Northern Pacific Railway class S-10

NP S-10 Class
Power type	Steam
Builder	Alco (Rogers)
Build date	1905-1907
Total produced	20
Configuration	4-6-0
UIC classification	2'C
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel diameter	30 in (762 mm)
Driver diameter	57 in (1,448 mm)
Wheelbase	21 ft 1 in (6.426 m)
Length	58 ft 6 in (17.831 m)
Height	14 ft 10 1⁄4 in (4.528 m)
Weight on drivers	115,000 lb (52 t)
Locomotive weight	153,000 lb (69 t)
Tender weight	104,000 lb (47 t)
Fuel type	Coal
Water capacity	5,500 USgal (21,000 l; 4,600 imp gal)
Boiler pressure	190 lbf/in² (1.31 MPa)
Firegrate area	38.5 square feet (3.58 m2)
Heating surface: Tubes and flues	1,865 square feet (173.3 m2)
Heating surface: Total	2,010 square feet (187 m2)
Cylinders	Two, simple
Cylinder size	19 × 26 in (483 × 660 mm)
Valve gear	Stephenson
Tractive effort	26,600 lbf (118 kN)
Locomotive brakes	Air
Train brakes	Air
Career	Northern Pacific Railway
Class	S-10
Number	320-329
Locale	Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Withdrawn	1928-1950
Preserved	328

The Chicago Southern was incorporated in 1904 by John R. Walsh, to build part of a Chicago, Illinois to Terre Haute, Indiana line. Twelve 2-6-0, eight 4-4-0 and twenty 4-6-0 locomotives were ordered from the Rogers works of the American Locomotive Company in Paterson, New Jersey. The first six 4-6-0's were delivered in August 1905. The remaining fourteen were held, mostly complete, by the builder because the railroad entered bankruptcy. Two of those went to the Wisconsin and Michigan, and four to the Chicago Terre Haute and Southeastern - later the Milwaukee Road.

In 1907, the Northern Pacific was in need of some branch line locomotives, and purchased ten of the fourteen remaining at the builder's plant. The cost was $14,500 each. They became NP class S-10, numbers 320-329. Because they were completed in February 1907, that was the date on their builder's plates. Alco sold the remaining four to Pullman, the Nevada Northern, and the Manchurian Southern. The later was a Japanese-controlled railroad in Manchuria. They offered the NP $15,000 each for their ten, but the NP declined.

In May 1908, 321 and 322 were assigned to the Dakota Division, 320, 323 and 324 to the Pharaoh Division, and 325-329 to the Minnesota Division. By July 1925, 325 and 326 were reassigned to the Montana Division.

First to leave the roster was 329, scrapped at Brainerd, Minnesota in January 1929. More followed in 1930-1933, leaving only 321 and 328. These were kept for the branch lines from White Bear Lake, Minnesota to Stillwater, Minnesota, Forest Lake, Minnesota to Taylors Falls, Minnesota, and Wyoming, Minnesota to Grantsburg, Wisconsin. The primary reason was that the light bridge over the Saint Croix River on the Grantsburg branch could not support heavier locomotives. 321 was set to scrap at Brainerd in 1946.

328 had the honor of pulling the last train to Taylors Falls in June, 1948.

Preservation

NP 328 was sold to the Minnesota Railfans Association in August 1950, and displayed in a Stillwater, Minnesota city park. In 1976 she was leased by the Minnesota Transportation Museum for restoration, and operated from 1981 until 2001. Today she is exhibited at the Jackson Street Roundhouse.

References

• Schrenk, Lorenz P. (1996). "The Truth About 328 Revealed!". The Mainstreeter 15 (4): 5–11. 
• Egan, Pat (1996). "The Other Four". The Mainstreeter 15 (4): 12–13. 
• Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association. "NP rosters on NPRHA website". http://research.nprha.org/default.aspx. Retrieved 2010-07-06. 
• Thompson, Richard E.; Monson, Steven J. (2005). The Taylors Falls & Lake Superior Railroad. Chisago City, Minnesota: Iron Horse Central Museum. ISBN 1599752484.