Minarets & Western / Sugar Pine Lumber Co 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA

Minarets & Western Railway

The Minarets & Western Railway was a subsidiary of the Sugar Pine Lumber Co that was built to link their logging operations near the Minarets to the sawmill at Pinedale Ca. From Central Camp, the Sugar Pine Lumber Co railroad ran 11 miles to the switch yard at Wishon where the Minarets & Western ran 53 miles to the mill as a mainline operation. The southern portion of the line was operated with joint trackage rights with Southern Pacific.

The companies were established in 1921 but never made a profit before bankruptcy ended operations in 1933. In 1935 the SP purchased the Pinedale section and the four Mikado locomotives of the Minarets & Western Railway Company (#101- #104). They had cab side numbers and tenders we marked with "Minarets & Western Ry Co".

#101. The #101 was Alco 61858 originally ordered by the Oregon-American Lumber Company in 1920, but the order was cancelled and the locomotive was purchased by the Sugar Pine Lumber Co in 1921.

After its absorption by the Southern Pacific, the 101 retained its number. Later, it was sold to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive which sold it to the Aberdeen & Rockfish in 1935 as their #40. It eventually wound up on the Valley Railroad.

#102-#104. The #102-#104 were heavier locomotives built by ALCo in 1923. I cannot find details of these locomotives other than construction numbers 64144-146. In 1935 they were sold to the Southern Pacific.

The #102 and #104 were given road numbers 3295 and 3296. They worked as switchers in the SP Dunsmuir yards. The #3295 served there until 1953. In 1940 #3296 (ex M&W #104) was sold by SP to the Long-Bell Lumber Co. at Tennant, Ca. She carried her former SP number of #3296 with Long-Bell and served there well until the end of the Tennant operations.

The #103 was sold to Southern Pacific but not used, sold to Atlanta & St Andrews Bay #300, in 1938 sold to Chicago & Illinois Midland #527, scrapped in 1954 (foothills Rails info) In August 1951 it was retired and scrapped (Don Ross Group).

Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad

The Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad was incorporated in 1892 and eventually ran from Aberdeen, NC through Raeford, NC and on to Fayetteville, NC. In the mid 1920s, Fort Bragg in North Carolina began to expand and as a result the A&R became very busy delivering materials for the expansion of the Army post. With the continuous press of business the short line railroad increased its motive power through purchases of second hand "Mikado" type locomotives, with two coming in 1929, one in 1935 and the last coming in 1941. This small railroad did a huge job during World War II moving material and troops in and out of Fort Bragg.

There is one surviving Aberdeen & Rockfish 2-8-2 "Mikado" type locomotives. It is number 40, which is operational on the Valley Railroad. Number 40 had 48" drivers and 20" x 28" cylinders.