Re: NNG: Rayonier 2-6-6-2T 111 in 1968

Thanks for the additional beautiful photos. Martin Hansen's photos including the Rayonier shay brought back memories of my only encounter with live steam on Rayonier's railroad out of Hoquiam. In fact, it may have been on the last or nearly last day that Rayonier operated steam. In the spring of 1968 my brother Wolf, his Swiss girlfriend and I were on a trip to the Olympic Peninsula. I knew a little about Rayonier. We made a side trip to Railroad Camp, and found 2-6-6-2 38 hot with a little pressure in the boiler. She had run for the last time the day before, and would not run again. But 2-6-6-2 111 was active and running on a section of Rayonier trackage. It turned out that the engine was to be taken to California, but that the driving wheel profiles were out of tolerance for the trip on the mainline railroads. So Rayonier had installed abrasive brake shoes and was running the engine back and forth over a mile or two of track to true up the wheel profiles. It was a gray day, and photos were no great shakes, but we had a wonderful time both line side and in the cab with the friendly crew.





My brother is talking to the fireman as 111 is getting her tender refilled for more hard running with the brakes on for grinding down the drivers









Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2020 06:35PM by Olaf Rasmussen.