Great Northern 3059

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Follow along with the cosmetic restoration of Great Northern locomotive 3059, a Class O1 Mikado by the Fort Buford 6th Infantry Association in Williston, ND.

10/27/2026

A steam locomotive is a remarkable example of American engineering.

From its massive driving wheels and connecting rods to its boiler and tender, every component tells a story of industrial innovation and craftsmanship.

Great Northern 3059 is more than a piece of machinery. It's a tangible connection to the workers, communities, and industries that shaped our region.

History is worth preserving.

10/24/2026

Before diesel locomotives dominated America's railroads, steam engines were the powerful workhorses of transportation.

Across the northern plains, the Great Northern Railway helped move people, goods, and agricultural products over vast distances.

Locomotive 3059 represents that remarkable era of American transportation.

Our mission is to ensure that its story continues to be told.

10/20/2026

For generations, Great Northern Locomotive No. 3059 has stood as a reminder of Williston's railroad heritage.

Steam locomotives helped connect North Dakota communities to the rest of the nation, transporting passengers, agricultural products, and supplies that helped build the region.

Today, we're working to preserve this important piece of our community's history for future generations.

Help us Restore 3059!
https://www.fortbufordsixthinfantry.org/projects

Restore the Great Northern 3059Preserving a Williston landmark for its 70th anniversary in Railroad Park For nearly 70 years, Great Northern Steam Locomotive No. 3059 has stood as one of Williston’s most recognizable historic landmarks. Now, the Fort Buford 6th Infantry Association is leading an e...

10/10/2026

WE WANT YOUR RAILROAD STORIES!

Did your father or grandfather work for the railroad?

Did your family have connections to the Great Northern?

Do you remember seeing steam locomotives around Williston?

Maybe you remember climbing around 3059 as a kid—or have an old family photograph taken beside her.

We want to hear those stories.

👇 Share your Williston railroad memories in the comments.

If you have historic photographs, we'd love to hear from you as well.

The history of a railroad town isn't just found in books.

It's found in the memories of the people who lived it.

10/05/2026

WHY RESTORE 3059?

Because this project isn't simply about restoring an old locomotive.

It's about preserving part of the story of Williston as a railroad town.

Generations of railroaders worked here. Businesses depended upon the railroad. Freight moved through Williston. Families arrived here by rail. Agricultural products left western North Dakota by rail.

And today, trains continue to be part of Williston's landscape.

3059 gives us something tangible through which we can tell that much larger story.

We're preserving more than steel.

We're preserving a piece of Williston.

10/03/2026

RAILROADS BUILT COMMUNITIES

The railroad didn't simply pass through towns like Williston.

It helped them grow.

Rail connections meant local farmers and businesses could reach distant markets. Supplies could arrive more efficiently. Passengers could travel greater distances. Mail and news moved faster. Railroad jobs supported local families.

Businesses naturally developed around that activity.

The railroad connected Williston to a much larger world—and remnants of that story are still visible today.

One of the largest is sitting in Railroad Park.

Great Northern Locomotive 3059.

Image: "Construction of Northern Pacific Railroad, 1880s," Album / NYPL/Science Source

09/28/2026

KNOW YOUR 3059 | What Does 2-8-2 Mean?

Locomotive 3059 is a 2-8-2 steam locomotive, commonly known as a "Mikado."

Those numbers describe its wheel arrangement:

2️⃣ Leading wheels
8️⃣ Driving wheels
2️⃣ Trailing wheels

Those eight massive driving wheels helped locomotives like 3059 handle the heavy freight that moved across the Great Northern Railway system.

Next time you're at Railroad Park, take a closer look at them.

You're looking at the machinery that helped keep freight moving across the northern plains.

09/26/2026

THE EMPIRE BUILDER | Who Was James J. Hill?

You can't tell the story of the Great Northern Railway, or Locomotive 3059, without telling the story of James J. Hill.

Born in Canada in 1838, Hill began his transportation career as a young shipping clerk in St. Paul. In 1878, Hill and his partners acquired the struggling St. Paul & Pacific Railroad.

From those beginnings emerged one of America's great railroad systems: the Great Northern Railway.

Hill eventually became known as the “Empire Builder” as his railroad expanded westward across the northern United States toward the Pacific.

And along that route was a growing community in western North Dakota:

Williston.

When we preserve Great Northern Locomotive 3059, we're preserving a surviving piece of that much larger story.

Source: James J. Hill House, Minnesota Historical Society

09/21/2026

Williston, North Dakota: A Railroad Town

Long before the Bakken made Williston known across the country, another industry helped put this community on the map:

The railroad.

The arrival and growth of the railroad helped transform Williston into an important transportation and commercial center in western North Dakota.

For generations, the sound of locomotives and activity along the tracks were simply part of everyday life here.

That history is one reason Locomotive 3059 belongs in Williston.

Over the coming months, we'll be telling some of those stories.

What railroad memories does your family have?

Image: "View of Williston, N.D." State Historical Society of North Dakota (00135-012)

Address

1 S Main Street
Williston, ND
58801

Website

https://www.fortbufordsixthinfantry.org/, https://gofund.me/be8fd7ed0

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