These photos are of the 3ft gauge Port Huron & Northwestern's 2-4-0 no 1 "D.B. Harrington" (Porter 323/1878) being cosmetically restored at Port Huron on 15th January. The restoration is a voluntary and educational venture between Port Huron Museum and St. Clair Community College. "D.B. Harrington" was one of two locos supplied for the opening of the line, no 2 being Porter 329/1879. They weighed only 10 tons and with their 8x16ins cylinders they were tiny machines, even by the standards of the day, and soon proved to be underpowered. The line's no 3 (Porter 384/1880) was considerably larger at 17 tons as were no's 7 and 8 (Porter 447 and 448/1881).
Does anyone know anything about no's. 4-6 or any later locos? The info above comes from the list in "Porter Steam Locomotives Light and Heavy" but it doesn't look as though Porter built other any locos for the line. I've seen a suggestion that it may also have had some 0-4-4 Forney tanks built by the Wyoming Valley Machine Company but I can't find anything more definite.
The railway was taken over by the Flint and Pere Marquette in 1889 and gradually converted to standard gauge, the last narrow gauge section going in 1904. The two 10-ton locos were sold in the early 1880's for further service in the logging industry of northern Michigan.
Any more info wold be greatly appreciated!
Best wishes,
James Waite