N&W 475 was bought by the late Stu Kuyper, president of the Pella Corp. (windows) for the purpose of running a train from Des Moines to Pella to transport patrons to his Strawtown Restaurant in Pella on the Rock Island. The Rock Island gave permission to run the train. Pella Corp. was one of the larger shippers at the time. Stu died suddenly and the locomotive was left to the Pella Historical Society. The Pella Historical Society sold the locomotive to Stu's children and they donated it to Boone and Scenic Valley and they sold it to Strasburg. The locomotive was at the museum in Boone as a static display. During Stu's ownership, it was at Union, Illinois. I was asked by Stu Kuyper to manage the train operation and still have the quotes for the rebuilding of the locomotive. After Stu died, it was also discovered that his locomotive purchase also included a B&O caboose which was brought to Pella and placed on the west side of Strawtown restaurant. I believe the caboose may now be at the Y Camp near Boone.
Rock Island 4376 was named for Pete Kuyper, Stu's father.
Ken Vandevoort
What's the story on how she managed to escape from the Virginia Iron & Metal Company, to Strasburg today where she steams? I know she had at least one owner in-between, in Iowa I believe. Trains of course ran a good story on N&W 4-8-0's a few years back, but nothing was said about that period of her life.
The other N&W locomotives there at the time of course ended up famous to a degree in their own right, as the "Lost Engines of Roanoke", languishing there until recent years when the hulks were saved for static display.
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