Santa Fe 2926

Last updated

Santa Fe 2926
ATSF 2926 (2024).jpg
Santa Fe 2926 at the Albuquerque Rail Yards on June 26th, 2024
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number69814
Build dateMay 1944
Rebuild date1999–2021
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 4-8-4
 •  UIC 2′D2′ h2
Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia. 42 in (1,067 mm)
Driver dia.80 in (2,032 mm)
Trailing dia. 50 in (1,270 mm)
Length120 ft 10 in (36.83 m)
Height16 ft 0 in (4.88 m)
Axle load 77,500 lb (35,200 kg)
Adhesive weight 293,860 lb (133,290 kg)
Loco weight510,150 lb (231,400 kg)
Tender weight464,700 lb (210,800 kg)
Total weight974,850 lb (442,180 kg)
Fuel type Oil
Fuel capacity7,000 US gal (26,000 L; 5,800 imp gal)
Water cap.24,500 US gal (93,000 L; 20,400 imp gal)
Fuel consumption6,000 US gal (23,000 L; 5,000 imp gal) of water an hour
Firebox:​
 • Grate area108 sq ft (10.0 m2)
Boiler102 in (2,591 mm)
Boiler pressure300 psi (2.1 MPa)
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 28 in × 32 in (711 mm × 813 mm)
Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures
Maximum speed120 mph (190 km/h)
Power output4,590 hp (3,420 kW) at 40 mph (64 km/h)
Tractive effort 66,000 lbf (293.58 kN)
Factor of adh. 4.45
Career
Operators Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
New Mexico Heritage Rail
Class 2900
Number in class27th of 30
Numbers
  • ATSF 2926
Locale Southwestern United States
RetiredDecember 24, 1953
PreservedJuly 1956
RestoredJuly 24, 2021
Current ownerNew Mexico Heritage Rail
DispositionOperational
References: [1]
ATSF Locomotive No. 2926
USA New Mexico location map.svg
Red pog.svg
ATSF
2926
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
ATSF
2926
Location1833 8th St NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Coordinates 35°6′11.8″N106°39′17.7″W / 35.103278°N 106.654917°W / 35.103278; -106.654917
Arealess than one acre
Built1944
ArchitectBaldwin Locomotive Works
NRHP reference No. 07000388 [2]
NMSRCP No.366
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 1, 2007
Designated NMSRCPFebruary 28, 1975 [3]

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 2926 is a class "2900" 4-8-4 type steam locomotive built in May 1944 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). It was used to pull passenger and fast freight trains, mostly throughout New Mexico, until it was retired from revenue service in 1953. Three years later, it was donated to Coronado Park in Albuquerque for static display.

Contents

In 1999, it was purchased by the New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society to be rebuilt for operational purposes. After over twenty years of restoration work, No. 2926 moved under its own power on July 24, 2021, becoming the world's heaviest operational 4-8-4 and the sole operating class 2900 locomotive among the remaining six in existence. It will eventually be used for mainline excursion service between Albuquerque and Las Vegas, New Mexico.

History

Revenue service

No. 2926 was among the last group of steam passenger locomotives built in 1944 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania for the Santa Fe Railway. [4] [5] This class of locomotives comprised the heaviest 4-8-4's built in the United States, [6] and among the largest. The railroad used the locomotive in both fast freight and passenger service, and it accumulated over one million miles of usage before its last revenue run on December 24, 1953. Equipped with the latest Timken roller-bearing tandem side-rods between 1946-1948, it was then approved for 110-mph speeds with the Santa Fe's crack passenger trains: up from 100-mph when delivered with its original side-rods.

Preservation

Santa Fe No. 2926 on display at Coronado Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico SF2926.jpg
Santa Fe No. 2926 on display at Coronado Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico

The locomotive and a caboose were donated to the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico in July 1956 to recognize the city's 250th anniversary, and placed in Coronado Park. [7] [8] The city displayed the locomotive as a static exhibit in the park until it was sold for $1.00 to the New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society (NMSL & RHS, later renamed to New Mexico Heritage Rail) on July 26, 1999. On June 23, 2000, the locomotive was moved by Messer Construction Company to a BNSF Railway rail siding just south of Menaul Boulevard. The locomotive has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since October 1, 2007.

Restoration

No. 2926 during the beginning of its restoration process on November 19, 2008 Locomotive 2926 Restoration.jpg
No. 2926 during the beginning of its restoration process on November 19, 2008

In May 2002 the locomotive was moved by the railroad to its current location near the intersection of 8th Street and Haines Avenue, where it underwent a complete restoration to operating condition by the Society. When the restoration was completed in July 2021, No. 2926 became the largest operating 4-8-4 steam locomotive in the United States.

