Crab Orchard and Egyptian 17
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No. 17 on static display at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone, Iowa, June 8, 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Crab Orchard and Egyptian 17 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive, built in 1940 by the Canadian Locomotive Company (CLC) for the Roberval and Saguenay Railway (RS). It later became notable for being the final steam locomotive in the United States to be regularly used for commercial freight service.
History
No. 17 was built in January 1940 by the Canadian Locomotive Company (CLC) originally for the Roberval and Saguenay Railway (RS) where it spent decades hauling aluminum ore material trains along with sister engine No. 16, making it the very last 2-8-0 built for service in Canada.[3][1][2][4][5] It served the RS for thirty years until 1970, when it was retired and stored outside the Canadian National Railways (CN) Jonquière, Quebec railyard for several years.[6]
In May 1971, No. 17 was purchased by railfan John Thompson of Chicago, Illinois, who moved it in storage at the Central Vermont Railway (CV) roundhouse in New London, Connecticut in July 1973.[7][6] In early 1975, it was sold to the Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway (CO&E) for used on their freight services.[8][2][4][5]
Apon arrival, the railroad began an overhaul on No. 17 to return it to operating condition.[8][1][4][9] On May 10, 1979, No. 17's restoration was completed and it moved under its own power again for the first time in nine years.[8][1][4][9] It eventually began hauling revenue freight trains the following month in July, replacing St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway 5, which was withdrawn from service that same year.[8][1][2][4][10][9]
On the afternoon of September 8, 1986, the No. 17 was out switching coal hoppers when the dry-pipe inside the boiler suddenly collapsed and indefinitely put the engine out of service unless another major overhaul could be performed on it.[1][8] However, the repairs to it was deemed too costly for the railroad and No. 17 was forced into retirement once again, making it the very last regularly operating steam locomotive in the U.S. common carrier of revenue freight service in America.[11][3][8][1][9] SW1200 No. 1147 was eventually brought out and finished the rest of the days work.[8]
On February 9, 1987, No. 17 was sold to the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad (BSVY) in Boone, Iowa, with the hopes to restore it for their tourist operations, but its mechanical problems were deemed too extensive and costly for them, and it was subsequently put on static display.[11][8][1][4][5]
In early 1990, the Strasburg Rail Road (SRC) made an offer to purchase No. 17, along with Norfolk and Western 475, for use in their own tourist operations in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, but the BSVY declined, and only No. 475 was sold.[12]
On July 23, 2020, the engine was donated to the Boone Rotary Club and was moved by truck, to U.S. Highway 30 of South Story Street of Boone, Iowa where it received a cosmetic restoration and put on display at its new location.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Angela Cotey (July 30, 2020). "Iowa steam engine move caught in political storm". Trains.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad All-Time Roster". Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ a b "Greg Scholl Video Productions". Brief details on CO&E's #17 steam engine.
- ^ a b c d e f W. Kerr, James (2006). The Official Locomotive Roster & News Edition 2006 (5th ed.). St. David's, ON: DPA-LTA Enterprises Inc. ISBN 0-919295-43-6.
- ^ a b c "Roster by location - Quebec" (PDF). Roster by location - Quebec (259): 29. May 2, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
- ^ a b "Canadian Rail" (PDF). Canadian Rail (259): 31. August 1973. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
- ^ "Canadian Rail" (PDF). Canadian Rail (232): 30. May 1971. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Railroad Fallen Flags". CO&E History
- ^ a b c d "Steam-era Railroading Obituary". Railfan & Railroad: 26–27. May 1987.
- ^ wcihs (February 12, 2013). "Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railroad, Marion, Illinois". Marion Illinois History Preservation. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ a b Bailey, Douglas (May 1994). "Iowa's Scenic Line". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 13, no. 5. Carstens Publications. p. 56.
- ^ Conner, Eric; Barrall, Steve (2017). Strasburg Rail Road. Images of Rail (1st ed.). Arcadia Publishing. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4671-2507-9.
Further reading
- Railroadman's Magazine. Vol. 98–99. 1975. p. 48.
- Railroad Magazine. Vol. 102–103. 1977. p. 37.
- Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 6. Carstens Publications. 1986. p. 26.
- Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 17. Carstens Publications. 1998. p. 7.
- Boyd, Jim (May 1987). "End of the Steam Era". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 6, no. 9. Carstens Publications. pp. 26–27. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- D'Amato, Chris (July 1980). "The Crab Orchard & Egyptian R. R." Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 3, no. 5. Carstens Publications. pp. 26–32. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- Conner, Eric; Barrall, Steve (2017). Strasburg Rail Road. Images of Rail (1st ed.). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-2507-9.