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.
In May 2010, the locomotive returned to the Surf Line for a third excursion from Los Angeles to San Diego, pulling eight Amtrak cars and a few dome cars, attracting large crowds. In order to alleviate issues with turning the train, the excursion was split over two days: south to San Diego on May 1, and north to Los Angeles the following day. This proved successful, as 3751 was on time into San Diego the first day and sustained only normal delays northbound, thus proving the excursion to be the most successful yet The weekend after the trip to San Diego saw the engine in San Bernardino for National Train Day and the 2010 San Bernardino Railroad Days festival. It has made annual runs to San Bernardino for the Railroad Days Festival in April or May since the initial trip.
The VisitI hosted Let's Talk Trains on Saturday although I was under the weather Friday and Saturday then awoke Sunday morning feeling like my old self. I bought a round trip ticket from Fullerton to Los Angeles for the limited service Pacific Surfliner 700 trains which were originating and terminating in Fullerton this weekend due to track and signal work south of this point.
I fixed my breakfast before driving from Santa Ana to the south parking lot at Fullerton then went over the pedrestrian bridge and stopped at the cafe for a Coca-Cola before using the Quick Ticket Machine to print my tickets for today's journey. Pacific Surfliner 763 came north from CP Orangethorpe and picked up the mere 17 passengers for the trip to LAUPT this morning. We ran fine until the train received a red signal at CP Olympic after we saw Santa Fe 3751 steaming at the turntable, then slowed for some track work near Mission Tower. We arrived at Los Angeles and I walked over to the front of the Amtrak 40th Anniversary train.
Amtrak NPCU 406 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1988 as 3,000 horsepower F40PH 406 then rebuilt as Non-Powered Control Unit 406 in 2011 at the Beech Grove, Indiana, maintenance facility. As a locomotive, the 406 operated all over the country on various routes before being stored in 2001. It was slated to become an NPCU to augment the push-pull fleet and chosen to be part of the Exhibit Train because it can control a locomotive without the expense of additional fuel, allowing a train to operate in either direction without turning around. It will also provide Head End Power to power the lights and HVAC systems onboard the train..
The Amtrak 40th Anniversary Train at Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal.
The other end of this special train which was travelling around the country to commemorate forty years of Amtrak's existence which started on April 1, 1971.
Amtrak Conductor Matt with Amtrak 406. I walked down to the end of the platform on Track 12 but learned Santa Fe 3751 would not be arriving until after 10:20 AM due to the Coast Starlight having been reversed into Track 11 and the steam engine would be displayed once that train left for Seattle. I decided to walk to the Cesar Chavez bridge across the Los Angeles River and called Chris Parker to tell him where I was.
I heard rumbling and here came Union Pacific 2409 East. Just as I started to see steam coming our way from south along the Los Angeles River, Chris arrived and only the two of us would enjoy Santa Fe 3751 passing beneath us on its way to LAUPT.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 coming towards us.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 running away from us and stopping at a red signal. I walked back over to the station and saw the Coast Starlight depart on the start of its journey to Seattle then walked to the end of the Track 12 platform again to wait for Santa Fe 3751 to arrive.
The steam engine arriving.
On its way to the display area. I walked down the platform following the steam engine to where it stopped.
Santa Fe 3751 was now on display.
Two views of two very special engines. I then toured the Amtrak 40th Anniversary train with the camera put away so that I could truly enjoy it all, met Cliff Prather and later Chris Parker and Larry Boerio, who let me see his new Pacific Electric book which I really enjoyed.
Chris Parker and Amtrak 406.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751.
The Christmas wreath on the nose of Santa Fe 3751.
Patience pays off for a clear view of both engines.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751.
The Amtrak 40th Anniversary train.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751.
The noses of the engines. I said goodbye to Chris as I saw my train for Fullerton arriving.
Pacific Surfliner 774 came in and I boarded with 15 passengers for Fullerton. It was a quick trip and soon I was heading home.
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