The bids for the contract to build the Nebraska &
Western (that portion of the Pacific Short Line between Covington and O'Neill)
were let by the Wyoming Pacific Improvement Company (from the April 5, 1889
issue of Railroad Gazette). The Wyoming Pacific Improvement Company and
the Pacific Short Line (comprised of the Nebraska & Western, Wyoming &
Eastern, and Salt Lake Valley & Eastern) were intimately related, but I have
never been able to figure out their exact legal relationship. Supposedly
builders photos of the locomotives do or did exist, showing that the engines
owned by this road were delivered lettered for the Pacific Short Line. The
passenger cars certainly were, and I believe somewhere I have seen a photo of a
caboose lettered for the Pacific Short Line (perhaps in the Burlington Bulletin
about the O'Neill branch?). The Wyoming & Eastern was placed in receivership
in December 1890, and the Nebraska & Western was placed in receivership on
February 24, 1891. The Nebraska & Western was operated by the receiver
(Ellis Bierbower) until October 30, 1891. On October 23, 1891, the road was sold
to George Wickersham and Arthur S. Garretson (deed was dated October 30), two
principles of the Sioux CIty & Northern. The Nebraska & Western was
operated by the SC&N until January 1, 1892. By a deed dated December 1,
1891, the property of the Nebraska & Western was transferred to the Sioux
City, O'Neill & Western Railway Company, which was controlled by the same
individuals who owned the SC&N. The SCO&W was operated in close
conjunction with the SC&N until it was placed in receivership on November 1,
1893. The receiver, F.C. Hills, operated the road until June 30, 1899. (The
SC&N also went into receivership at about the same time as the SCO&W.)
The SCO&W had been purchased on May 26, 1899, by William S. Tod and Robert
E. Tod, who conveyed the property to the Sioux City & Western on June 28,
1899. These same two people had purchased the SC&N on December 12, 1899. On
December 31, 1899, the SC&N came under the control of the Great Northern.
The Willmar & Sioux Falls, a GN subsidiary, began operating both properties
(SC&N and SC&W) on January 1, 1900. On July 1, 1907, the Willmar &
Sioux Falls was purchased outright by the GN, which operated the SC&W from
South Sioux City to O'Neill for a short time.
By the time the SC&W was placed under operation by
the Willmar & Sioux Falls, the three smaller SC&W ten-wheelers
had been renumbered as SC&W 16, 17 and 18 (originally the were PSL 10, 11
and 12). This was probably done when the road was operated in conjunction with
the SC&N since the numbers 10-12 were already assigned to SC&N engines.
Great Northern records indicate that Construcion Nos. 2264, 2265, 2328 and 2440
were renumbered as Willmar & Sioux Falls 994, 995, 996 and 997,
respectively, on July 3, 1900; March 24, 1900; May 10, 1900; and May 9, 1900.
The numbers were not changed when GN purchased the Willmar & Sioux Falls.
The locomotives were assigned to the CB&Q as part of the SC&W by lease
on November 1, 1907. Delivery dates to the CB&Q were as
follows:
GN 994 11/11/1907
GN 995 12/10/1907
GN 996 11/20/1907
GN 996 11/16/1907
I believe the SC&W was then finally sold to the
CB&Q on December 1, 1908.
It is interesting (at least to me) that in a letter
dated November 30, 1907, J.M. Gruber, then General Manager of the Great
Northern, wrote to a Mr. R. I. Farrington, a GN Second Vice President, stating
that "Mr. Emerson [George H. Emerson was at that time GN's General
Superintendent of Motive Power] is of the opinion that we ought to keep these
engines if we can, as they are of the class that we can use to god advantabe on
our different branch lines, and light power of that kind is what we are short of
more than large power." Mr. Farrington replied on December 7 that the
locomotives had been sold to the Burlington, and if they were desirable for GN,
their purchase would have to be authorized by the president and negotiated with
the Burlington.
These four locomotives, and all of the roads they
belonged to, went through a rather tortuous history.
Best regards,
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2005 4:14
AM
Subject: RE: [CBQ] K-9 Ten-Wheelers
According to the Connelly and
Rhode Island Lists the ex-GN K-9 Rhode Island 4-6-0s_were as
follows:
CB&Q 943
GN 994
2264
Macon Construction
Company
131 18x24 62? Dec
1889 ret 10/12 to Wyoming Pacific
Improvement Co. 10 Pacific Short Line
CB&Q 944
GN 995
2265
Macon Construction
Company
132 18x24 62? Dec
1889 ret 10/13 to Wyoming Pacific
Improvement Co. 11 Pacific Short Line
CB&Q
945 GN 996
2328
Wyoming
Pacific Improvement Co.
12 18x24
55? Apr
1890 ret
11/13
CB&Q
946 GN 997
2440
Wyoming
Pacific Improvement Co.
15 18x24
54? Aug
1890
disposition unknown
I wish Joe
were still with us to weigh in on this discussion?.he may have provided more
up-to-date information to Connelly. The Rhode Island lists do not
indicate the engines going to the GN or the CB&Q, but all seem to be
contractors locomotives and if anyone has more detailed info on the building
of the O?Neil branch it may help clarify if the info is likely to be
correct.
Charlie
Vlk
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Posted by: "Kenneth Middleton" <krmiddle@charter.net>
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