Steam & Excursion > Train Time at San Bernardino

   These three shots are from the Nolan Black collection, and were taken near the Santa Fe passenger depot at San Bernardino, California.

1.  4-8-2 3722 is about to couple into what looks like a railfan special, while another train prepares for the climb up Cajon Pass  May 4, 1941.

2.  This trim looking 4-4-2 Atlantic was the regular engine on #42 and #43, the local passenger train that ran from Los Angeles to San Bernardino and back.  She bore the nickname "Seabiscuit," the fsamous race horse, because of her rapid acceleration away from a station. 1940.

3.  Steam fans can argue far into the night as to what the finest 4-8-4 design was, but these last series Santa Fe 4-8-4's would be near the top of anyone's list.  Notice the roller bearing rods.  Here we see 3780 with an eastbound railfan special  March 7, 1948.

   Thanks for looking, and as always, comments welcome.

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO

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Very nice!

Tom

tehachcond wrote:

>    These three shots ... were taken near the Santa Fe passenger depot at San Bernardino, California.

> 1.  4-8-2 3722 is about to couple into what looks like a railfan special ... May 4, 1941.

Correct. This was the Railroad Boosters' "Second Kite Route" excursion on the Santa Fe's Redlands branch (their first Kite Route excursion was in 1938. The Railroad Boosters was renamed the Pacific Railroad Society in 1949).

Posted from iPhone



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/20 13:35 by johnsweetser.

Wonderful photos and wonderful locomotives.  Thank you for posting!

That Santa Fe 4-4-0 would challenge some of SP's 4-4-0s in a "Ugly Locomotive" contest. Thanks for the photos. - Tony J.

TonyJ Wrote:
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> That Santa Fe 4-4-0 would challenge some of SP's
> 4-4-0s in a "Ugly Locomotive" contest. Thanks for
> the photos. - Tony J.

Except,,,,,,,,,,,that Santa Fe locomotive is a 4-4-2.

That Atlantic looks like somebody dropped the front drivers out of a 4-6-2.  Sure looks unbalanced, but more of the weight is on the drivers like this.  Thanks for sharing these.

johnsweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tehachcond wrote:
>
> >    These three shots ... were taken near the
> Santa Fe passenger depot at San Bernardino,
> California.
>
> > 1.  4-8-2 3722 is about to couple into what
> looks like a railfan special ... May 4, 1941.
>
> Correct. This was the Railroad Boosters' "Second
> Kite Route" excursion on the Santa Fe's Redlands
> branch (their first Kite Route excursion was in
> 1938. The Railroad Boosters was renamed the
> Pacific Railroad Society in 1949).
>
> Posted from iPhone

   Thanks for the clarification John.  I thought it might be a Railroad Boosters trip since Dad was one of the founders of the organization.  I've been a member of Pacific Railroad Society for many years, and currently hold Seniority number 16 on the PRS roster.

Brian

The 3780 would go on to be the last Santa Fe steam locomotive to operate in revenue service, as a helper out of Belen, NM on August 27, 1957.
The 1468 may look a bit gap-toothed, but it was far from the least-attractive Santa Fe 4-4-2.  Most of Chico's Atlantics were built as 4-cylinder balanced compounds, and some arguably looked better that way than after simpling (for those lucky enough to be simpled at all).  Here is sister 1460 as a compound:

https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/57246

But then there was the 1480-class, the so-called "Bull Moose" Atlantics, which _Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail_ charitably described as "among the homeliest Atlantics ever to be put over the turntable by an American railroad."

http://rr-fallenflags.org/atsf/atsf-s1485ggC.jpg
https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/57222

Upon rebuilding with just two cylinders, the Bull Mooses actually looked reasonably respectable, with the drivers somewhat further forward compared to the simpled 1468:

https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/58733
https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/58632

In any event, except for a few stragglers like 1468, Santa Fe was out of the Atlantic business fairly early.  Many were cut up as compounds in the late 1920's with less than a quarter century of service to their credit.  Most of the rest were gone by WWII, and only 10 were still on the roster in 1950.

Being that # 1468 seems to be very well cared for,  and the fact it was the engine used for the LA to San Bernardino  run, it probably had the same crew everyday, and they consider her..."their engine"
Hence, it was kept clean and shinny,  like the crews did back in the 1800's

Yes, for hogger Charlie  Ochio  (spelling?),  it was his locomotive and his train.