last run of old no. 7

Rhinelander Daily News, May 12 1932, page 2

"Seven Spot", Veteran of Many Logging Ventures and Forest Fires, Donated.

Probably before the end of the week, old "Seven Spot," veteran locomotive owned by the Thunder Lake Lumber company, will have turned her wheels for the last time and sent out her swan song with a throaty whistle and a clanging bell.

For "Seven Spot" has been donated by Thunder Lake to go into the museum of early logging days in the north woods, now under construction between the Soo tracks and the Wisconsin river on West Davenport street.

Some time this week, if plans are carried out, George Smith, "head man" of Thunder Lake's railroad will bring "Seven Spot" out of the woods. She will be loaded on a flatcar and brought by the Soo line to the paper mill yards, where it will be unloaded on West Davenport street between the paper mill and the paper company's office.

To Run over Pavement

Ties and rails will be laid on the pavement, a fire built under old "Seven Spot's" boiler, and when the steam gauge shows 30 pounds pressure, the veteran locomotive will start on its last journey under its own power, down Davenport street it will chug, and through the Soo underpass it will roll, even if the stack has to come off. A special grade already has been built from Davenport street to the museum, and the little engine will puff its way into position on the museum site.

Then the fires will be drawn, the steam in her boilers let out and the water tanks drained. The whistle will be wired, the bell clapper will be fastened so it cannot clang again, and old "Seven Spot" will have ended her long career of useful service in the logging industry of the north woods. The locomotive then will be painted black and properly polished and shined up.

Old "Seven Spot" is a veteran not only of many years with Thunder Lake but also of other lumber companies. The logging engine was built in 1879 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, thus being almost as old as Rhinelander which is celebrating its golden jubilee this year.

Used Until Last Season

The Robbins Lumber company purchased the engine second hand at Muskegon, Mich., many years ago. Old "Seven Spot" was used in all the Robbins' operations, and also was sent into upper Michigan to help haul logs to the mills. In 1919, its ownership passed to Thunder Lake, and the engine was used continuously until the past season.

Time after time, it has been repaired, patched, rebuilt, plugged and remodeled until about all that could be done is to jack up the whitle and drive a new locomotive under it.

On several occasions, "Seven Spot" went through bad forest fires. It has hauled loaded cars of valuable logs out of fire areas in time to save them from damage. It has hauled men and equipment into fire zones to fight fires, and on numerous occasions, it has helped battle the fires itself by using the steam from its boiler to syphon water out of the reserve tank and shoot it onto the fire through a short rubber hose.

Several years ago, one of Thunder Lake's landings caught fire. Two locomotives were on one side of the fire, and it was apparent that unless water could be turned into the fire from the other side, several thousand dollars worth of logs would burn

Rolled through Bad Fire

One member of the engine crew didn't like the idea of riding through the fire in old "Seven Spot," with no way of seeing through the smoke to be sure the track was in shape and no logs across it. J.D. Mylrea, manager of Thunder Lake, and others got into the cab, however, rolled up the windows, put their coats over their heads and started through. The track was open and while the men in the cab kept their heads inside their coats to breathe, old "Seven Spot" puffed and chugged her way through the fire and came out on the other side.

It was on this occasion that Mr. Mylrea, forgetting that live steam was used to force the water through the fire hose, received a bad burn on one hand while fighting the fire. When his hands became too hose while holding the fire hose, he stuck one into the stream of water expecting to cool it, but was painfully burned by the steam.

Thousands of dollars worth of logs have been pulled out of the woods by old "Seven Spot." But now her days of usefulness are ended. Thunder Lake is one of the few north woods concerns still operating narrow gauge railways, but it no longer is safe enough to get enough steam into "Seven Spot" to pull a train of cars. But 30 pounds--enough to take her on her last trip--will be safe enough and within a few days smoke will pour out of her chimney, her proud little bell will clang, her whistle will gurgle with steam, and she will start down the track that will take her to "the end of hee road," where she will become part of the museum that is a memorial to the logging days of the north in which "Seven Spot" has played such a prominent part.

The photo is from 1933 I believe. No. 7 is famous. There is a companion article about the museum startup, if anyone wants to see that.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2012 03:29AM by gallon.