Northern Pacific 328

Specifications
Specifications
Configuration:;
• Whyte	4-6-0
• UIC	2′C
Gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.	30 in (762 mm)
Driver dia.	57 in (1,448 mm)
Wheelbase	21 ft 1 in (6.426 m)
Length	58 ft 6 in (17.83 m)
Height	14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
Adhesive weight	115,000 lb (52,163 kg)
Loco weight	153,000 lb (69,000 kg)
Tender weight	104,000 lb (47,000 kg)
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	8 t (7.9 long tons; 8.8 short tons)
Water cap.	5,500 US gal (21,000 L; 4,600 imp gal)
Firebox:
• Grate area	38.5 sq ft (3.58 m2)
Boiler pressure	190 lbf/in2 (1.31 MPa)
Heating surface:
• Tubes and flues	1,865 sq ft (173.3 m2)
• Total surface	2,010 sq ft (187 m2)
Cylinders	Two, outside
Cylinder size	19 mm × 26 mm (0.75 in × 1.02 in)
Valve gear	Stephenson
Valve type	Piston valves
Loco brake	Air
Train brakes	Air
Couplers	Knuckle

Type and origin
Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Builder	American Locomotive Company (Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works)
Serial number	37583
Build date	August 1905

Northern Pacific 328
Northern Pacific 328
	NP 328 being cleaned on the Turntable at the Minnesota Transportation Museum's Jackson Street Roundhouse
Power type
Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Builder	American Locomotive Company (Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works)
Serial number	37583
Build date	August 1905
Configuration:;
Specifications
Configuration:;
• Whyte	4-6-0
• UIC	2′C
Gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.	30 in (762 mm)
Driver dia.	57 in (1,448 mm)
Wheelbase	21 ft 1 in (6.426 m)
Length	58 ft 6 in (17.83 m)
Height	14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
Adhesive weight	115,000 lb (52,163 kg)
Loco weight	153,000 lb (69,000 kg)
Tender weight	104,000 lb (47,000 kg)
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	8 t (7.9 long tons; 8.8 short tons)
Water cap.	5,500 US gal (21,000 L; 4,600 imp gal)
Firebox:
• Grate area	38.5 sq ft (3.58 m2)
Boiler pressure	190 lbf/in2 (1.31 MPa)
Heating surface:
• Tubes and flues	1,865 sq ft (173.3 m2)
• Total surface	2,010 sq ft (187 m2)
Cylinders	Two, outside
Cylinder size	19 mm × 26 mm (0.75 in × 1.02 in)
Valve gear	Stephenson
Valve type	Piston valves
Loco brake	Air
Train brakes	Air
Couplers	Knuckle
Tractive effort
Performance figures
Tractive effort	26,600 Ibf (118 kN)
Operators
Career
Operators	Northern Pacific Railway; Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway; Minnesota Transportation Museum;
Class	S-10
Numbers	NP 328
Nicknames	The Blueberry Special
Locale	Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Retired	August 1950 (revenue service); 1999 (excursion service);
Restored	May 1981
Current owner	Minnesota Transportation Museum
Disposition	On static display

Northern Pacific 328 is a preserved S-10 class (NP S-10)^[1] 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type steam locomotive. Built in August 1905 by ALCO's Roger Works, she, along with her sisters,^{[clarification needed]} were set on fast passenger trains along the NP system until sidelined in August 1950. After being on display in Stillwater, Minnesota's city park, it was restored to operational condition in 1981, and was retired again in 1999. As of 2026, the locomotive is on static display at the Minnesota Transportation Museum's Jackson street Roundhouse.

History

Revenue service

No. 328 was built in August 1905 by the American Locomotive Company at their Rogers plant in Patterson, New Jersey. It was originally designed for fast passenger service.^[2] In 1940, it was named Blueberry Special, after the train that ran between Rush City, Minnesota and Grantsburg, Wisconsin. No. 328 pulled the last train to Taylors Falls on June 30, 1948. In 1949, L-10 0-6-0 No. 1167 replaced 328 on the Grantsburg branch.^[2]

First retirement

In August 1950, No. 328 was retired and was sold to the Minnesota Railfans Association. It was displayed at the city park in Stillwater, Minnesota, for 26 years.^[3]^[4]^[2]

Excursion service

In 1976, it was leased by the Minnesota Transportation Museum for an operational restoration.^[2] The engine returned to service in May 1981, and ran excursion trips during the 1980s.^[2] Between 1987 and 1991, No. 328 returned to the Stillwater Branch and was owned by the Minnesota Transportation Museum and was a “crown jewel” of the historic experience.^[5] In 1992 NP served as a regular locomotive on MTM's Osceola & St. Croix, MN and Dresser, WI.^[6]^[7]^[2] In 1998, No. 328 had its most famous trip when it participated in a triple header with Soo Line 1003 and Soo Line 2719 at SteamFest '98 from Wisconsin to Minnesota.^[8] In 1999, it traveled a few more miles from the Stillwater and Taylors Falls branches it once frequented and made occasional special trips around the Twin Cities.^[2]

Second retirement

In 1999, No. 328 was retired from service once again and today it is an exhibit at the Jackson Street Roundhouse.^[2] There are unknown plans to restore No. 328 back to operation.^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]

References

^ Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association (February 11, 2009). "Steam Class List S-10". Retrieved August 20, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Northern Pacific 328" (PDF). Retrieved April 23, 2026.
^ "Northern Pacific Motive Power - No. 5 of a Series, Class S-10 (320-329)" (PDF). The Telltale. XI (5): 2. May 1950. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
^ "Northern Pacific steam locomotive No. 328 on display in the park at Stillwater". Minnesota Historical Society. 1955. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
^ Johnson, Martin (1991). "The Blueberry Special". The Mainstreeter. 10 (4): 20–21.
^ Schrenk, Lorenz P. (1996). "The Truth About 328 Revealed!". The Mainstreeter. 15 (4): 5–11.
^ • Egan, Patrick (1996). The Other Four". The Mainstreeter. 15 (4): 12-13.
^ "SteamFest '98". Railfan & Railroad: 23. 1999.
^ Smith, Jonathan D.H. (2005). "Chicago Terre Haute & Southeastern steam locomotives". Standard steam locomotives. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
^ Thompson, Richard E.; Monson, Steven J. (2005). The Taylors Falls & Lake Superior Railroad. Chicago City, Minnesota: Iron Horse Central Museum. ISBN 1-59975-248-4.
^ "Steam locomotives". Minnesota Transportation Museum. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
^ "We own that train? Stillwater weighs options for old Northern Pacific locomotive". Twin cities. December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.

Bibliography

Garratt, Collin (2006). Locomotives: A Complete History of the World's Great Locomotives and Fabulous Train Journeys. Lorenz Books. p. 165, 167. ISBN 978-0754816577.