History

Revenue service (1905-1958)

1905

OR&N 197 was built in 1905 for pulling passenger trains on E.H. Harriman's Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, later a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad. The locomotive was first built as a balanced Compound, along with three others: Nos. 194, 195, and 196. No. 197 arrived from the builders just in time to celebrate the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition.

1910

In 1910 the OR&N merged into the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company, a subsidiary of Union Pacific. Consequently, all four locomotives were renumbered Union Pacific 3200-3203, with 197 becoming 3203.

1923

In 1923, 197 and her classmates were upgraded to P-2 class by Union Pacific Railroad at its Albina Yard in Portland. These modifications included a new Vanderbilt-type tender, new cylinders (converting to simple/single expansion with two cylinders instead of four), valve gear change from Stevenson to the more modern Walschaerts, and conversion from coal fuel to oil.

1958

Union Pacific used the locomotive until January 1958, when she was retired and donated to the City of Portland.

First retirement (1958-1995)

1958

When UP donated the locomotive to the City of Portland, she was placed on display near Oaks Amusement Park on land the city had purchased for a future transportation museum, then named Oaks Pioneer Park. It soon was joined by the larger and more powerful 4-8-4 "Northern"-type locomotives Southern Pacific 4449 and Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700, along with other historic railroad and interurban equipment.

1974

In December 1974, the SP 4449 was pulled out of the park and restored to pull the American Freedom Train, which would travel across the country during the United States Bicentennial.

1987

In 1987, SP&S 700 left the park to begin a restoration of its own, leaving the 197 the last engine in the park.

1993

The locomotive can be briefly seen in the 1993 movie Free Willy, while it was on display at Oaks Pioneer Park.

1995

Due to a parking lot expansion, the 197 was moved a short distance from its original 1950s resting place. Otherwise, it sat almost forgotten until late 1995, when a small group of individuals banded together to consider returning the locomotive to operation.