Apex Gold Mine Railroad Locomotive Roster
Washington / Common Carriers / Apex Gold Mine Railroad / Apex Gold Mine Railroad Locomotive Roster
Compiled by John A. Taubeneck. Number Type Builder Bldr.# Built Dispositon 1 Shay 2tr Lima #2300 Shipped 4-30-10 Scrapped. Additional Information: 2T Shay C/N2300 shipped 4-30-10 20tons 8X12 26” wheels TE10,250 lb. W. Green #1 (Apex Gold Mining Co. #1) Alaska-Gastineau Mining Co., Salmon Creek Dam RR #2, Juneau, AK 03-13 W. R. Hawthorn Log. Co. Grapeview & Allyn, WA (1916-1926). Rose Point Log. Co. Allyn, WA 1926. Leonard Johnson Log. Co. Tahuya, WA 10-1928. Charles Johnson Log. Co. Tahuya, WA 1929. Scott & Easter #1 Tahuya, WA 12-1929.
Notes from Lima records: Alaska-Gastineau Mining Co., Salmon Creek Dam RR #2, Juneau, AK
Apex Mining Co. Berlin, WA 36" gauge C/N 2300 sold to W. P. Hawthorn
W. R. Hawthorn Bremerton, WA 03-05-25 4 miles RR 36" gauge 35# WtLmt 30 tons 20 degrees 5% Cars on grade 2 Wood #1 C/N 2300 Considering change to standard gauge. 01-20-23 Not operating 2300 in good condition 09-02-24 sold to Rose Point Log. Co.
Rose Point Log Co. Belfair (Happy Hollow), WA 12-07-26 5 miles RR 36" gauge 30# WtLmt 60 tons 20 degrees 5% Cars on grade 2 Wood #1 C/N 2300 Formerly W. R. Hawthorn Have about 30 days here 10-04-26
Leonard Johnson Log. Co. Belfair, WA (terminal 10 miles from Belfair by boat) 05-22-29 1.5 miles 36" gauge 45# 25 degrees 8% Type of car Skel Weight 7 Cars on grade 3 Wood
- 1 C/N 2300
Information from the Alaska Gastineau Company collection in the Alaska State Archives in 2017:
“According to the correspondence, the Shay from Berlin was purchased around March 10, 1913. A Mr. T.W. Fairchild was sent to Berlin with a work crew to secure the engine, but had to fight ongoing snow storms. He apparently had trouble with the men deserting the job or getting drunk, and the chief engineer speculated that "he may be subject to the same weakness". The locomotive was cabled down the mountain in pieces and loaded on a flatcar at the main line, it reached Seattle in early May and was refurbished at Hofius Steel Co. There was some trouble finding a ship it would fit on, but it sailed from Seattle on the Edith May 26th, and arrived the first week of June 1913.
The monthly dam construction reports only mention this single Shay at Sheep Creek, along with the 0-4-0 Porter that Jim Walsh now has. The Shay was too big for the 20lb rails they were using and sometimes slid or derailed (they considered 50lb rail but couldn't find it cheap enough).
After the dam was completed, the Shay was sold to Mr. Hawthorne in the summer of 1916. It was moved on a scow from Salmon Creek to the larger wharf at Sheep Creek in June and shipped out around July. They again had some trouble finding a large enough ship to carry it. The shipping company damaged it and then went out of business, then there was another year of insurance and refund disputes. (The theme here is that the Alaska Gastineau Company was being as cheap as possible with all handling of the locomotive, I hope they spent more on the dam since it's still in use today!)”
Information courtesy Gabe Emerson.
? Gasoline Unknown Unknown Shipped Feb 1910 Unknown
A Newspaper mentioned the locomotive being shipped from the east coast in February 1910, it is unknown if the locomotive arrived or was placed in service.
Washington / Common Carriers / Apex Gold Mine Railroad / Apex Gold Mine Railroad Locomotive Roster