At Fort Missoula, in Missoula, Montana, there is a display of a logging train as a part of a large forestry exhibit. Engine Number 7, a steam locomotive manufactured in 1923 by Willamette Iron and Steel Works in Portland, Oregon, is at the center of the exhibit.
Engine Number 7 is a Shay-type, gear-driven locomotive which is ideal for the rough trackage, steep grades, and sharp curves found on logging railroads. The engine was originally purchased by the Western Lumber Company of Milltown, Montana, and later sold to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company where it was used to haul logs on the Big Blackfoot Railway until 1947. In 1954 it was restored for the filming of the movie Timberjack. It was donated to the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula in 1989.
The Galloping Goose
The Galloping Goose is a 1936 Gibson Speeder #2. This is a shuttle car which was used to haul men to the logging operation in the woods. The car is self-propelled with an interior engine which drives the rear wheels. It has a large window at each end which means that it didn’t need to turn around: it could drive in either direction. The Galloping Goose could hold up to 45 men and could climb a 6% grade. The men did not find it to be a pleasant ride.
Library
This car currently serves as a library.
Museums 101
Museums 101 is a series of photo tours of various museum exhibits, ranging from history museums, to art museums, to mineral museums. More photo tours from this series:
Museums 101: The Timber Industry on the Oregon Coast (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Old West Room in the Presby House Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Eye Dazzlers (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Quilts (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Fort Steele Drug Store (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Dalles Chinatown (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Rodin's Late Drawings (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Iranian Art (Photo Diary)