On February 11, 2016, House Memorial Bill 100, introduced by Don L. Tripp and adopted by the New Mexico Legislature, recognized the Santa Fe No. 2926 steam locomotive as "New Mexico's steam locomotive and a representative of the railroads' contributions to the economic and cultural growth and stature of New Mexico". [9]

In January 2018, it was reported that the restoration was nearing completion, and that the locomotive could be operational by the end of the year. As of that date, NMSL&RHS members had put in 166,000 hours of volunteer labor and spent over $2.8 million on the project. [10]

On August 20, 2018, the boiler of ATSF No. 2926 was fired up for the first time in sixty-five years. [11] The locomotive was scheduled for a test run on March 20, 2020, when it would move under its own power for the first time since 1953. However, that event and most other restoration efforts were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico. [12]

On July 24, 2021, the No. 2926 locomotive moved under its own power for the first time in sixty-eight years. [13]

Excursion service

On May 6, 2023, No. 2926 visited a nearby brewing company for a fundraiser, a distance of about four blocks. The same visit happened two more times, on August 26, 2023. [14] , and May 4, 2024.

On September 30, 2023, No. 2926 returned to the mainline on a 2.5-mile excursion to the Albuquerque Rail Yards to attend the New Mexico Railroad Days event. [15]

Surviving sister engines

Historic designations

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-8-4</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and four trailing wheels on two axles. The type was first used by the Northern Pacific Railway, and initially named the Northern Pacific, but railfans and railroad employees have shortened the name since its introduction. It is most-commonly known as a Northern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway</span> Former railroad company in the United States

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Railroad Museum</span> Railroad museum in Sacramento, California

The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the California State Parks system that interprets the role of railroads in the Western U.S.. It is located in Old Sacramento State Historic Park at 111 I Street, Sacramento, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Canyon Railway</span> Historic railway to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona

The Grand Canyon Railway is a heritage railroad which carries passengers between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 3751</span> Preserved American Santa Fe 3751 class 4-8-4 locomotive

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 3751 is a class "3751" 4-8-4 "Heavy Mountain" type steam locomotive built in May 1927 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). No. 3751 was the first 4-8-4 steam locomotive built for the Santa Fe and was referenced in documentation as type: "Heavy Mountain", "New Mountain", or "Mountain 4-wheel trailer". No. 3751 served in passenger duties until being retired in 1953.

The FM H-12-44TS was a light road switcher version of the Fairbanks-Morse H-12-44 yard switcher locomotive. Only three of the 1,200-horsepower (890 kW), six-cylinder opposed piston engine locomotives were manufactured especially for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in May, 1956. The units had an extended frame to accommodate the addition of a short hood behind the cab, and were configured in a B-B wheel arrangement and mounted atop a pair of two-axle AAR Type-A switcher trucks with all axles powered. H-12-44TSs also came equipped with steam generator units as they were acquired solely for shuttling passenger cars in and around the Dearborn Station terminal in Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway</span> Former railway in Arizona

The Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) was a common carrier railroad that later became an operating subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in Arizona. At Ash Fork, Arizona, the SFP&P connected with Santa Fe's operating subsidiary, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad mainline, that ran from California to Chicago. The SFP&P's 195-mile (314 km) line extended the Santa Fe Railway south into Phoenix. The SFP&P extended another 100 miles (160 km) to the east from Phoenix to Florence and Winkelman via the Phoenix and Eastern Railroad. The SFP&P also served several mines in the Prescott area, including the Derby Mine by way of the Summit (flag) Station at 'Prieta' in the Sierra Prieta range, through its various subsidiary railroads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 1010</span> Preserved Santa Fe class 1000 2-6-2 locomotive

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway No. 1010 is a 2-6-2 type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1901 for Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It started out as a Vauclain compound locomotive before it was rebuilt into a conventional locomotive in the 1910s. It was primarily used for various passenger trains across the Southwestern United States, including the record breaking 1905 Scott Special on the segment between Needles, California, and Seligman, Arizona, before it was reassigned to freight service in the 1940s. It was retired in 1955 and was kept by the Santa Fe for several years for preservation purposes. In 1979, Santa Fe donated No. 1010 to the California State Railroad Museum, where the locomotive resides there in Sacramento as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 5000</span> Preserved American 2-10-4 steam locomotive

Santa Fe No. 5000 is a 2-10-4 "Texas" type steam locomotive constructed by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. No. 5000 was immediately nicknamed the "Madame Queen" and remained a unique member of its own class. It was donated to the City of Amarillo, Texas in 1957. As of 2023, Santa Fe 5000 is maintained by the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society. Santa Fe 5000 is on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot</span> Railway station in San Bernardino, California

The San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot is a Mission Revival Style passenger rail terminal in San Bernardino, California, United States. It has been the primary station for the city, serving Amtrak today, and the Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroads in the past. Until the mid-20th century, the Southern Pacific Railroad had a station 3/4 of a mile away. It currently serves one Amtrak and two Metrolink lines. The depot is a historical landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 2913</span>

Santa Fe 2913 is a 4-8-4 locomotive, part of the Santa Fe Class 2900. It was built in 1943 and pulled freight and passenger trains until its retirement in 1959 and is now on display in a park in Fort Madison, Iowa, having been donated to the town upon retirement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Plains Transportation Museum</span> Railroad Museum in Wichita, KS USA

The Great Plains Transportation Museum is a railroad museum in Wichita, Kansas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 3759</span> Preserved American Santa Fe 3751 class 4-8-4 locomotive

