It was the last steam locomotive to be removed from service on the railroad before it was sold to a scrap dealer in Everett, Washington and then to Monte Holm, who operated it a few times and displayed it in his House of Poverty Museum.
557 as a Maintenance-of-Way (MOW) locomotive, hauling work trains to repair rails and track beds throughout the railroad's system.
[2] The locomotive was kept in the Alaska Railroad’s roster, primarily so it would be reassigned to pull trains and switch rolling stock throughout Nenana while resisting the high-water conditions in the town.
[2] The Tanana and Nenana Rivers regularly flooded the town and the rail yard, and the traction motors of the railroad’s diesel locomotives of the time were not water-resistant.
[3] Less than two years later, the locomotive was cleaned and repaired to be used to pull occasional fan trips for special events, such as a National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) excursion runs between Whittier and Anchorage, and the annual state fair trains in Palmer.
557 locomotive was sold to Monte Holm, a scrap dealer who owned the Michaelson Steel and Supply Company in Everett, Washington.
557 for preservation, and he moved it to his newly-founded House of Poverty Museum in Moses Lake, Washington for static display purposes.
[6] On May 4, 2006, Holm had passed away at the age of 89, and his grandsons, Steven and Larry Rimple, subsequently assumed ownership of his museum relics, including No.
[8] The Alaska Railroad formed a non-profit organization called the Engine 557 Restoration Company, which would be dedicated to rebuilding the locomotive with volunteer labor while raising funds.
557 is still underway; boiler work has been completed and a formal hydrostatic test has been performed under the oversight of a Federal Railroad Administration inspector, a U.S. Army tender was acquired from the nearby Museum of Alaska Transportation for use behind No.
[10] The Engine 557 Restoration Company acquired the locomotive in August, 2012 from the Alaska Railroad Corporation for "One Dollar ($1.00) and other good and valuable considerations."