Locomotives of the Big Blackfoot Railway

The motive power history of the BBRy is quite interesting. With thanks to Bob Bateman's fine book and some internet sources, I will attempt a brief history here.
The first two locomotive's were Lima Shay shop numbers #811 and #835. Using the excellent reference database at www.shaylocomotives.com we can find out that #811 was the A.C.M #1. She was built on 8/24/1903. Was a class B 37-2 Shay and burned wood. She was scrapped in 9/24/1940.

#835 was also a B 37-2 class shay, built earlier on 12/21/1903 and became A.C.M #2. Converted to coal she was scrapped on 2/11/1943.These locomotives were dismantled and pulled on horse drawn wagon to McNamara where they were reassembled.

The next major purchase was almost ten years later, with Shay's #2558 on 7/18/1912 and #2718 built on 8/6/1613 becoming A.C.M #1 and 2 respectively. Shay #2558 has a very interesting history. She was built as a class B 28-2 and originally burned wood. According to the notes she was shipped first to Trout Creek, MT. Following her tenure with the A.C.M she was leased to the Montana Logging Company in St. Regis, MT. Following successive ownership changes she was put of up for sale while in Ferwood Idaho on 1/1/1927. She was bought, not used and put up for sale again on 3/29/1928, first going to Coeur d'Alene ID, Portland, OR and Finlay Velox, WA ending up in the naval yard there.

Shay #2718 was also shipped to Trout Creek. She was a slightly larger B 32-2 and also burned wood. It appears she followed #2558 from 1916 to 1927 first going to St. Regis, then Warland, MT. On 7/15/1927 she was sold to the Washington Machinery and Supply Company in Spokane, WA.

The next two Shay's bought were builder #'s 3149 and 3203, these became ACM #6 and #5.

<= #3149 was first the Western Lumber Company #2 and delivered on 11/27/1920. She operated out of Bonner, and was leased to the Heron Lumber Company the day she was delivered. On 8/28/1928 the A.C.M took possession of what was at the time Heron Lumber #2 and based in Arlee, MT. In April of 1930 #3149 became A.C.M #6 and returned to Bonner, MT. She was a coal burner and a class C 60-3 Shay.
<=#3203 was delivered on 5/4/1923 and was a Class C 70-3. She started life as A.C.M #5 and worked out of Greenough, MT. In 1962 she was purchased by a railfan in Great Falls and put on display. In 2005 she was moved to the Arizona State Railroad Museum where she is currently undergoing restoration. The final steam locomotive that worked for the A.C.M was not a Shay. It was better. The A.C.M #7 Shay-type was built by Willamette Iron and Steel Works of Portland, Oregon, in June of 1923. The Willamette was a very successful attempt to improve upon the Shay design who's patent had lapsed. For more information on "Willies" click HERE.
<=She began life as Western Lumber Company #3 and was classed as a 70-3 and called Bonner home. Eventually she became A.C.M #7 and worked for this employer until 1948. She was returned to service in 1957 for the movie "Timberjack" and was then placed on display at Bonner. In 1989 she was moved from Bonner to her current home at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. She is the oldest surviving Willamette and the only one of 33 built as a coal burner.

Other steam used on the line were Milwaukee Road C class 2-8-0 Consolidations. The locomotives were oil fired and #'s 1220 and 1246 were regularly seen on the line. At the end of railroad operations various Milwaukee GP and SW diesels worked the Big Blackfoot until the track was pulled.