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Santa Fe 3751 to San Bernardino 5/8/2010

Built by Baldwin in 1927, Santa Fe 3751 was the first 4-8-4 steam locomotive built for the railroad and was referenced in documentation as type "Heavy Mountain", "New Mountain", or "Mountain 4-wheel trailer". It holds the distinction of being the oldest surviving 4-8-4 type steam locomotive in the world.

When built, tests showed that the new locomotive was twenty percent more efficient and powerful than the 3700 class 4-8-2 Mountain types, which at the time were Santa Fe's most advanced steam locomotives. In 1936, the locomotive was converted to burn oil and was given a larger tender that holds 20,000 US gallons of water and 7,107 US gallons of fuel oil two years later. No. 3751 was also present at the grand opening of Union Passenger Terminal in Los Angeles on May 7, 1939, pulling the Scout, one of Santa Fe's premier passenger trains as it arrived from Chicago. It was the first steam locomotive to bring a passenger train into Union Station.

In 1941, 3751, along with the other 13 locomotives in its class, received major upgrades that included replacing the original 73 inch spoked driving wheels with 80 inch boxpok wheels, a new frame, Timken roller bearings on all axles and more. That same year, it achieved its highest recorded speed at 103 miles per hour. It continued to be a very reliable working locomotive until August 23, 1953, when it pulled the last regularly scheduled steam-powered passenger train on the Santa Fe to run between Los Angeles and San Diego; this was its last run in revenue service before being put into stored at the Redondo Junction and retired from active service. On May 14, 1958, it was placed on display in San Bernardino.

In 1981, the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society was formed with intentions of restoring and operating 3751. Four years later, it achieved its goal when 3751 was sold to it for one cent with the condition that the SBRHS must restore and operate the locomotive. In 1986, 3751 was moved from its display to California Steel Industries, where it was restored at a cost of $1.50 million. On August 13, 1991, it moved under its own steam for the first time in thirty-eight years. It made its first excursion run on December 27, 1991, running with two Santa Fe EMD FP45s and 16 passenger cars on a four-day trip from Los Angeles via Barstow to Bakersfield. Since then, it has been utilized for a large number of excursions and special trips and for display at many events.

The locomotive is currently owned by the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society, the same organization that performed the initial 1986 restoration. In August 1992, the 3751 was found on its largest assignment so far, as the engine ran the entire route of Santa Fe's Transcon route between Los Angeles and Chicago with three (and later two) Santa Fe GE Dash 8-40CWs. The engine spent 18 days travelling over 2,300 miles in both directions. This run would include travelling to Topeka, Kansas to attend that year's Topeka Railroad days, where the locomotive was briefly displayed near Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985.

On April 22–23, 1995, 3751 was displayed in the Riverside Sunkist Orange Blossom Festival in Riverside. On December 31, 1996 when Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe merged with Burlington Northern Railroad to form Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the locomotive retained the same number. The excursion was operated again on April 20–21, 1996. In June 1999, the locomotive participated in Railfair '99. On the way to the fair, 3751, along with a BNSF Dash 9-44CW and mixed train of a tool car, ten BNSF boxcars and two passenger cars, from Los Angeles to Sacramento via San Bernardino, Barstow, Bakersfield, and Stockton. On the return trip to Los Angeles, the 3751 pulled another mixed train with several covered hoppers.

In October 2000, 3751 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It been displayed at Fullerton Railroad Days in Fullerton, California a number of times. In August 2002, 3751 operated an Amtrak excursion train from Los Angeles to Williams, Arizona to participate in the 2002 National Railway Historical Society convention and ran over Metrolink, BNSF and Arizona and California Railroad tracks. After arriving in Williams, the locomotive pulled some excursions and photo runbys on the Grand Canyon Railway between Williams and the Grand Canyon Village, including a doubleheader with GCR 2-8-2 4960 and a tripleheader with GCR 2-8-0 18. The steam engine also pulled some of GCR's Pullman passenger cars for a photo charter requested by Goodheart Productions.

