Equipment: The 2-8-0s

The Copper River & Northwestern had four 2-8-0s, built by the Rhode Island Locomotive Works in 1907, numbered 20-23. There aren't many good photos of these locos, and a post-World War II photo of 23 suggests the story isn't as simple as it may seem at first glance.

Here is a photo of 20, soon after arrival:

Here's the other side of 20, also when new. I'm wondering if this train was put together for the camera.

The locos burned coal when new. Here is an unidentified member of the class at mile 49 on a photo special, probably in 1914 as part of the Alaska Engineering Commission visit. It is still a coal burner:

Notice that 20 and the unidentified loco clearly have slide valves, a common feature for the era. Here is an enlargement of a cropped view of a panorama photo of the first ore train to leave Kennicott. It looks like both locos are 2-8-0s, and both have slide valves:

They are both still coal burners. They have bunting on the tenders to commemorate the first train.

But now we have a problem, or actually, a couple of problems. Number 23, the last of the class, according to the Alaska Rails site remained in Cordova after abandonment, was used there by the Army during the war, and was then taken to Seward to serve briefly with the Army there. Here's the photo from that page:

In addition to a plow, which the CR&NW may have added, loco 23 also has piston valves. Why the difference in a small class? Here is an unidentified 2-8-0 on a late-period passenger train, also with piston valves:

This photo also shows, in addition to an electric headlight, a modernized boiler-tube pilot.

The writeup on the Alaska Rails site also strongly suggests that the disposition information on this and many other CR&NW locos is fantasy. We know, from the example of the White Pass & Yukon, that there was no market for scrap metal in Alaska, and unused locomotives simply sat where they'd been last used for many years. Exactly what happened to the other 2-8-0s (and most other CR&NW locos, for that matter) is a mystery.

Here is a diagram of 23 as it was in Seward:

If anyone can provide information on why 23 had piston valves and the disposition of the rest of the class, it will be greatly appreciated.