The 0-4-0 was the first steam locomotive to be built on the U.S. Pacific Coast, in 1861, and the first to be used in the Oregon Territory. The locomotive, a geared steam 5' gauge locomotive with 9" x 18" (229 x 457 mm) cylinders and 34" (864 mm) drivers, was used in the early 1860s to portage steamboat passengers and goods past the Cascades Rapids, a dangerous stretch of the Columbia River now drowned by the Bonneville Dam. Steamboats provided transportation on the Columbia between Portland, Oregon and mining areas in Idaho and the Columbia Plateau. Portage was also necessary at other navigation obstructions, including Celilo Falls.
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