Southern Pacific Class P-8

Southern Pacific Class P-8
Southern Pacific Class P-8
	Southern Pacific Class P-8 No. 2472 with Southern Pacific GP60 #9768 in 1994
Power type
Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Builder	Baldwin Locomotive Works
Build date	1921
Total produced	15
Configuration:;
Specifications
Configuration:;
• Whyte	4-6-2
• UIC	2'C1'
Gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.	73 in (1,854 mm)
Wheelbase	75.80 ft (23.10 m)
• Engine	35.50 ft (10.82 m)
• Drivers	13 ft (4.0 m)
Axle load	60,700 lb (27,500 kg)
Adhesive weight	180,000 lb (82,000 kg)
Loco weight	297,800 lb (135,100 kg)
Tender weight	160,800 lb (72,900 kg)
Total weight	457,800 lb (207,700 kg)
Fuel type	Oil
Fuel capacity	4,000 US gal (15,000 L; 3,300 imp gal)
Water cap.	12,000 US gal (45,000 L; 10,000 imp gal)
Firebox:
• Grate area	70.40 sq ft (6.540 m2)
Boiler pressure	210 psi (1.4 MPa)
Heating surface:
• Firebox	283 sq ft (26.3 m2)
Cylinder size	25 in × 30 in (635 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gear	Walschaerts
Tractive effort
Performance figures
Tractive effort	46,800 lbf (208.18 kN)
Factor of adh.	4.15
Operators
Career
Operators	Southern Pacific Transportation Company
Class	P-8
Numbers	2461-2475
Preserved	Nos. 2467 and 2472
Disposition	Two preserved, remainder scrapped

History

In all, a total of 15 locomotives of what had become the Southern Pacific Class P-8 were ever constructed by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1921 and they were all numbered as 2461-2475.^[1]^[2] They were designed to be used on the Southern Pacific specifically for the Overland Route from Ogden, Utah, to Oakland, California.^[1]

The P-8 locomotives had thrived until the larger, more powerful Mt-class of 4-8-2s were delivered in the late 1920s. Most of the P-8s were then transferred further west for service between Oakland, California and Sacramento, California, along with the demanding Peninsula Commute services between San Francisco, California and San Jose, California.^[1]

Withdrawal of the class commenced in 1958, and all but two were scrapped.^[1]

Two locomotives have survived into preservation.^[1]

2467 had run in operational condition until August 2005 when No. 2467 was subsequently towed back to the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) in Sacramento, California, where a long-term loan was signed to keep the locomotive in storage at the CSRM's property.^[3]^[4] As of 2022, No. 2467 is still stored serviceable while being displayed inside the CSRM's main hall with the chances of it running in operational condition being unlikely.^[5]
2472 was donated to San Mateo County, California, where they had put the locomotive on static display at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds, it remained there in that spot until 1976 when a group of volunteers decided to restore the locomotive to operating condition. Restoration work was completed on April 30, 1991, the locomotive had also met up with Southern Pacific GS-4 #4449,^[6]^[7] as of 2023, No. 2472 is undergoing a 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.^[8]^[9]^[10]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Dunscomb (1963), p. 163
^ ^a ^b Solomon (2005), p. 27
^ "Steam Locomotive Information". www.steamlocomotive.info. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
^ Luna (2005), p. 66
^ "Southern Pacific #2467". Niles Canyon Railway. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
^ Solomon (2009), p. 121-122, 125
^ Solomon (2013), p. 123-127
^ "SP 2472: Baldwin P-8 4-6-2". Golden Gate Railroad Museum. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
^ "Southern Pacific 4-6-2 2472 to Lead Excursions For First Time Since 2015". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. August 8, 2022.
^ "Southern Pacific 2472 Excursion Canceled". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. August 24, 2022.