Fife buys locomotive for exhibit

Photo courtesy of Mike Seeger

THE CITY OF FIFE RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS SURPLUS LOCOMOTIVE.

Plans for a railroad exhibit at Dacca Barn took a big step forward with the city of Fife purchasing a diesel locomotive from the city of Tacoma.

It was once used by the Chehalis and Western Railroad, which was owned by Weyerhaeuser. The railroad moved logs from forested areas around Morton and Chehalis through Fife into the Tideflats. The line shut down in 1992 and was eventually purchased by Tacoma Rail, which is part of Tacoma Public Utilities.

The locomotive is a Century 415, built by American Locomotive Company. Only 26 were made.

Tacoma City Council approved selling the locomotive for $18,000 to Fife during its Dec. 2 meeting.

Several people involved with the project testified prior to the vote.

“This has generated a tremendous amount of enthusiasm in the community,” said Fife Mayor Barry Johnson.

Fife City Councilmem-ber Nancy de Booy noted the museum is working hard to assemble three train cars for its exhibit. “We would love to have this engine.”

Former Mayor Mike Kelley said locomotives such as this moved logs through Fife into the Tideflats in the past. “It will help preserve our history,” he remarked.

Mike Seeger, owner of Fife Flowers, said the locomotive will become part of what is Tacoma and Fife Eastern Railroad.

“We are going to take care of it and note that Tacoma is a partner,” Seeger commented.

Several citizens spoke in favor and against the sale.

Dick Samuels told the council he wanted to purchase the locomotive for his Oregon Pacific Railroad Company, which hauls freight in and out of Portland. He said he made a request to purchase it years ago. He said he recently wrote a letter to the city asking it to be declared surplus on the advice of a Tacoma Rail employee.

Samuels said he inspected it in September and feels it can be repaired to working condition. He did not know of the pending sale to Fife until Nov. 27, when he received an e-mail from another railroad group.

Samuels said he would not have a problem with Tacoma donating the locomotive to Fife, but objected because he claimed he has a standing offer of $25,000. He even offered to give one of his locomotives to Fife in its place. “I am willing to write the city a check tonight.”

Ray Richards read a letter written by his son, Daniel R. Richards. In it, the younger Richards stated the locomotive is one of only four of its model still in existence and it should be donated to the Smithsonian or another museum. The council would be shortchanging the citizens of Tacoma by selling it to Fife when someone else has offered more money, the letter stated.

Ray Richards, who said he is a member of Fife History Museum, said due to the historic nature of the locomotive, someplace other than Fife would be a better place for it to be displayed. “Gutting it and setting it in a park is not historical,” he remarked.

Tacoma resident Rich Bacon offered his support. “They were looking for something that had a historical tie and that is what this does,” he said. Bacon said the Fife project organizers would not scrap it out but would preserve the locomotive as much as possible.

Alan Hardy from Tacoma Rail told the council the locomotive suffered severe damage when thieves broke into it in January 2007. They stripped it of much of the valuable metal and caused $200,000 worth of damage.

Tacoma’s Finance Department told him it could be declared surplus property. It can be sold to another government without putting it out for the highest bid, according to Hardy.

Fife first contacted Tacoma Rail in May 2007. Hardy said he had a letter of intent from Fife before Tacoma Rail knew of any other interest.

Councilmember Lauren Walker asked about the other offer. Hardy acknowledged that another party had inspected it, but Hardy said the cost to repair it would be so high that he did not think it was feasible. In addition, the locomotive does not meet current United States Environmental Protection Agency emission standards. Upgrading it to meet them would further drive up the cost for a purchaser seeking to put it into use.

City Attorney Elizabeth Pauli said at the time Fife made its offer her office was unaware of other interested parties. She said Tacoma could legally sell it to another government for a lower price than an offer from the private sector. “This would be a perfect exercise of the council’s discretion,” Pauli remarked.

Walker made a motion to postpone voting on the matter, but withdrew shortly after when several of her colleagues voiced support for Fife’s offer.

“This is a goodwill gesture,” said Councilmember Spiro Manthou.

“This cements a good working relationship with the city of Fife,” said Mayor Bill Baarsma. “I applaud their efforts in preserving history.”  

After the meeting, Seeger noted the efforts of David Cantlin from Fife’s Parks and Recreation Department. It was Cantlin, a railroad buff himself, who first heard about the locomotive and told Seeger about it in 2007. “He has just done tons of work,” he said of Cantlin.

Seeger said at the time he heard the city of Chehalis had purchased it. When this turned out not to be the case, Fife expressed its interest.

The $18,000 is from Fife’s hotel and motel tax fund. Seeger, Cantlin and Kelley are planning to go to Tenino Dec. 30 to look over their purchase. Seeger said he has invited Karen Veitenhans, vice president of Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation to join them.

The brakes need to be inspected to ensure it is safe to be on the rails. If so, Tacoma Rail has offered to move it to Coast Engine and Equipment Company (CEECO) on the Tideflats. Seeger said CEECO has offered to do some rehabilitation work in exchange for being able to sell some of the scrap metal it will salvage from it. Seeger said it will not be restored to its original condition. “That would be useless since it will just sit there,” he said.

The goal is to have it restored and ready to be unveiled to the public at the Harvest Festival in October 2009. “Every thing seems to be on track,” Seeger remarked.

A website for the project should be operating in about a month. It will be www. tacomafifeandeasternrr.org.

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