The Southern Pacific was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific Company and Southern Pacific Transportation Company.
A 2-8-8-2, in the Whyte notation for describing steam locomotive wheel arrangements, is an articulated locomotive with a two-wheel leading truck, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a two-wheel trailing truck. The equivalent UIC classification is, refined to Mallet locomotives, (1'D)D1'. These locomotives usually employ the Mallet principles of articulation—with the rear engine rigidly attached to the boiler and the front engine free to rotate—and compounding. The 2-8-8-2 was a design largely limited to American locomotive builders. The last 2-8-8-2 was retired in 1962 from the N&W's roster, 2 years past the ending of steam though steam was still used on steel mill lines and other railroads until 1983.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 4-8-8-2 is a locomotive with four leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a two-wheel trailing truck.
The term cab forward refers to various rail and road vehicle designs that place the driver's compartment substantially farther towards the front than is common practice.
Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-4 class of steam locomotives was the first class of 4-8-8-2 cab forward locomotives. They were intended to improve on the railroad's MC (Mallet-Consolidation) class 2-8-8-2 locomotives with a larger firebox, hence, the four-wheel leading truck.
Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-6 class of steam locomotives was the third of the railroad's classes built with a 4-8-8-2 wheel arrangement. Like the earlier AC-4 and AC-5 classes, the AC-6 class were cab forward locomotives. The AC-6 was slightly larger than the previous classes with a higher boiler pressure and tractive effort rating.
Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-7 class of cab forward steam locomotives was the fourth class of the 4-8-8-2 locomotives purchased by Southern Pacific (SP). The locomotives were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works and shared many of the same characteristics of previous AC class locomotives.
Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-8 class of cab forward steam locomotives was the fifth of SP's 4-8-8-2 classes. They were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1939.
Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-10 class was the largest class of cab forward steam locomotives produced for the railroad. The design of this and the previous AC classes proved so successful for SP that the railroad began placing orders for the AC-10's successors, AC-11s, while Baldwin Locomotive Works was still busy building and delivering the AC-10s. Mechanically, the AC-10s were exceptionally similar to their immediate predecessors, the AC-8s.
Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-11 class of cab forward steam locomotives was the seventh class of 4-8-8-2 locomotives ordered by Southern Pacific (SP) from Baldwin Locomotive Works; SP was so pleased with the AC-10 class built a year earlier that the railroad began placing orders for AC-11s while the AC-10s were still being built and delivered. They were built between November 1942 and April 1943, closely resembling the AC-10s.
Southern Pacific 4294 is a class "AC-12" 4-8-8-2 Cab forward type steam locomotive that was owned and operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP). It was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1944 and was used hauling SP's trains over the Sierra Nevada, often working on Donner Pass in California. Today it is preserved at the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) in Sacramento, California.
Southern Pacific Company's MM-2 class of steam locomotives was Southern Pacific's (SP) only class of 2-6-6-2 locomotives ordered and built as oil-fired cab forward locomotives. They were built in 1911 as compound-expansion Mallet locomotives by Baldwin Locomotive Works and entered service on SP beginning September 19, 1911. By 1914, they had all been upgraded with an additional leading axle making them 4-6-6-2 locomotives, reclassified from MM-2 to AM-2. This was done to improve handling at speed. These locomotives were the predecessors of several other cab-forward engines, culminating in the AC-12 class cab forward locomotives built during World War II.
Southern Pacific Railroad's MC-2 class of steam locomotives was the first class to be ordered by and built for Southern Pacific (SP) as cab forward locomotives. They were built in 1909 following the design of SP's MC-1 class built earlier that year. The success of this locomotive model led to the design and introduction of the AC class of 4-8-8-2 cab forward locomotives in the 1930s and 1940s.
Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-1 class of cab forward steam locomotives consisted of locomotives rebuilt from MC-1 and MC-2 class locomotives that were originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1909. The MC-2 class was the first class of locomotives built and delivered to SP as cab forward locomotives in late 1909. The AC-1 class was the first of the successful AC series of cab forward locomotives that numbered nearly 200 in total on the SP. Southern Pacific No. 4002 was rebuilt in June 1923 as a Cab Forward.
Southern Pacific Railroad's MC-4 class of steam locomotive was the second class ordered and built as cab forward locomotives. Southern Pacific (SP) found the MC-2 class sufficient for a proof-of-concept for cab forward locomotives and sought to continue with now tested designs.
Southern Pacific Company's MC-6 class of steam locomotives is made up of two batches: the first consisting of 15 locomotives weighing 435,800 pounds built in 1912, the second consisting of 5 locomotives weighing 437,100 lb built in 1913. All of the locomotives were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. This was the last class of 2-8-8-2 locomotives that Southern Pacific (SP) ordered as cab forward locomotives.
The Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR) Class S was a class of 2-4-2T two-cylinder compound steam locomotives that was introduced for service on the 3 ft narrow gauge railways of County Antrim in north-east Ireland.
The 45 class are a class of diesel-electric locomotives built by AE Goodwin, Auburn for the New South Wales Department of Railways between 1962 and 1964.
The Krauss-Maffei ML 4000 is a road switcher diesel-hydraulic locomotive, built between 1961 and 1969 by German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei in Munich, Germany. It generated 3,540 horsepower (2,640 kW) from two Maybach V16 engines. 37 examples were built for two North American railroads and one South American railroad.
Southern Pacific Company's AM-2 class of steam locomotives was Southern Pacific's (SP) only class of 4-6-6-2 locomotives ordered and built as cab forward locomotives. They were actually MM-2s that had been upgraded. MM-2s were built in 1911 by Baldwin Locomotive Works and entered service on SP beginning September 19, 1911. By 1914, they had all been upgraded with an additional leading axle making them 4-6-6-2 locomotives. They reclassified their MM-2 as AM-2. This was done to improve handling at speed. These locomotives were the predecessors of the AC-12 class cab forward locomotives built during World War II.
