Alaska Railroad 2-8-0 557 was fired up for the first time on November 8, following a decade-long restoration. Volunteers have been working on the S160 Class Consolidation in Wasilla since the early 2010s and hope to eventually run it on its home rails. 

Locomotive 557 was one of more than 2,000 S160 Class 2-8-0s built for the U.S. Army by Alco, Baldwin and Lima (557 was built by Baldwin). The locomotives were meant to be built quickly and deployed to war-torn Europe. The S160s would eventually go on to work on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. In 1944, a dozen S160s were sent to Alaska for use on the federally-owned railroad there, including 3523, which would soon be renumbered 557. Along with a new number, the locomotive got some improvements for service in Alaska, including a larger air compressor, a heated cab and a plow for seasonal use. The 557 initially burned coal but was later converted to oil. In the 1950s, the Alaska began to retire its steam locomotives but 557 was retained for use in Nenana where the rivers often flooded the right-of-way. The locomotive was also used for special events. In 1964, the locomotive was sold to private individuals and moved to Washington State where it was put on display. In 2011, the locomotive returned north for restoration. 

The non-profit Engine 557 Restoration Company announced its test fire on social media. Additional work will need to be done on the locomotive before it can run, but it’s clear that standard-gauge steam will soon return to the “Last Frontier.” 

—Justin Franz