Promontory Chapter, NRHS

03/07/2024

Northern Pacific 317* UPDATE: NP (KLIX) #317 is currently traveling along the CSX in Ohio and Indiana today, heading toward Chicago. It'll then be interchanged to BNSF to continue its journey home to the Inland Northwest Rail Museum. Hopefully BNSF will route it along the former NP route! (I'll provide updates when I find out more).

Until then, check out the 'NYS&W Railway (Now and Then)' page for some great photos shared on their page of its movement on the NYSW.

*NP 317 is currently owned be the Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. We are currently collaborating with the Inland Northwest Rail Museum to get it moved to their museum in Reardan, WA for static display. This project has also had support from private donations, as well as a Grant from the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association.

Photo from Honesdale, PA. Taken by Craig Snedeker and shared with permission.

01/21/2024

The Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is excited to announce we are now the proud new owners of former Rio Grande SW1200 #133!

A special thank you to Southeast Farmers Coop for their generous donation of this historic locomotive. Also, a big thank you to the D&I Railroad for their support and continued assistance to help make this acquisition possible.

Rio Grande 133 was built new for the Rio Grande in Jan. 1965. It was acquired by UP during the merger, and retired in 1998. It found its way to South Dakota shortly after, and has been in that same area ever since. It spent much of its career on the Rio Grande working locals out of Roper Yard, as well as some time switching Rio Grande's Ogden Yard.

Now that we have ownership, we will explore options for a permanent home for it, or possibly look to partner with an industry (preferably in former Rio Grande territory) to return it to operation and allow it to continue to switch railcars around.... while still wearing its original Rio Grande paint! We are open to ideas and suggestions. For now, it is safely stored in Iowa, until we figure out where it's heading to.

Thank you to James Belmont for sharing the photos of 133 working around the Salt Lake area. Thank you to Tim Smith for the photo of how it currently looks.

10/01/2021

09/22/2021

This morning we loaded up DRGW 01503 for transport to Heber Valley Railroad.

After chopping the smoke stack and disconnecting the brake rigging, it was just a matter of securely tying the caboose to the crane and positioning it on the trailer. Fortunately, there were plenty of qualified people on hand to do it right.

Thank you to UTA Frontrunner, Intermountain Rigging and Heavy Hauling (IRH), and Heber Valley RR for making it happen.

09/22/2021

09/22/2021

The SLGW cleanup is just about finished. All the vegetation and debris have been removed and transported to the county dump. And with a little more spot cleaning, the yard should look pleasing to the eye once again.

Much thanks to Scott and Colby from Keystone Solutions for running the grapple excavator and hauling the junk with their dump bed trailer, and to Andy and Darryl from the Andersons for knocking down the homeless shanty with their skid loader in the first place!

09/21/2021

At 9:44 AM today, Derrick Klarr led the movement of DRGW 01503, from its temporary storage location for the past year, over to Shop Bay 8 in preparation for tomorrow.

Since it needs to be ready for loading onto a flatbed trailer via the overhead crane first thing in the morning!

09/19/2021

DRGW 01503.
The way God intended.

09/18/2021

After today's work party tied up, Derrick went back to the caboose to get even more done. Determined to have it ready for next Wednesday's new transport date, he worked well past sunset to apply the exterior graphics. Don't they look great?

09/17/2021

Fresh coats of primer and paint on the handrails really help to balance the "greenness" of DRGW 01503's interior walls.

09/17/2021

Derrick Klarr looks on as Scott and Colby from Keystone Solutions (the neighboring telecom company) load their dump trailer with weeds pulled from the yard. They will also load the remaining refuse from the makeshift homeless shelter on the property knocked down by the Andersons, Inc. last month.

09/11/2021

Update: The caboose interior has been painted!

Yesterday Derrick Klarr got an offer for help from his brother-in-law that he couldn't refuse, so he decided not to wait.

Great job, you two!