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 3759 is a class 3751 4-8-4 "Heavy Mountain" type steam railway locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1928. It is on display in Locomotive Park, located between Andy Devine Avenue and Beale Street in Kingman, Arizona. The park was established in August 1957 with AT&SF 3759 donated to the City of Kingman in recognition of Kingman's history with the railroad. The locomotive is termed a Mountain type on the nearby information plaque, and also in the city's descriptive material which is correct for the Santa Fe. ATSF 4-8-4s were referenced in documentation as type "Heavy Mountain", "New Mountain" or "Mountain 4-wheel trailer."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 5</span> Preserved American 0-4-0 locomotive

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe No. 5 Little Buttercup is an 0-4-0 steam locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 3415</span> Preserved American Santa Fe 3400 class 4-6-2 locomotive

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 3415 is a preserved class "3400" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in June 1919 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Retired in 1954, it sat in Eisenhower Park in Abilene, Kansas, until 1996. At that point, it was put on display in the Abilene and Smoky Valley yard. Restoration began in 2005 and was completed in early 2009. The engine was taken out of service in October 2023, undergoing its federally mandated 15-year overhaul. Restoration began in April 2024, and is expected to take a minimum of 18 months. The engine is the only operating steam locomotive in Kansas and is one of four Santa Fe steam engines still operating can the U.S. In April 2024, the iconic locomotive was designated as the Kansas steam locomotive by an act of the Kansas Legislature, effectively making it a state symbol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern California Railway Museum</span> Railroad museum in Perris, California

The Southern California Railway Museum, formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum, is a railroad museum in Perris, California, United States. It was founded in 1956 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles before moving to the former Pinacate Station as the "Orange Empire Trolley Museum" in 1958. It was renamed "Orange Empire Railway Museum" in 1975 after merging with a museum then known as the California Southern Railroad Museum, and adopted its current name in 2019. The museum also operates a heritage railroad on the museum grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Class 2900</span> Santa Fe 2900 Class

The Santa Fe 2900 Class was a series of 30 4-8-4 type steam locomotives built between 1943 and 1944 for Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and pulled freight and passenger trains until retirement in the early to late-1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 769</span> Preserved Santa Fe 769 class 2-8-0 locomotive

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe No. 769 is a preserved 769 class 2-8-0 "consolidation" type steam locomotive originally built by the Richmond Locomotive Works in 1900 as one of the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad's final locomotives. It was originally numbered 266 before the SFP had completely merged into its parent company, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and the locomotive was renumbered 3045, and it was eventually renumbered again to 769. The locomotive was put into use for short-distance freight trains and for yard switching before being sold again in 1950 to the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company in Madrid, New Mexico for more yard switching and short distance coal trains. As the 1950s progressed, however, the company shut down due to bankruptcy, and No. 769 was abandoned along with the rest of the locomotive yard and the rest of Madrid. In the late 1970s the town was recovered and converted into a heritage town, and No. 769 was then put on static display just behind the shed it was stored in, which was converted to the Engine House Theatre. In early 2020, No. 769 was selected for a future project to restore it to operating condition to eventually run on reconstructed trackage between Madrid and a nearby BNSF interchange near Los Cerrillos.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe No. 1316 is a preserved 1309 class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1911 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was frequently used for pulling fast passenger trains in Texas, until it was reassigned to freight service in the late 1940s. After being retired in 1954, it was donated to the Fort Concho Museum in San Angelo, Texas for static display. In 1980, No. 1316 was acquired by the Texas State Railroad, who moved it to Rusk, Texas and restored it in 1982 as their No. 500. It continued to operate there until 2002, when it was found to be due for an overhaul, and it spent several years in storage, disassembled. As of 2024, No. 1316 has been put back together during a cosmetic restoration and it is awaiting the necessary overhaul required to operate it again.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.2926.us/
  2. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. ↑ "New Mexico State and National Registers". New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  4. ↑ Worley, E.D. Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail. Southwest Railroad Historical Society. 1965.
  5. ↑ "Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4-8-4 "Northern" Locomotives in the USA". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  6. ↑ Stagner, Lloyd E. Santa Fe Steam: The Last Decade. South Platte Press. 1995.
  7. ↑ Holmes, Abercrombie (July 9, 1956). "Christening Marks Railway Milestone". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved January 12, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Locomotive Dedicated At Park". Albuquerque Journal. November 1, 1956. Retrieved January 12, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "House Memorial 100: Santa Fe 2926 Steam Locomotive". New Mexico Legislature. 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ Reed Jr., Ollie (January 20, 2018). "Locomotive restorers hope to steam ahead". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  11. ↑ Reed Jr., Ollie (August 22, 2018). "Boilers fired up in old Santa Fe 2926". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  12. ↑ "AT&SF 2926 News" (PDF). New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society. 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Fully-restored steam-powered locomotive up and running". KRQE . July 25, 2021. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 2926 to steam up next month". Trains. April 18, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Santa Fe No. 2926 to headline Albuquerque's New Mexico Railroad Days". Trains.com. September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.