Chas-

Brian provided a link to his website in his post that provided a pretty detailed history of the locomotive. You must have missed it.

Briefly, the #602 originally worked for the Bamburger Railroad in Utah. Around 1958 Bamburger sold it to the Yreka Western, where it replaced YW's last two steam locomotives in regular service (though the steamers stayed active for a few years afterwards). In 1977 Kyle Railways (YW parent) purchased a large number of former SP SW-8's, two of which went to the YW. Kyle found it cheaper to send the locomotive from Yreka north to the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern rather than re-wire it with multiple unit capabilities so that it could work with the new locomotives. The unit remained as the mainstay on the OP&E until the railroad closed, and around 1994 Dick Samuels purchased the locomotive in the liquidation sale. The unit worked for the Oregon Pacific until replaced by other power, and the OPR had traded the unit to Western Rail as part of a power swap. See Brian's excellent website for more information.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV