Steam & Excursion > This Locomotive Would Define This Railroad, But Not As She Is!

It was 110 years ago that a proud locomotive crewman of the Southern Pacific Railroad posed in front of that lines newest piece of motive power in the yards at Sacramento, California.  He had reason to be proud of this new and huge steam locomotive as she would be the first of hundreds of such locomotives that the SP would order in the next 34 years. 

We see in this early photo SP #4000 soon after she has arrived from Baldwin.  She is the very first of the MC-1 Class of 2-8-8-2's  that SP would order.  Built in 1909, she originally was a compound cab-in-the-rear engine as we see here.  She and her sister engine #4001 were tested on the grades over Donner Pass and immediately proved themselves to be very capable machines that could pull all the load that had been advertised by Baldwin. 

However, they also created issues that no one had anticipated.  First, the crews found that they were becoming asphyxiated from all the exhaust as the Mallets ran though the miles of tunnels and snow sheds on the line.  Second, the long boilers greatly impaired the crews visibility as they traveled through the many miles of curves on the Donner line.  Something had to be done.

From the trials of #4000 and #4001, was born the concept of putting the cab in the front of the locomotive to both increase the visibility for the crew but also to put the crew ahead of the locomotive's exhaust that was threatening to kill them.  The concept worked and soon Baldwin was delivering locomotives of the MC-2 Class that proved to be very successful.

In later years, #4000 and #4001 would be converted to Cab-aheads as well and they would be the first engines of the new AC-1 Class for SP.  These would also be converted to simple articulateds as that was found to be the most effective for all the SP cab-forward fleet.

All in all, we see shy this crewman was so proud to pose with this locomotive back in 1910.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/20 02:29 by LoggerHogger.

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Your photo library is amazing Martin. When I think I've seen all the photos of SP4000-4001 as tradional coumpound locomtoivrs, you surprise me with a new view. Thank you.  - Tony J.