It is hard to believe that this little, narrow-gauge steam engine, built in 1907 in Davenport, Iowa came to Alaska after first working in the building of the locks of the Panama Canal. In 1917 it was acquired by the Alaska Engineering Commission to help build the Alaska Railroad. Later, it was converted to standard gauge and used in a switching yard. After years of service, it it was put into use as an children’s attraction during the annual Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Winter Festival and was affectionately nicknamed the “Moose Gooser.”
The numbers 0-4-0 in its title refer to the number of drive wheels, four, and the number of wheels leading and trailing the drive wheels, both zero, which accounts for its Cracker-Jack-toy appearance. The “ST” in the name refers to the saddle tank that held water and is draped over the boiler. It has been beautifully restored and rests proudly on display at the Anchorage railroad depot. It certainly turned out to be a little engine that “thought it could” and did!
Further details on the story of its existence can be found at: https://www.sketchesofalaska.com/2021/05/alaska-railroads-little-davenport-steam-engine-traveled-widely-across-north-america.html
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