The 557 Lives!

In what again seems to be a timely news item, the 557 has been steamed up.
Hopefully this public link to the 557 Restoration Facebook page will work. 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/731764013281659

Alaska/Mon-Road 557 As-Built Specs

 

New Life For An Old Locomotive

Newsletter courtesy of Bill Virgin. 

January 2012

Bill had reached out to me to use my photo of the 557, which I quickly granted in exchange for a copy of the newsletter. 

I don't know when the newsletter was discontinued, but a casual search of the interwebs didn't turn up anything, other than  Mr. Virgin passing in 2020.

Varied Dedication Program Planned

From the Spokane "Chronicle."

October 7, 1966

Royal City Railroad Chief Loses Bid To Open New Line

From the "Spokesman Review."

June 10, 1967

Monte Holm: Curator Of American Junk

From the Spokane "Chronicle."

February 1, 1983

Hobo Railroader

From the Billings "Gazette."

February 21, 1971

Monte Holm's Museum Rich In Rail History

From the "Spokesman Review."

August 25, 1981

1986 Mon Road 557

Photo by Keith Ardinger.

October 1986 process date.

Monte Holm-King Of The Road

From the IERHS "Yardbull" newsletter.

November-December 1990

Last Steamer Sold For Scrap

Date and publisher unknown.

IERHS Member Monte Holm

From the "Yardbull" newsletter of the IERHS.

June 1987

Last Steamer Sold For Scrap

From the "Railbelt-Reporter."

January-February 1965

Courtesy of John Combs.

Mon Road 557 And The Ruth M.

Photographer unknown.

Photo dates from early 1970s.

Mon-Road 557 And Caboose At Moses Lake

Photographer unknown.

Photos likely from the 1966-69 timeframe.

Alaska 557 Postcard View

Found this old postcard in the collection of the late Ross Sterling.

While not a view from the Big Bend area, it does show what the 557 did before Monte Holm bought it and brought it to Moses Lake.

Ex-Hobo Wants To Buy A Small Town

From the "Chicago Tribune."

October 18, 1973

557 at Everett

Courtesy of Allen Miller.


The 557’s first step out of the Everett scrapyard where Monte bought the engine was the Great Northern yard there, where it was interchanged to the Milwaukee Road for shipment to Moses Lake.

557 Arriving In Moses Lake

Courtesy of Steve Rimple

The 557 arrived in Moses Lake in 1965 after being sold to an Everett, WA area junk yard. The rear headlight on the tender was encased to keep it from being removed between Everett and Moses Lake. Monte and two of his friends rode the engine from Warden to Moses Lake.

The Vice Presidents Of the Mon-Road Railroad

Photos courtesy of the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center.

Photo date is 8-23-66, and are the only photos with all the Vice-Presidents of the railroad.

Letterhead is what Mr. Holm had drawn up, listing all of his Vice-Presidents.

And a bit earlier in the day, the arrival of the 557:

A little mishap: