New Mexico Lumber Co. No. 7

New Mexico/Oregon Lumber Co. No. 7 is a 3 truck, 3ft gauge shay built on November 20th, 1929 by Lima for the New Mexico Lumber Company. 
== Service ==
After NMLC defaulted on payments, No. 7 was repossessed by The Oregon Lumber Company and worked under their Sumpter Valley Railroad. During its stay it was rebuilt to first be wood-fired, and gained additional wood storage on top the water tender. Then sometime between the 40s and 50s, The No. 7 was converted to be oil fired, and stayed that way for the rest of its time in service until 1960.
== Preservation ==
In 1960 the locomotive was sold to Elliott Donnelly, Chicago Printing magnate and benefactor of the Hesston Steam Museum. The locomotive was sent to the Black Hills Central in South Dakota as their No. 7 for a short while until 1970. No. 7 was trucked to the Hesston Steam Museum where it underwent a five year full restoration.  The rebuilt locomotive was unveiled in 1975 where it ran for ten years until the Shay was badly damaged when the engine house burned to the ground in 1985 at the Museum.  After another restoration the engine finally returned to the rails in 2006 for the Hesston Steam Museums 50th Anniversary.
== Trivia ==
* Last narrow gauge Shay ever built 
* Largest narrow gauge Shay ever built.
* Could of been bought by the RGS, but they were struggling financially.
* Was on display at the Black Hills Central
Sources: https://www.shaylocomotives.com/data/factsheet/sn-3345.htm https://hesston.org/-shay7
== Gallery ==
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Category:Built in 1929
Category:Shay locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Lima locomotives
Category:Logging locomotives
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Hesston Steam Museum
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:Narrow-gauge steam locomotives
Category:Narrow-gauge locomotives
Category:3 foot gauge locomotives