Interesting. I never knew the Santa Fe owned any Baldwin center cabs. Very cool. As a kid, I saw plenty on the EJ&E (they owned 26) on the line near our home, but got into photography late and captured only a few on film.
...before the war... The 2900s were war babies, built with carbon steel boilers (whether to avoid those problems or because nickle was strategic, which it was--even some wartime five cent pieces had a reduced nickle content). As a result, they were over 15% heavier. 3776 should have survived. She should have hauled the Bicentennial Freedom Train.
The Santa Fe bought three Decapods. They performed well in helper service, but had trouble backing down the hill. So, the 2-10-2 was born. They didn't buy any locomotives during the USRA era of the Great War, least of all Russian Decapods. But they wound up with three anyway, when they took over the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient. They didn't last long; one apparently never even got AT&SF painted on the sides of her cab. But the Orient had five other 2-10-0 hogs, bought from Baldwin in 1925. These were quite an improvement on the ones built to the Czar's specifications, and lasted almost until the end of steam on the Santa Fe.
The first class of 2-10-2 ordered from Baldwin in 1903 were the 900s. Here # 945 is assigned to work Cajon pass. Scrapped 8-29-1950.
Giving new meaning to "Tracks in the Snow." Cajon Summit. Chard Walker photo. Steven Priest colletion.
The tank car in the image above was used for water supply for the small community at the summit. It was exchanged weekly with a full tank car brought up from Victorville.
I think the Santa Fe worked the same at the Grand Canyon station, but with a much greater volume of tank cars. Not sure where they originated.
The Grand Canyon Limited hit a rock slide west of Williams, Arizona near the Double A cut at 87 MPH on Apr. 6, 1964. The engine crew, a baggage man and three passengers died of injuries. Here the locomotives are photographed by Chard Walker at Cajon Summit. Steven Priest collection. The train was made up of express and baggage cars on the head end, and the passenger coaches on the rear.
Oh my gosh, what a terrible sight. I never knew about this. My wife and I shot some pictures at Double A ("Doublea" on the railroad, named after Double A Ranch) on some visits, this from 03/16/1997. It's a remote spot on the Crookton Cutoff.
Santa Fe passenger train "The Grand Canyon Limited" passing the grade crossing at Grava (near the present-day steel railroad bridge crossing Hwy 138), in July 1950. Note the cars stopped on the highway crossing. The foundation for this structure is still intact on the hillside. Chard Walker photo. Bob Chaparro collection.
Summit, CA. I read that we're looking west between 1937 and 1940 when a coach was being used as the depot.