Steam & Excursion > The Whole Town Turned Out To See The World's Largest Locomotive!

Back in 1911 when this photo was taken, the industrial revolution sometimes was most evident when it actually rolled into a town for all to see and appreciate.

Dubbed "The World's Largest Locomotive" on the banner adorning it's tender AT&SF #3009 must have been quite a thrill to see as it rolled across the Country from the Baldwin builder's plant to it's delivery point for it's new owner.

#3009 was one of ten 2-10-10-2's specially built for the 3% grades on the eastbound AT&SF line over Cajon Pass in California.  Since 1903 AT&SF had to use tandem 2-10-2's to haul their freight trains between San Bernadino and the summit of Cajon.  #3009  and her sisters were designed to handle these trains on their own.  Unfortunately, even though they boasted the required tractive effort to do the job, their boilers could not generate enough steam to be successful.  Bu 1918 they all were converted to 2-10-2's and the Santa Fe was back where it had started.

Who wouldn't want to jump on their bicycle and head down to the rail yards to see this monster when it arrived in town?

Martin



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/16 05:23 by LoggerHogger.

---

Great Photo. These locos were assembled in Santa Fe's Topeka Shops from existing 2-10-2's and low pressure units supplied by Baldwin. The low pressure units were supposedly shipped west pinned back to back. After failing to perform they were split into two 2-10-2's per loco, unlike their other articulateds which they disposed of the low pressure section. Iron Horses of the Santa Fe is and excellent reference for these locos.

What do you suppose compells people to climb all over steam locomotives?
JB

Right now a 1472 day inspection causes me to climb all over a steam locomotive!

Copy19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What do you suppose compells people to climb all
> over steam locomotives?
> JB

​The same thing that inspires people to take a 3 week vacation and come home with 487 cell-phone "selfies"!    8<(

Grumpy old Bob ouit in Lost Wages

Copy19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What do you suppose compells people to climb all
> over steam locomotives?
> JB

Funny. They still do it today.

And some people dont get it and choose to just not take a close look. Nothing funny about it just your view of how people inspect things.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Copy19 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What do you suppose compells people to climb
> all
> > over steam locomotives?
> > JB
>
> Funny. They still do it today.

Copy19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What do you suppose compells people to climb all
> over steam locomotives?
> JB
Well, they're up there trying to take the bell & whistle off of course.

Wondering where this one was taken,? I've seen photos of this demo train in Topeka, Strong City, KS Newton, KS and Winfield, KS.

I like the group on the tender....Look Ma! no hands!!  :)

It's a wonder that the thing made it across the country, the stories on Cajon are pretty interesting
ie quite a few stops to make it to the top.

Out

I've always found it interesting how AT&SF soured on the articulated concept so completely.
It's too bad they did. Santa Fe would have been a natural for a well designed fast challenger type.

 

Full broadside of the demonstration train:

http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/212833/page/1

m420 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've always found it interesting how AT&SF soured
> on the articulated concept so completely.
> It's too bad they did. Santa Fe would have been a
> natural for a well designed fast challenger type.
>
>  The men responsible for turning "thumbs down" on further orders of articulated locomotives for Santa Fe have long since gone to the great meeting room in the sky, but it would have been interesting to hear some of the discussion.  "Look what SP and Union Pacific are buying...."

Copy19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What do you suppose compells people to climb all
> over steam locomotives?
> JB
Hi John--
In one of the STEAM videos that Evan Werkema and I helped produce for Greg Scholl, there is a shot of double-headed Shays.  On the Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad  the railfans stood on TOP of the tenders on the way back to Camino.  Bet that was exciting !
Photo courtesy of Martin Hansen.

KRK

---

I'm pretty sure that Santa Fe's 2-10-4 engines could do just about anything a challenger could do, and with fewer maintenance pieces. The only downside would be a longer rigid wheelbase.

Posted from iPhone