the astoria and columbia river (a&cr) ran from astoria to goble, oregon, where the a&cr met the northern pacific. in 1907 the np purchased the a&cr to be a feeder line for the new spokane portland and seattle railway. to help the new feeder line handle increasing freight traffic, an np switcher was sold to the a&cr on august 7, 1907. the sp&s took over the a&cr and on february 24, 1911, obtained all a&cr locomotives. the former a&cr switch locomotive number 1 became sp&s number 6.