The SP&S 539 steam locomotive that had been displayed in Esther Short Park for 40 years made a return to Vancouver on Friday.
The partially disassembled locomotive, built in 1917 in Dunkirk, N.Y., rolled through downtown on three rail cars en route to its new home in Kalama.
The locomotive, which was retired in 1957 by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway after nearly 40 years of use, was removed from Esther Short Park in 1997 as part of the park’s renovation. It was moved to the Battle Ground area for possible restoration before being sold to the Grand Canyon Railroad in 2007.
Last year, the Port of Kalama purchased the locomotive for display in its Interpretive Center in recognition of the role railroads have played in Kalama’s history.
