Copan, Oklahoma is just south of the state line with Kansas. Santa Fe Railway provided a standard frame depot there. Years later Copan, was a flag stop for trains 47 & 48, the Oil Flyer.
From my teenage b&w days at Galesburg, IL on 10/10/1976. I'd forgotten that GP-20s had one-piece windshields. Stencil by steps reads ARGENTINE 62/15.
The "cut straight sections and weld them together at an angle" trackwork isn't something I'd use the term "cool" to describe!
The MoPac is credited with originating the Pacific type in 1902. It would have been the Santa Fe, but the road decided four wheeled lead trucks weren't necessary for high speed locomotives. So, they ordered 2-6-2 Prairies with 79" drivers for passenger service in 1901. This didn't work out so well, so the road ordered a batch of 4-6-2 types with 69" drivers in 1903. They didn't consider 69" sufficient for passenger service. The 1200 class went immediately into the Topeka shops, and got their drivers and trailing truck wheels swapped with 1000 class Prairies, which then became fast freight locomotives. These the road loved, and it became the road that owned the most Prairie types. The 26 members of the 1200 class were the only 79" driver Pacifics the road owned until the 3400s began being rebuilt with them in 1936. Beginning with the 1226 class, all were built with 73" drivers. The other Prairies built with 79" drivers simply got new 69" drivers made for them. Throughout the twenties, even as the road was rounding out its fleet of 274 Pacifics, they were losing assignments. Mountain types were replacing them in the intermountain west, and Northerns finished the job. Atlantics were the first to go, but many of the lighter Pacifics followed, which saved the road the expense of converting them from compound to simple. At the same time, Mikados bumped the Prairies from mainline fast freight. But the Santa Fe had plenty of branch lines, and Prairies served those branches very well, sending innumerable eighteenth century relics to scrap. The road so admired the type for that duty, that beginning in 1929, they began converting early Pacifics to interesting Prairies with outside-bearing lead trucks. Apparently this process didn't improve their tractive effort enough to be worth the investment during the depression, as only four were so converted. Light Pacifics did branch line duty, but as built with four wheel lead trucks and 73" drivers. But the four engines are an interesting case. They were delivered with 69" drivers, immediately had those swapped to Prairies, served as some of the road's fastest engines for over a quarter of a century, then got converted to Prairies--with 69" drivers.
Hate to be accused of getting likes for Russ' research, but this popped up and I can't resist putting it here.
The Kansas City Chief, train #9 awaiting departure from Dearborn Station in Chicago. February 2, 1968. Roger Puta Photo.
That's true. It existed, and rode the wheel arrangement. But what I said is also true--the MoPac has long gotten the credit. "This 4-6-2 wasn't really a "Pacific". Its trailing axle did not support much of the firebox and the boiler certainly wasn't in the same class as the 20th-Century engines that would bear the name. "Schenectady explained that this locomotive was "...designed to meet the requirements of limited weight on each driver." In other words, not intended to carry the bigger firebox and tall drivers of an express engine. The catalogue also noted "The forward truck has swing motion, while the trailing truck has swing motion and radius bar and is equalized with the drivers." So, clearly, another goal was the ability to negotiate a tight curve. "Warner reports that the engine "...rendered good service." He adds that later strengthening of the track allowed the railroad to remove the rear truck." https://steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=4-6-2&railroad=cmstpp I didn't say that was right or wrong. I was just sayin'... None of those caveats could be said about either the ATSF's 1000 or 1200 classes.
Built by Baldwin in 1911, renumbered to 9063 after right after WWII to clear the 2000s for numbering new diesel switchers. It was scrapped shortly after that in August of 1947.
You found a Santa Fe steam switcher that was actually built as a switcher! A rare bird. So many were weird rebuilds, or just old Moguls or Consolidations. Diesel switchers built as switchers were easier to find, for a time. Stack extensions led to quite a few Baldwins being nicknamed candelabra switchers.
"Bull Moose" Atlantic number 1487 at Brownwood, Texas heading westbound. 1930s era. The photographer is unknown. Given the nickname because of their unusual valve gear and awkward appearance, the 1480 class were built by Baldwin in 1910 as 4 cylinder balanced compounds. This one was rebuilt in Topeka in December of 1929. It lasted until July of 1953 when it was sold for scrap.