This is a 1946 H.K. Porter Company 0-4-0 Steam Locomotive that is currently in non-running condition, it’s being offered for sale out of Newbury Park, California in the hopes that someone will get it back on the rails once again.
Privately-owned steam locomotives have existed since the earliest days of the train, typically bought by wealthy industrialists who used them to travel across the country and inspect their various holdings. We only rarely see locomotives like this come up for sale, in full-scale size at least, so this may be a unique opportunity for an aspiring train owner.
Fast Facts – The H.K. Porter 0-4-0 Steam Locomotive
- This 1946 H.K. Porter 0-4-0 steam locomotive, originally used by the Henry Clay Frick Coke Company at its timber-treating facility in Pennsylvania, is currently being offered for sale in non-operational condition from Newbury Park, California, with the potential for restoration or use as a display piece.
- H.K. Porter, Inc., founded by Henry K. Porter in 1878, became a leading manufacturer of industrial locomotives. The company was known for its modular locomotive designs, which allowed for greater versatility, and for pioneering innovations like compressed-air engines as well as early gasoline and diesel-powered locomotives.
- After its original use at the Henry Clay Frick Coke Company, this particular locomotive was sold to the Menallen Coke Company, where it operated until the 1970s. Following the facility’s closure, it was reportedly used as a novelty ride at family events before being placed into storage in the 1990s.
- H.K. Porter, Inc. produced nearly 8,000 locomotives, but few remain today, as most were scrapped after diesel engines replaced steam. This makes the sale of this 0-4-0 locomotive a rare opportunity for collectors, train enthusiasts, or those interested in restoring a piece of industrial history.
H.K. Porter, Inc – A History Speedrun
H.K. Porter, Inc was founded by Henry K. Porter in 1878 as a manufacturer of tough, reliable locomotives designed to be used on private industrial railroads for factories, mines, logging companies, shipping firms, and more.
This is Henry K. Porter, he was born in Concord, New Hampshire in 1840 and over the course of his life he would study to become a minister, serve in the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, serve in the United States House of Representatives as a Congressman, and become a major industrialist.
By the time of his eponymous company’s founding, Henry K. Porter was already highly-experienced in the design and construction of locomotives, as he had been involved with the industry as part of a number of earlier partnerships dating back to 1866.
Perhaps the single most significant innovation that was pioneered by Henry K. Porter and his engineers was the development of a modular system for building locomotives. It allowed them to quickly develop locomotives of various sizes to achieve various tasks, all while using many of the same parts.
The company would also design one of the first compressed-air locomotives, using compressed air for motive power rather than a coal-fired steam boiler. This wouldn’t be their only foray into alternative sources of energy, they would also create gasoline and diesel powered engines for their vehicles at a time when almost all others ran strictly on coal.
H.K. Porter, Inc would grow to become the single largest producer of industrial locomotives, building almost 8,000 of them in total. Very few have survived to the modern day, as most were scrapped when diesel took the place of steam, but there are a few H.K. Porter locomotives in museums and private collections.
The H.K. Porter 0-4-0 Locomotive Shown Here
The locomotive you see here is an H.K. Porter 0-4-0 from 1946, meaning it was produced just a year after the end of WWII. It was originally used by the Henry Clay Frick Coke Company in Fairchance, Pennsylvania at their timber-treating facility.
It would later be sold to the Menallen Coke Company, who used it at their Shoaf Coke Works until the facility’s closure in the 1970s. Interestingly, after this time the locomotive is said to have been used at family events, likely as a novelty ride, until it was placed into storage in the 1990s.
This H.K. Porter 0-4-0 Locomotive is currently being used as a static display piece, and it’ll be up to the new owner if they want to keep it as such, or restore it to working condition.
It’s now being offered for sale in non-operable condition, so the new owner will need to decide if they want to get it working again, or simply use it as a display piece.
If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing on Bring a Trailer here. It’s being offered out of Newbury Park, California with build sheets, correspondence into the 1960s, and a bill of sale.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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