Robert Dollar Co. No. 3
Robert Dollar Co. No. 3 is an operating steam locomotive on the Niles Canyon Railway. It is notable for having been the last wood-burning locomotive built for an American company.
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The No. 3 was built new by the American Locomotive Company for the Walter A. Woodard Lumber Company in November 1927. The Woodard Company assigned the 3 to its sawmill in Cottage Grove, Oregon.
In 1942, the sawmill, and the locomotive along with it, was sold to J. H. Chambers & Son. They kept it for just four years before selling to facility and locomotive to the Lorane Valley Lumber Company in 1946. In 1951, the locomotive was sold again, to the Robert Dollar Lumber Company. The Robert Dollar company converted the locomotive to burn oil, and finally donated it to the San Francisco Maritime Museum Association.
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park ended up not having much use for a locomotive, and she was leased in 1973 to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association (it was eventually donated). The Western Railway Museum began restoration of the engine in 1979, but this project was not finished, and the disassembled No. 3 was donated to the Pacific Locomotive Association (Niles Canyon Railway).
Restoration on Robert Dollar Company No. 3 was completed in February 2007, and she has been operating in regular excursion service ever since. In a special event in 2009, she operated side by side with Southern Pacific 2472 and Union Pacific 844.
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