An old ‘locomotive’ being towed in a parade on Boulder’s Main Street Aug. 24 was continuing a journey begun in 1958.
That year, the Boulder River School and Hospital wanted more playthings for the kids staying there to enjoy. So talented shop employees at the school worked afterhours to create a locomotive to pull them around on a circular track. The kids enjoyed that and another more streamlined train for years before the school and the facility evolved into the Montana Developmental Center.
The train sat unmoving until the 1994, when the Boulder Fire Department negotiated with the State of Montana to take possession of a carousel at the school. The train came with it.
While the carousel was restored to operating condition (it’s now housed at Jefferson County Recreation Park), the train sat idle until 2017 when the American Legion #46 in Boulder asked for and got permission to restore it. Jim Richardson, Cory Sena, Les Vosler and Bill Crenshaw rescued it from the granary it was housed in and brought it to Jim Richardson’s shop in Boulder — where he and Sena brought it back to life.
It has taken some work. The train arrived in bad shape, so Sena took it apart and brought it to Missoula to be sandblasted and repainted coal-black.
Richardson then used his expertise as a machinist and welder to revive the old train by overhauling the engine, repairing the steering and working on the front end. Sena took care of the welding and coordinated the restoration, which has been financed by individual donors, contributions from See ‘n Save and several fundraising events.
The engine was to debut at the parade under its own power. However, the engine faltered and, despite Dean Hershey’s mechanical skills, it had to be towed.
Richardson and Sena hope to get the train once again running and delighting children at the fairgrounds. They plan to make a new eight-passenger railroad car, and Sena said he would also like to take it to various summer events in the county.
It is not known if similar trains exist elsewhere in Montana, but, like many historical items in Boulder, it is a symbol of a colorful past, dedicated volunteers and the enduring spirit of community.
This story was updated Oct. 13, 2019 to correct a few errors.
