An old friend returns

Who says you can't go home again?

The 1920s S-2 train engine that sat for years at the Flathead County Museum made its way back to Somers on Friday morning.

The engine, which was made in Pittsburgh, used to work at the Somers railroad-tie plant.

Workers used the train as a yard engine to push ties into heat-treatment machinery.

When the county decided to burn down the dilapidated museum building, county Commissioner Dale Lauman jumped at the chance to bring the locomotive home. Lauman is a longtime Somers resident who said getting the engine back to the community has been a goal of his for many years.

"Dale's been so excited about this," Lois Lauman said.

The engine almost went much farther south than Somers.

The Miracle of America Museum in Polson called about five weeks ago and said it had money and a semi-truck ready to haul the engine to Polson. The museum already has another, much bigger engine from the tie plant on display.

"I said, 'No, no, no. This one's coming to Somers,'" Lauman said. "We're taking it home. This is where it needs to be."

A crew from Harmon Crane and Rigging loaded the train engine onto a truck Friday morning and quickly moved it to Somers. Lauman estimated the engine weighs about 30,000 pounds.

The engine was unloaded and in place by 9:40 a.m. It will remain on a short section of tracks across the street from Del's Bar, next to the Rails to Trails path.

A small but excited crowd watched the crane slowly lower the locomotive onto its new tracks, and people applauded as the ancient engine touched down. Much of the engine, including the wood-trimmed windows and paint, needs restoration.

Lauman said there already is a group of Somers citizens interested in raising money for the project.

"This has generated a lot of enthusiasm," he said.

Reporter Michael Richeson may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at mricheson@dailyinterlake.com