This is from the museum website: he Northern Pacific purchased five new Mann McCann ballast spreaders from the St. Paul Foundry in 1921. These spreaders were used during the summer months to pull ballast back up onto the roadbed and during the winter to plow snow from the tracks. Snow was pushed from one track of the double track line by the Mann McCann spreader. Following this the rotary snowplow was used to throw the snow off the second track. The Mann McCann could accomplish its task quicker and the rotary could finish the job. NP 642 (BN 972602 after the merger) was used on Stampede Pass for snow removal until approximately 1985. It also served as part of a wrecking train according to one of the old operators. After its retirement it sat unused on a spur track just off of Meade Avenue in Yakima, WA. Acquisition was sought by the Yakima Valley Rail & Steam Museum Association. In July of 1996 the spreader was purchased from the Burlington Northern for $1,000. The Washington Central Railroad donated the shipping and moved it to Toppenish. BN 972602 is the last remaining Northern Pacific Mann McCann spreader. It is currently on display at the Northern Pacific Railway Museum in Toppenish. Restoration was started in August 2002. Plans are to return it to its steam era appearance. |
Date:
7/16/2013 |
Location:
Toppenish, WA Map ![Show Toppenish on a rail map](/images/map_us.gif) |
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93 |
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Gregg Bartley |
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Author: Gregg Bartley
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![One of a kind spreader](http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/98772/NP%20Museum%204.jpg) |
Picture Categories: RollingStock |
This picture is part of album: Northern Pacific Museum, Toppenish, WA |