H. K. Porter Company

Construction Number 1972            Built in March 1899

3/1899: Purchased new by the North American Transportation and Trading Company for hauling Coal from mines on Cliff Creek, 50 miles downstream from Dawson, Yukon Territory. Arrived in late August.

1903: Sold to Coal Creek Coal Company, and moved to Coal Creek on August 4th. *

1905: Sold to Tanana Mines Railway, Chena/Fairbanks, Alaska. Departed Coal Creek on June 5, arriving at Chena on July 4th. **

1907: Tanana Mines Railway refinanced as Tanana Valley Railroad. **

11/01/1917: TVRR property sold at bankruptcy auction for $200,000.**

12/31/1917: TVRR property sold to Alaska Engineering Commission for $300,000.**

1918: Still listed on AEC documents.***  

1923: Alaska Engineering Commission becomes the Alaska Railroad.**

1924: Still on the ARR inventory but noted as "unfit for service".****

1927?: The date that the engine was given to the City of Fairbanks and placed on display by the old train station has yet to be established.*****

1967: Removed from display near ARR Train Station and placed on display at Alaskaland, Centennial Park for Purchase of Alaska; City of Fairbanks.

1987: Alaskaland Park and all properties, including TVRR Engine #1, transferred to Fairbanks North Star Borough.

1992: Leased to Friends of Tanana Valley Railroad, Inc., for restoration, exhibition and operation.

CURRENT: Restored, on exhibit, and in occasional operation, by FTVRR, Inc., at Pioneer Park (name changed from Alaskaland in 2002), Fairbanks, Alaska.

 

Verification Notes:

* MINING RAILWAYS OF THE KLONDIKE, Eric Johnson. Arrival date from News article from Dawson Newspaper, copy in FTVRR Files.

** TANANA VALLEY RAILROAD, THE GOLD DUST LINE, Nicholas Deely. Edited by FTVRR President, who checked the records available at the time for accuracy. Records consisted of Newspaper articles, letters and photographs found in the University of Alaska Archives and Dawson, Yukon Territory Museum.

*** Alaska Engineering Commission Letter, May 10, 1918, listing of TVRR equipment to William Gerig, Engineer in Charge, includes Engine #1, stating condition is "Good". Copy in FTVRR files.

**** ARR Correspondence from Supt. Motive Power and Equipment to Noel Smith, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Interior, 8/12/1924: "Engine #1 - Purchased from coal road near Dawson in 1904 by the Tanana Valley Railroad. It is a small dinky and unfit for service." Another letter, dated earlier on July 18, from the ARR General Manager Lee Landis, directs that the ARR "discontinue the use of any narrow gauge equipment that has not been equipped with automatic couplers." Engine #1 still has, to this day, link and pin coupling!

***** At this point, lacking verifiable documentation, any date after 1924 is probably OK. We have located dated photographs showing that the engine was definitely on display in 1930. If we are ever able to find the correct date we will let you know! The following document also contributes data: July 5, 1935: ARR inventory of Surplus Narrow Gauge equipment and materials; Engine #1 is NOT listed.