Southern Pacific 2472
Encyclopedia
Southern Pacific 2472 is a 4-6-2 Pacific
type steam locomotive
built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
for Southern Pacific Railroad
(SP) in 1921. SP 2472 is one of three surviving Southern Pacific 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives. It has 4 leading wheels, 6 drivers, and 2 trailing wheels.
2472 and sister Pacific locomotives served the Overland Route from Ogden, Utah
, to Oakland, California
. On November 30, 1929, SP's Ogden shops added a feedwater heater
to the locomotive, which increased its overall weight to 300,000 lb. 2472 again underwent a rebuild at SP's Bayshore shops in Brisbane, California
(San Mateo County
), completed on November 26, 1940, that increased its boiler pressure to 210 psi (1,447,899 Pa) and tractive effort to 45,850 lb.
After being replaced by the 4-8-2 "Mountain" type locomotives, 2472 and all other Pacific locomotives were sent to work Sacramento
-Oakland, California
passenger trains and San Francisco
-San Jose, California
commute trains, along with occasional freight service. The locomotive's revenue service life ended in 1957 when steam locomotives were being replaced by diesel locomotive
s, and on April 10, 1959, 2472, was donated to San Mateo County, which put 2472 on static display at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds. It remained there until 1976 when a group of volunteers decided to restore the locomotive.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, 2472 pulled several excursions and Caltrain
specials such as the Trains for Tots, and even double-headed on an excursion with famed steam locomotive Southern Pacific 4449
.
Southern Pacific 2472 recently received FRA-mandated boiler work at Hunters Point
Naval Base in San Francisco, the former site of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum
, which was evicted from this location in 2006. The initial equipment move took place in February, 2006, although an extended lease on the shop building at the Point allowed work to continue on the 2472 until the following December. On December 31, 2006, SP 2472 and remaining pieces of GGRM
rolling stock completed the relocation of the GGRM
collection to the Niles Canyon Railway
located in Sunol, California
, on the east side of San Francisco Bay.
The locomotive became serviceable as of February 2008 , and is now stored at the NCRy's
Brightside Yard awaiting opportunities and other locations to operate.
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
type steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
for Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
(SP) in 1921. SP 2472 is one of three surviving Southern Pacific 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives. It has 4 leading wheels, 6 drivers, and 2 trailing wheels.
2472 and sister Pacific locomotives served the Overland Route from Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. On November 30, 1929, SP's Ogden shops added a feedwater heater
Feedwater heater
A feedwater heater is a power plant component used to pre-heat water delivered to a steam generating boiler. Preheating the feedwater reduces the irreversibilities involved in steam generation and therefore improves the thermodynamic efficiency of the system...
to the locomotive, which increased its overall weight to 300,000 lb. 2472 again underwent a rebuild at SP's Bayshore shops in Brisbane, California
Brisbane, California
Brisbane is a small city located in the northern part of San Mateo County, California on the lower slopes of San Bruno Mountain. It is on the northeastern edge of South San Francisco, next to the San Francisco Bay and near the San Francisco International Airport.The population was 4,282 as of...
(San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
), completed on November 26, 1940, that increased its boiler pressure to 210 psi (1,447,899 Pa) and tractive effort to 45,850 lb.
After being replaced by the 4-8-2 "Mountain" type locomotives, 2472 and all other Pacific locomotives were sent to work Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
-Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
passenger trains and San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
-San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
commute trains, along with occasional freight service. The locomotive's revenue service life ended in 1957 when steam locomotives were being replaced by diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s, and on April 10, 1959, 2472, was donated to San Mateo County, which put 2472 on static display at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds. It remained there until 1976 when a group of volunteers decided to restore the locomotive.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, 2472 pulled several excursions and Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
specials such as the Trains for Tots, and even double-headed on an excursion with famed steam locomotive Southern Pacific 4449
Southern Pacific 4449
Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's GS-4 class of steam locomotives. The GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4 type steam locomotive...
.
Southern Pacific 2472 recently received FRA-mandated boiler work at Hunters Point
Hunters Point
Hunters Point refers to the following places:*Bayview-Hunters Point, San Francisco**Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, another name for the San Francisco Naval Shipyard*Hunters Point, Queens, New York City**Hunterspoint Avenue...
Naval Base in San Francisco, the former site of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum
Golden Gate Railroad Museum
The Golden Gate Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum in California that is dedicated to the preservation of steam and passenger railroad equipment, as well as the interpretation of local railroad history....
, which was evicted from this location in 2006. The initial equipment move took place in February, 2006, although an extended lease on the shop building at the Point allowed work to continue on the 2472 until the following December. On December 31, 2006, SP 2472 and remaining pieces of GGRM
Golden Gate Railroad Museum
The Golden Gate Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum in California that is dedicated to the preservation of steam and passenger railroad equipment, as well as the interpretation of local railroad history....
rolling stock completed the relocation of the GGRM
Golden Gate Railroad Museum
The Golden Gate Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum in California that is dedicated to the preservation of steam and passenger railroad equipment, as well as the interpretation of local railroad history....
collection to the Niles Canyon Railway
Niles Canyon Railway
The Niles Canyon Railway is a heritage railway running through Niles Canyon, between Sunol and the Niles district of Fremont in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, USA. The railway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Niles Canyon Transcontinental...
located in Sunol, California
Sunol, California
Sunol is an unincorporated census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 913 at the 2010 census....
, on the east side of San Francisco Bay.
The locomotive became serviceable as of February 2008 , and is now stored at the NCRy's
Niles Canyon Railway
The Niles Canyon Railway is a heritage railway running through Niles Canyon, between Sunol and the Niles district of Fremont in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, USA. The railway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Niles Canyon Transcontinental...
Brightside Yard awaiting opportunities and other locations to operate.