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1910 Southern Pacific Railroad
NO. 4102 4-8-8-2
WHILE THIS is not the original "cab-ahead" engine, it was one of the earlier ones. The principal reason for this cab location was the 38-mile series of snowsheds between Truckee and Blue Canyon built to keep the line open in winter when drifts of fifty to two hundred feet deep piled up in the passes. When the 4000 and 4001 were operated through these snowsheds, their crews were all too frequently overcome by the gases. The new design was developed to overcome this objection as well as to increase visibility. Fuel oil was piped the length of the engine at five pounds pressure from the tender, and locomotive and tender positions were reversed, thus creating this cab-ahead type. Fifteen engines constituted the original order and these were compounds. In recent years the S.P. had a fleet of over two hundred such power, although all were single expansion locomotives, conversions of the older engines having been started in 1927.

FIRST CAB-AHEAD TYPE—AC1

Builder-Baldwin Locomotive Works
Cylinders-22" x 30" (rebuilt simple)
Weight, engine-481,200 lb.
Steam Pressure-210 lb.
Fuel-3,817 gal. oil
Water-12,000 gal.
Dia. Drivers-57"
Tractive Effort-90,940 lb.

LOCOMOTIVE ILLUSTRATED—AC4

Builder-Baldwin Locomotive Works
Cylinders-24" x 32" (simple)
Weight, engine-614,000 lb.
Steam pressure-235 lb.
Fuel-4,889 gal. oil
Water-16,152 gal.
Dia. Drivers-63"
Tractive Effort-116,900 lb.


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