The campaign is on to “save the 1158.”
The 1158 is a locomotive located at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford. The locomotive, now out of service, was built in 1913 for the Canadian Northern Railway, whose railway line is credited with spurring the growth of North Battleford to city status at that time.
To celebrate that history, the effort is on to restore the 1158. But the work to preserve and restore the engine requires funds.
On Wednesday, the Western Development Museum launched the Save the 1158! Campaign, to raise $200,000 towards the restoration of the engine. Remaining money will also go towards the stock car, flatcar and the caboose.
Already, the campaign is off to a good start as Dick Scotton of the Western Development Museum Volunteers Association presented a cheque for $60,000. The money was raised through their efforts in the community raising funds for the museum.
In addition, the WDM’s Conservation and Collections department has matched that donation, bringing the total raised to $120,000.
That means there is another $80,000 to go in order to have all the funds in place to do all the work needing to be done on the locomotive.
The efforts started in April when Moody’s Equipment provided assistance in moving the 1158 down the track about 300 feet to a location where the work could be done.
A big tent was constructed around the 1158 to protect it from the elements and prevent hazardous material from being exposed to the public. Work then commenced on the initial heavy-cleanup work of the engine.
“Basically what we’ve done so far is to remove the rusted pieces of it, to expose the pressure vessel, the cylinders, to assess the condition of it,” said Tim Pomeroy, conservation manager.
”We’ve stripped the cab down to assess the condition of it and take components of it for restoration,” said Tim Pomeroy.
However, the work has come to a standstill due to the lack of funds. Raising the full $200,000 will allow them to move forward with the next phase of the project: the cosmetic restoration of the look of the locomotive.
The idea is to bring the engine back to looking the way it would have looked back in the early 20th Century. That involves media blasting to expose the bare steel, then it will be primed, the body work will be done, the front cylinder will be repaired, and it will be freshly repainted “to be a great representation of what the locomotive should look like,” said Pomeroy.
As a tribute to Canadian Northern’s role in developing North Battleford, the 1158 will be painted and lettered as “Canadian Northern,” using Canadian Northern colours, as it would have appeared if it were brand-new.
Pomeroy noted he doesn’t know of any locomotives currently painted as Canadian Northern, as others still in existence are painted in Canadian National colours.
In all, it should take six weeks to finish the restoration of the engine, and the entire project should be done by next summer, including the work on the stock car, the flatcar and caboose.
The stock car was sandblasted in recent months and will be ready for its final coat of paint. The caboose will also be repainted in Canadian Northern colours.
The plan for the flat car is to get it into good condition so a steam tractor with a threshing machine could be placed on it, as an example of how to move machinery in those days.
The 1158 was retired by Canadian National in 1959, and Pomeroy believes it is a very good candidate for a restoration such as this, because the pieces are still in place and it is in original condition.
“This is going to be actually a showpiece. People will drive to see this,” said Pomeroy. “It’s a real credit to the fact we have it.”
WDM North Battleford manager Joyce Smith says the 1158 represents a major part of North Battleford’s history.
“North Battleford would not be here to this extent that it is today if the railroad had not gone through North Battleford.”
She says the 1158 will be a major attraction for visitors to the museum once it is fully restored.
“You drive by on Highway 16 and you’ll see this beautiful, shining piece of equipment, broadcasting to everybody what we’re doing at the museum, and how we’re restoring and preserving Saskatchewan’s history.”
For more on how to donate, go to save1158.wdm.ca or visit the museum for more information.
