Northern Pacific 4-6-0 1356 Receives Cosmetic Restoration

Published: March 16, 2026

A significant preservation effort is underway in Missoula, Montana, where volunteers and local preservationists have begun a cosmetic restoration of Northern Pacific Railway steam locomotive No. 1356. The locomotive—an early-20th-century Ten-Wheeler that served the Northern Pacific during the height of the steam era—has stood as a civic landmark near the city’s historic depot for nearly seventy years. The project seeks to stabilize the locomotive and restore its historic appearance while preserving one of the most recognizable railroad artifacts in western Montana. To learn more about their efforts and/or even donate to the cause please click here to visit the "Missoula 1356" website.

Northern Pacific 4-6-0 1356 (Class S-4) sits outside the South Tacoma Shops after receiving a new paint job, prior to moving to Missoula for permanent display in September, 1955. James M. Fredrickson photo, Museum of the Rockies/Ron Nixon collection (photo rvn19822).

Northern Pacific No. 1356 is a class S-4 4-6-0 “Ten-Wheeler” built in 1902 by Baldwin Locomotive Works (Burnham, Williams & Co.) as part of a group of forty locomotives ordered by the railroad.

The Ten-Wheeler design was widely used across North America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With a leading truck for stability and six large driving wheels for speed, these locomotives were versatile machines capable of handling both passenger and freight service. On the Northern Pacific, the S-4 class proved particularly useful across the railroad’s western divisions.

After entering service in 1902, No. 1356 was assigned to the Rocky Mountain Division, where it handled a wide variety of trains. These ranged from passenger runs between communities in Montana and the Pacific Northwest to log and freight trains serving the region’s timber industry.

At the time of its construction, locomotives of this type represented the backbone of the Northern Pacific’s secondary passenger and mixed-train operations. Although larger locomotives would later dominate mainline service, Ten-Wheelers remained essential workhorses on branch lines and lighter routes for decades.

Like most American steam locomotives, No. 1356 continued working into the mid-twentieth century before diesel locomotives began replacing steam across the Northern Pacific system.

The engine logged more than fifty years of service before being retired in the early 1950s. Rather than being scrapped—as happened to thousands of steam locomotives during the diesel transition—the locomotive was donated to the City of Missoula in 1955.

It was placed on static display near the 1901 Northern Pacific depot at the end of North Higgins Avenue, close to the railroad yard that once bustled with activity. For generations of residents and visitors, the locomotive became a recognizable downtown landmark and a reminder of the city’s railroad heritage.

While the locomotive’s preservation spared it from the scrapyard, decades of outdoor exposure gradually took their toll. Paint faded and flaked, metal surfaces corroded, and components were lost or damaged over time. Weather, vandalism, and a lack of regular maintenance left the engine increasingly deteriorated.

Despite its condition, No. 1356 remained an important symbol of Missoula’s past. Local officials and residents frequently referred to the locomotive as a “keeper of story and history” representing the railroad era that helped shape the community. Concern over the locomotive’s condition eventually inspired local advocates to organize a preservation effort.

The “Missoula 1356” Restoration Effort

The current restoration project is being led by Friends of the 1356, a nonprofit group formed specifically to restore and preserve the locomotive.

Working in cooperation with the City of Missoula, the group has launched a campaign to stabilize the locomotive and return it to a more authentic Northern Pacific appearance.

The project focuses primarily on cosmetic restoration rather than operational rebuilding, meaning the locomotive will remain a static display.

Key elements of the restoration include:

Cleaning and rust removal from the locomotive and tender
Structural stabilization of deteriorated components
Replacement or recreation of missing parts, such as covers and fittings
Reinstallation of historic details, including number plates and headlight elements
Repainting the locomotive in Northern Pacific colors

Some early progress has already been made. Volunteers have fabricated new protective covers for the smokestack and headlight and reinstalled number plates. In one particularly notable discovery, the locomotive’s original headlight ring—missing for decades—was returned by a local resident who had preserved it after the roundhouse where it had been stored was demolished.

Future phases may include installing lighting, restoring the bell, and possibly adding interpretive features to improve the locomotive’s role as a historic exhibit.

Today, 1356 remains one of the most visible reminders of Missoula’s railroad heritage. Its presence beside the former depot highlights the central role the Northern Pacific played in the development of the city during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

For preservationists, the locomotive represents far more than a piece of machinery. It embodies the stories of the railroad workers who operated it, the communities it served, and dramatic events—such as the 1910 wildfire rescue—that became part of regional lore.

Through the ongoing cosmetic restoration, volunteers hope to ensure that the locomotive continues to stand as a prominent historical monument for future generations, preserving the legacy of the Northern Pacific Railway and the steam era that helped build the American West.

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