Steam & Excursion > Impressive SP Steam Power Sent To Scrap Too Early!

The date is November 1951 and famed Railfan Guy L. Dunscomb can not believe his eyes when he visits the Southern Pacific Yards in San Francisco with his 616 camera. While he expected to find older small engines from the mainlines that served California in the scrap yard of SP, he was stopped dead in his tracks when he saw this.

Sitting there at the front of the scrap line was SP #4390. She had already lost her tender and other appliances by the time Guy snapped this photo. She was the first of the 4300 SP locomotives to go to scrap and the first big and modern steam engine selected by SP for scrapping. Prior to this those engine that were scrapped were the smaller and older engines.

SP #4300 was built in 1925 by ALCO as a coal burner for the EP&SW as their #412. Later she was converted to oil and renumbered to SP #4390.

It was only one year earlier that Guy had photographed #4390 in service at Roseville, California. At the time Guy took this photo he realized that if such large and modern steam power as #4390 was deemed obsolete by SP then the rest of the SP steam fleet was surely doomed.


Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/14 03:59 by LoggerHogger.

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Did they remove the the tires from the second and third drive wheels?

Taylor

Posted from iPhone

Looks like that is what they did remove the tires. Actually 25 years of service is not bad considering everything due to the war years. How many do they get out of diesels these days before they are traded off or scrapped?

Good spot on the tires Taylor. I missed that. It looks like she may have been in the shop for new tires when SP decided she was not worth the effort and decided to scrap her instead.

Martin

Sure doesn't look anything like it did on the EP&SW.

BAB Wrote:
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> Looks like that is what they did remove the tires.
> Actually 25 years of service is not bad
> considering everything due to the war years. How
> many do they get out of diesels these days before
> they are traded off or scrapped?


Take the SD40-2 diesel model for example, which debuted in 1972. Lots of THEM still out there running around after being overhauled/re-manufactured maybe 5 or 6 times.

I never was fond of these engines, but the SP's 4300s were outstanding and it's a shame none of them survived.

Are the 2nd and 3rd drivers reversed. Something doesn't look right to me. Besides the tires missing.

Yes the 2nd and 3rd drivers are reversed. They clearly stopped the tire change project and just threw her together to get her to the scrap line.

Martin

LoggerHogger Wrote:
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> Yes the 2nd and 3rd drivers are reversed. They
> clearly stopped the tire change project and just
> threw her together to get her to the scrap line.
>
> Martin

They may have found more damage then the bean counters were willing to pay for.

Is that a WP 4-6-0 also on the scrap line?

Yes, Tony. That is WP #26.

Martin

Those EPSW 4300's were rough riders, but they could also pull...These were some of the first big steam power to be scrapped...One day in Martinez, a SP Eb blasted thru with a 4-10-2 and a SPSW 4300 doubeheaded, its not a good shot but what a great team of. power....

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BAB Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Looks like that is what they did remove the
> tires.
> > Actually 25 years of service is not bad
> > considering everything due to the war years.
> How
> > many do they get out of diesels these days
> before
> > they are traded off or scrapped?
>
>
> Take the SD40-2 diesel model for example, which
> debuted in 1972. Lots of THEM still out there
> running around after being
> overhauled/re-manufactured maybe 5 or 6 times.

Ok was wondering about that as then most have moved on to other railroads THEN.

BAB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BAB Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Looks like that is what they did remove the
> > tires.
> > > Actually 25 years of service is not bad
> > > considering everything due to the war years.
> > How
> > > many do they get out of diesels these days
> > before
> > > they are traded off or scrapped?
> >
> >
> > Take the SD40-2 diesel model for example, which
> > debuted in 1972. Lots of THEM still out there
> > running around after being
> > overhauled/re-manufactured maybe 5 or 6 times.
>
> Ok was wondering about that as then most have
> moved on to other railroads THEN.

Are you saying that UP, BNSF, CSX, NS, CPR, and CN no longer have/use any SD40-2 units?

The EP&SW Mountains were the favorite locomotives of Guy. The 4390 was by far his favorite which was evidenced by his personal CA license plate on his car. The vanity plate was clearly labeled X4390W which was a train order notation for Extra #4390 West. Years ago, the train direction was included in the train order address to assure the direction of travel. In later years, the direction suffix was deleted. I should have taken a photo of that license plate but never did.

The #4390 was a favorite of one of the divisions in Texas or New Mexico and was kicked up in detail more than most including some raised lettering and numerals.

I am sure Guy was saddened to see his favorite locomotive in the scrap line never to run again.


Cheers,
Jack

Jack,

Guy made several notes on the negative sleeve for the scrap photo of #4390 that indicated his dismay on her scrapping.

Guy had one Brass model in his collection when he passed. You guessed it, she was SP #4390. Needless to say I have that on display with his photo collection.

Martin

LoggerHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Guy had one Brass model in his collection when he
> passed. You guessed it, she was SP #4390.
> Needless to say I have that on display with his
> photo collection.
>
> Martin

Well played Sir!

Cheers,
Jack

I thought the blind middle drivers were so it could go around 27" curves!

Mark (Lionel child)

LoggerHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jack,
>
> Guy made several notes on the negative sleeve for
> the scrap photo of #4390 that indicated his dismay
> on her scrapping.
>
> Guy had one Brass model in his collection when he
> passed. You guessed it, she was SP #4390.
> Needless to say I have that on display with his
> photo collection.
>
> Martin


I look forward to your postings and read them all with great interest. I hate to get greedy but after hearing about the photographers specific love for this particular steam engine that looks good despite having seen much better days... might you be able to share a photo of #4390 that shows her in her glory days?

Q