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Southern Pacific Steam Roster: Post 1900

Last revised: October 1, 2024

By: Adam Burns

With a network of more than 15,000 miles and stretching from Portland, Oregon to New Orleans, the Southern Pacific was long recognized as one industry's most influential and successful railroads.

Its founder, Collis P. Huntington, led the Central Pacific's construction and it was California's preeminent railroad throughout much of the 20th century. 

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, SP continued its rapid expansion, driven by strategic mergers and acquisitions, including the assimilation of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. This expansion extended SP’s reach from the Pacific Coast to the Gulf of Mexico, making it one of the largest and most influential rail networks in North America.

The Southern Pacific was known for its technological advancements and innovations, such as double-tracking the Sunset Route and pioneering the use of automated signaling systems. The company’s Daylight and Lark passenger trains became renowned for their efficiency and comfort, solidifying SP's reputation as a leader in passenger service.

However, the mid-20th century brought significant challenges. Competition from emerging highway and airline industries, coupled with rising operational costs, pressured the once-mighty railroad. Emphasizing freight operations, SP adapted to changing times but still faced financial instability. The 1980s saw a series of mergers and corporate restructuring efforts, culminating in the Union Pacific Railroad's acquisition of the Southern Pacific in 1996.

Today, the Southern Pacific’s legacy endures in the infrastructure it helped build and the technological advancements it pioneered. Enthusiasts and historians alike remember with fondness the vast web of tracks that once crisscrossed the American West, embodying the spirit of exploration and growth that defined a significant era in U.S. railroad history.

Given its size it's no surprise the "Friendly Service Route" maintained a large and eclectic fleet of steam locomotives.  During the 20th century its notable examples via acquisition came from the  San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway and El Paso & Southwestern Railroad.

The SP also acquired a handful of narrow-gauge systems, most notably the Carson & Colorado and Nevada-California-Oregon Railway.  Interestingly, as freight feeders components of these 3-foot lines survived as branches well into the late 20th century.

For most railfans the SP is remembered for its unique "Cab Forward" large articulateds utilized in the tunnels and snowsheds of Donner Pass - as well as along the Modoc Line. 

In addition was its large fleet of 4-8-4s; while the streamlined examples for the Daylights are most famous, the railroad's fleet of 81 (including the 11 used on the Cotton Belt) were fine machines which powered numerous passenger trains and fast freights.

Steam on the Espee ended between 1956-1959: according to George Drury's book, "Guide To North American Steam Locomotives: Revised Edition," the last steam-powered freight train occurred on November 30, 1956 while the final such passenger run took place on January 22, 1957.

Finally, the very last steam engine to ever operate in regular service on the railroad was narrow-gauge 4-6-0 #9 - a former Nevada-California-Oregon engine - which ran between Laws and Keeler, California on October 19, 1958.

Southern Pacific 4-8-8-2 "Cab Forward" #4294 (AC-12) at Colton, California; July, 1951. Today, this locomotive is preserved at the California State Railroad Museum. American-Rails.com collection.

Switchers

Southern Pacific 2-6-0 #1760 (Class M-6b) was photographed here by Herb Cearley in its final days of service at Fresno, California during the 1950's. The SP owned hundreds of Moguls dating back to the 19th century with many added to the roster from predecessor railroads. This particular class (M-6b) was all retired by 1958. Author's collection.

Freight Locomotives

One of Southern Pacific's workhorse 2-8-0s, #2514 (C-9), is seen here in Los Angeles during the 1950s. Mac Owen collection.

Passenger Locomotives

Only a year old, Southern Pacific 2-8-8-4 #3800 (AC-9) steams westbound with a 70-car manifest outside of Tucumcari, New Mexico on May 11, 1940. Richard Kindig photo.

Articulated Designs

Sources

• Drury, George H. Guide To North American Steam Locomotives: Revised Edition. Waukesha: Kalmbach Books, 2015.

• Morrison, Tom. American Steam Locomotive In The Twentieth Century. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2019.

• Schafer, Mike. Classic American Railroads. Osceola: MBI Publishing, 1996.

• Solomon, Brian. Southern Pacific Railroad. St. Paul: Voyageur Press, 2007.

• Yenne, Bill.  History Of The Southern Pacific, The.  New York: Bonanza Books, 1988.