In 2008, 3751 ran on the Surfline route for two excursions from Los Angeles to San Diego. The first on June 1 was a public excursion. The excursion made the locomotive the first steam locomotive to run on the Surf Line since the 1976 American Freedom Train, it was also the first steam powered passenger train to make the run between Los Angeles and San Diego since 3751 last travelled the line in 1953. The train was turned at Miramar Wye, 15 miles north of San Diego station. The second excursion was a private car special on September 21.

I learned that Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 would be pulling an all-private car train out to San Bernardino for that city's first San Bernardino Railroad Days 2010. Winston Walker helped get me the phone number of Allen Bone, Vice President of the City of San Bernardino Pioneer & Historical Society, who gave me directions on how to get tickets. Winston and I would both be riding in the "Pony Express". All this took place in mid-March. As part of our ticket package, it included a return to Los Angeles aboard any Metrolink train that afternoon or evening so we should have time to see National Train Day in Los Angeles. Due to the 9:05 AM departure, Winston and I would have to drive to LAUPT to catch the train then make a round trip from Santa Ana to San Juan Capistrano to get our triple Guest Rewards points for National Train Day 2010.

Winston picked me up and we drove north on Interstate 5 to Los Angeles Union Passenger Station, parked in the MTA parking lot and I walked up onto the platform for a few pictures.

Metrolink's new cab car 638. A few minutes later, a few who were present saw smoke and we knew Santa Fe 3751 was reversing into LAUPT.

The train came into view.

Former Canadian National business car "Tioga Pass" built in 1959.

"Overland Trail", ex. Amtrak 3500, nee Southern Pacific 2981, built by Pullman in 1949.

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy dome "Silver Splendor", ex. Amtrak 9457, nee Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4735 "Silver Buckle" built by Budd Company in 1956.

"Pony Express" baggage car PPCX 800320, nee Canadian Pacific baggage-express 4210 built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1941.

Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751.

Metrolink MP36-PH-3C 892 built by Motive Power Industries in 2008.

Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 built by Baldwin in 1927.

Santa Fe 3751 and train ready to depart for San Bernardino.

One more view of the steam engine. I walked over to the platform and waited outside the "Pony Express" to board. While we waited, the Southwest Chief, Metrolink 260 from Lancaster and Metrolink 351 arrived before we boarded the train via "Silver Splendor". As we waited, we wondered what would come into LAUPT next?

Stan Garner, our host and owner of the "Pony Express".

Pacific Surfliner 763 next arrived and at 9:05 AM, it departed for Santa Barbara. We waited for a green signal to depart for San Bernardino.

At 9:18 AM, Santa Fe 3751 started the trip to San Bernardino.

The newly-wrapped Pacific Surfliner 457 10 Years of Pacific Surfliner Service as we departed.

Leaving the station and passing the old Terminal Tower.

The "Tioga Pass" leaving the station.

Santa Fe 3751 passd the Coast Starlight as it reversed into the station.

Passing Mission Tower.

Our train then crossed the Los Angeles River.

We passed through the switches to reach Metrolink's San Bernardino line.

"Tioga Pass" came off the Los Angeles River.

Downtown Los Angeles to the west.

The train passed under North Mission Road.

Starting its journey along the San Bernardino Freeway by passing under the Golden State Interstate 5 Freeway. The sounds of Santa Fe 3751 sounded really incredible as we headed east since it echoed off the concrete walls along the freeway.

Next we went under Marengo Street and a few minutes later, passed through the Cal State Los Angeles Metrolink station before we entered the middle of the San Bernardino Freeway.

In the middle of the San Bernardino Freeway.

Santa Fe 3751 passed the siding in the middle of the freeway. I then saw a truck and knew who was driving it.

Here is my good friend Chris Parker taking a picture of our train as he was driving east on Interstate 10.

Two views as Santa Fe 3751 took us down the San Bernardino Freeway.

Nearing El Monte, our route left the freeway and headed out onto the El Monte Flyover.

The train high over El Monte as our locomotive managed to stop baseball games on the baseball fields below our route.

Putting on a great show coming off the El Monte Flyover.

The train arrived at the El Monte station where we paused for a few minutes before continuing east.

The Santa Fe 3751 crossed the Flyover across the former Southern Pacific Sunset Route and San Gabriel River.

Chris Parker, now on the ground at CP Basset, before our train turned northeast.