California Western 45

California Western 45
No. 45, at Fort Bragg, California (c. 2011), prepares to depart for Willits with the "Super Skunk"
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works Serial number 58045 Model 12-32 1/4 E Build date October 1924
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-2  • UIC 1′D1′ h2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 44 in (1.118 m) Wheelbase Engine: 28.50 ft (8.69 m); Drivers: 12.08 ft (3.68 m); Total: 50.35 ft (15.35 m) Axle load 30,000 pounds (13.6 tonnes) Adhesive weight 120,000 pounds (54.4 tonnes) Loco weight 152,000 pounds (68.9 tonnes) Total weight 236,000 pounds (107.0 tonnes) Fuel type New: Bunker C oil Now: Motor oil Fuel capacity 1,500 imp gal (6,800 L; 1,800 US gal) Water cap. 4,000 imp gal (18,000 L; 4,800 US gal) Boiler pressure 180 psi (1.24 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 19 in × 24 in (483 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Valve type Piston valves Loco brake Air Train brakes Air Couplers Knuckle
Performance figures Maximum speed 72km/h (45mph) Power output 5220; plus superheater % = 6107; substitute firebox for grate area = 33275 Tractive effort 30,127 lbf (134.01 kN) Factor of adh. 3.98
Career Operators Owen-Oregon Lumber Company Medford Corporation California Western Railroad Mendocino Railway Class III Numbers OOLC 3 MC 3 CWR 45 CWR 44 Nicknames Super Skunk Retired 1964 (revenue seevice) 1980 (1st excursion service) Restored July 10, 1965 (1st excursion service) 1983 (2nd excursion service) Current owner Mendocino Railway Disposition Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul
References:

California Western 45 is a III class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive, built in October 1924 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the Owen-Oregon Lumber Company, it is located at the California Western Railroad (CWR), known as the Skunk Train, in Fort Bragg, California.

History

No. 45 was built in October 1924 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the Owen-Oregon Lumber Company, (Brownlee-Olds Lumber Co., later the Medford Corporation) where it hauled lumber until its retirement in 1964, when Medford Corporation sold it to the California Western Railroad (CWR). It was restored to running condition and made its first inaugural run for the railroad on July 10, 1965.

The locomotive was originally built to burned bunker C fuel oil, it was later converted to burn recycled motor oil.

Between 1965 and 1980, No. 45, along with stablemate No. 46, (a 2-6-6-2 Mallet), pulled the railroad's Fort Bragg - Willits summer steam excursion train, the "Super Skunk". The California Western discontinued steam service in 1981. In 1984, No. 46 was donated to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum (PSRM), as a result of high maintenance costs, and the opinion that the locomotive was too light on its feet. (No. 46 was a saddle-tank locomotive, before California Western added a tender and removed the aforementioned tank.)

In 1983, after two-year operational hiatus, the locomotive briefly returned to service, and was renumbered No. 44 for a role in Racing with the Moon. The locomotive retained this number for several months.

The Mendocino Railway, a subsidiary of Sierra Northern, purchased the railroad on December 17, 2003, after the California Western filed for bankruptcy.

In 2001, the locomotive was removed from service for an overhaul. The locomotive returned to service in May 2004, and operated regular "Skunk Train" service to Northspur Wednesday through Saturday, May through October. In 2015, the locomotive was removed from service once again for a mandated 1472-day inspection and overhaul, and as of 2026, overhaul work is still in progress.

Further reading

• Crump, Spencer (1971). The Skunk Railroad: Fort Bragg to Willits. Trans-Anglo Books. p. 19. ISBN 978-0870460043.
• Kean, Randolph (1973). The Railfan's Guide to Museum & Park Displays.
• Robertson, Donald B. (1986). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History: Oregon, Washington. Caxton Printers. p. 90. ISBN 978-0870043666.