Steam & Excursion > Some US Steam Locomotives Survived By Going South Of The Border!

While the 1950's saw the end of most steam powered locomotives in this country and once retired nearly all of those engines were scrapped, a fortunate few fled south of the border and lived on.  Here is one such locomotive.

Built by Baldwin in June, 1920 as #21 for the California Western RR out of Ft. Bragg, California this trim 2-6-2 was one of a trio of Prairies of this design that were ordered by the C-W.  In 1950, #21 was deemed surplus and was sold to locomotive dealer in Dallas, Texas who resold her to the Mexicano del Pacifico RR as their #6.

While she has been given a new paint job and new numbering and lettering, she still sports the round enamel emblem of the California Western RR on her Vanderbilt tender.  In this configuration she operated well into the 1960's and is still in existence in Mexico today.

The other 2 Prairies ordered by the C-W were cut up in the early 1950's.  In the case of #21, her trip south of the border saved her life. 

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/20 04:39 by LoggerHogger.

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"Lived on" to when?  Is there any steam locomotive in Mexico that ever obtains boiler pressure to pop a safety?  How far south is the next operable steam engine?  Panagonia?

NdeM bought several 2-10-2's from the Texas & Pacific.  Saw one crossing the highway in the middle of the desert north of Monterrey in 1953.

The question now that I have yet to see answered is where is this locomotive today? A thread on the RYPN board back in April 2018 included one post stating “ Last I saw of #6, she appeared to be in the Chepe shop in Los Mochis, headed North, coupled up behind a Ferromex GP-38”. But Google Earth imagery seems to show it and the other Mexican Pacific locomotives in the sugar mill until the last half of 2019, at which time they all vanished. We’ve discussed here that the former LP&N 2-6-2 is displayed on a street divider across town and 4-6-0 #2 appears to still be in the sugar mill, both sans tenders. The 2-8-2 #4 and the #6 profiled here simply vanished from the sugar mill sometime between August and December last year.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

And how about the Shay in Zacatecas that a guy was using to switch his lumber yard in the 80s?

Out 

Martin, what am I looking at with the third driver?  A fender?  Surely the firebox is not shaped around that driver?  Interesting configuration.

nycman Wrote:
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> Martin, what am I looking at with the third
> driver?  A fender?  Surely the firebox is not
> shaped around that driver?  Interesting
> configuration.

Jim,

Yes, that is a fender.  It keeps water and dirt from being kicked up onto the firebox and power reverse above the rear driver.

Martin

John Luther Jones's beloved Illinois Central 2-8-0 #638 (before he transferred to passenger service and got himeself killed) headed south when she was no longer wanted.  There is at least one photo of #638 in Mexico with a large "ICRR" on the tender.  It would seem that they were quite aware of the locomotive's claim to fame.  Too bad it was eventually scrapped.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Not trying to turn this into a trailing truck discussion, but what kind is that?  You can see a reinforced bracket for an equalizing arm pivot mounted on the frame just behind the rear driver.  The arm passing through the bracket appears to be curved, like possibly a leaf spring doing double duty.