No. 45 was built in October 1924 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the Owen-Oregon Lumber Company, (Brownlee-Olds Lumber Co., later the Medford Corporation) where it hauled lumber until its retirement in 1964, when Medford Corporation sold it to the California Western Railroad (CWR).[3][2][4] It was restored to running condition and made its first inaugural run for the railroad on July 10, 1965.[2]
The locomotive was originally built to burned bunker C fuel oil, it was later converted to burn recycled motor oil.[4]
Between 1965 and 1980, No. 45, along with stablemate No. 46, (a 2-6-6-2 Mallet), pulled the railroad's Fort Bragg - Willits summer steam excursion train, the "Super Skunk".[1][2] The California Western discontinued steam service in 1981.[1][2] In 1984, No. 46 was donated to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum (PSRM), as a result of high maintenance costs, and the opinion that the locomotive was too light on its feet.[2] (No. 46 was a saddle-tank locomotive, before California Western added a tender and removed the aforementioned tank.)
In 1983, after two-year operational hiatus, the locomotive briefly returned to service, and was renumbered No. 44 for a role in Racing with the Moon.[1][2] The locomotive retained this number for several months.[1]
The Mendocino Railway, a subsidiary of Sierra Northern, purchased the railroad on December 17, 2003, after the California Western filed for bankruptcy.[5][2]
In 2001, the locomotive was removed from service for an overhaul. The locomotive returned to service in May 2004, and operated regular "Skunk Train" service to Northspur Wednesday through Saturday, May through October.[6]
