch. In January 2018,
McCloud Railway locomotive 25 towed Skookum's tender from Tillamook to Garibaldi, and the following day, the tender was reunited with No. 7. During the charter, however, Skookum was experiencing some timing issues with the engineer side low pressure steam chest, and this prevented the Mallet from traveling any further from the Garibaldi engine shed. The discovered timing issue originated in the high pressure eccentric valves. the engine and tender were subsequently loaded into separate heavy-haul trucks and transported south to the
Niles Canyon Railway (NICX). In March 2020, at the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic, the NCRY closed to the public and No. 7 was left in storage. In September 2020, the NCRY reopened to the public, with Skookum pulling several other excursions in the ensuing months, including a May 1, 2021 run to benefit the restoration of
Southern Pacific 1744. In October 2019, No. 7 operated alongside Clover Valley Lumber Company No. 4 in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the
Transcontinental Railroad. == See also ==