Black Hills Central Railroad 108: A Mallet in the Mountains

In the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota lies one of the oldest, continuously operating tourist railroads in North America, the Black Hills Central Railroad. Also known as the 1880 Train, the Black Hills Central Railroad operates on a 10 mile spur line between the towns of Hill City and Keystone, South Dakota. The 20 mile, 2 hour round trip climbs some of the steepest railroad grades in the United States, deviating between 4 and 6%.

Leading the charge up these grades are a pair of ex-Weyerhaeuser Timber Company 2-6-6-2T Compound Mallets numbered 108 and 110. The 110 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in August of 1928 for the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company in Vail, Washington. 110 was the first of many logging mallets for the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company. 110 ran for the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company until 1954 when it was sold to Rayonier Incorporated of Railroad Camp, Washington. 110 ran for Rayonier until 1968 when it was sold to was sold to the Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1971, 110 was transferred to the Wasatch Railroad Museum and put on display at Heber City, Utah. In 1993, 110 was put in storage at the Nevada State Railway Museum in Boulder City, Nevada. In 1999, 110 was sold to the Black Hills Central Railroad, and it returned to service in 2001. 110 has been the primary locomotive on the railroad ever since.

The 108 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in March of 1926 for the Potlatch Lumber Company of Bovill, Idaho as their number 24. Oddly enough, 24 had the distinction of being one of only three 2-6-6-2Ts to have a full tank design, and one of the only 2-6-6-2Ts that was built to burn coal which was quite unusual for logging railroads of the Pacific Northwest. 24 was later converted to burn oil like most other 2-6-6-2Ts of the Pacific Northwest. In 1934, 24 was sold to the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company of Longview, Washington and renumbered to 108. 108 finished its career for the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company in 1959. Instead of being scrapped, 108 was put on display in Longview from 1959 to 1964 when it was donated the Northwest Railroad Museum in Snoqualmie, Washington in 1964. In 2016, the 108 was put up for sale and the Black Hills Central Railroad jumped on the chance and bought 108 in January of 2016. It arrived in Hill City in March of 2016 and restoration work commenced immediately. 4 years later, in February of 2020, 108 was fired for the first time in over 60 years. In April of 2020, 108 steamed under its own power for the first time since the 1950s, and its first time on the Black Hills Central Railroad.

108 and 110 have been alternating duties this summer on the Black Hills Central Railroad and are the strongest locomotives on the railroad. The Railroad also owns a GP-9 number 63 which has been used on the 7:00 AM trips and when the 110 needed maintenance. With the acquisition of 108, and no 7:30 AM trips this season, 63 has not been used this year. The famous number 7 is a 2-6-2 built in 1919 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. 7 was the face of the railroad until 110 became operational in 2001. 7 is currently out of service on display in Hill City. The railroad also owns two 2-6-2Ts number 103 and 104. 103 is currently in storage and a part source for the 104. 104 runs during the less crowded times of the season when there are only 4 cars.

108 ran all 7 days we visited and put on a great show, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the freshly restored engine work hard up the steep mountain grades of South Dakota.

Filmed on July 26, July 27, July 28, July 29, July 30, July 31, and August 1, 2020

Filmed & Edited by Mark Turkovich

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©MPT Productions 2020