Holm locomotive bound for Pullman depot

Addition of engine completes Pufferbelly Depot dream

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake residents passing by the House of Poverty Museum Friday afternoon might have seen a train in mid-air.

The Davenport No. 2 steam locomotive, which museum owner Monte Holm purchased in the 1980s, was sold to Pullman, Wash., resident Dan Antoni.

Holm died in May 2006.

A crane lifted the locomotive Friday afternoon from its place on museum property, in between the museum building and the larger train owned by Holm.

Brent Milota, of Cheyenne, Wyom.-based Wasatch Railroad Contractors, said his company was hired by Antoni to prepare the locomotive for the move, securing and removing a few items.

Moses Lake-based Duncan Crane Service, Inc., lifted the locomotive onto a low-board truck.

Holm's grandson Steven Rimple said Antoni approached him and his brother, Larry, about the locomotive a while ago.

"Of course, we didn't really want to do anything, but since he's from Pullman and he's a (Washington State University) Cougar, and we're Cougars, we thought it would go real well up there at his depot to finish off his project," Rimple said. "It's just a simple deal. We're really happy it's going to be in Pullman. We look forward to seeing it in the spring."

Antoni said his purchase of the steam engine for $8,500 finishes up a project which began in 1988, when he purchased a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway train depot.

"It was actually a stroke of luck," he said. "The last time trains left the depot was in the early 1960s, and so I approached Burlington Northern to see if they had any possible interest in selling. My prayer was answered when they told me in March 1988 I could buy it."

In the early 1990s, Antoni purchased a caboose from the railroad company, and a Pullman train car.

In addition to being the name of the Washington town, Pullman is a

company named for founder George Pullman, which produces train cars.

In early 2000, Antoni purchased two more Pullman cars.

"So the configuration right now is caboose, three Pullman cars and my dream will be complete in having a complete train with the locomotive being put in place," he said. "The vintage of the Monte Holm locomotive, which is 1920, ties in with the vintage date of what I call the Puffer Belly Depot. That's a name they used to call steam locomotives."

The Pufferbelly Depot is located in downtown Pullman, Antoni said, on Grand Avenue.

"The Pufferbelly Train Depot along with the train cars pretty much identify the town of Pullman as the Space Needle identifies the town of Seattle," he said.

Antoni personally lives in one of the Pullman train cars.

He has always had an interest in trains.

"It made sense to acquire train cars after I purchased this historical train depot," he explained. "I just think it makes a statement about myself, about the town of Pullman. I think coming to the Pufferbelly Depot, seeing the complete train, seeing all of the historical pictures in the lobby of the depot of Pullman and when the trains were in Pullman because it was a major transportation hub for Washington State University."

Antoni had put a posting on the Internet looking for a locomotive, and said he was receiving calls from Russia, Africa and Mexico for steam locomotives.

"It would have been too cost-prohibitive to go ahead and transport it to Pullman," he said. "Already the transportation cost set up just from Moses Lake is about the cost of the locomotive itself."

Antoni said he met Holm, receiving a tour of the museum about five years ago.

"I was just really amazed what such a kind person he was," he said, referring to Holm's trademark gifts of silver dollars and candy. "He was proud of his accomplishments and he was just a very kind person. I was getting Christmas calendars from Monte Holm every year."

Longtime Holm employee Tom Tenaglia was on hand to assist crew members and shared some photos from the 1980s when the locomotive was brought in, also by crane, so crew members could use them for comparison.

"It's kind of a piece of history leaving," Tenaglia said. "It's been there forever, you know. It's been there for a long time. It's kind of sad, but at least it's not going too far."

Tenaglia worked for Holm for 31 years.

Rimple said Antoni will enjoy the locomotive for years, and anticipated seeing it every Saturday during WSU football games.

"There's really no value as far as running, because it's in very poor shape, as far as mechanically," Rimple said. "But for what he's doing, it just would go perfectly. It's a neat deal, it's not a bad deal. It's definitely a good thing. Maybe it will bring some luck to the Cougar football team."

For more information on the Pufferbelly Depot, call Antoni at his Coldwell Banker office at 800-342-7356.