I returned a morning later than planned from St. Louis after the La Plata Spring Railfan Event and checked my e-mail before driving to the Red Roof Inn to pick up Elizabeth Alkire who came down from Lynnwood, Washington to ride Santa Fe 3751 from San Bernardino to LAUPT in the "Tioga Pass" private rail car with me. We took Interstate 5 north into a major tie up on that freeway so exited at Florence Boulevard, taking that west through Bell Gardens to the 710 Freeway which took us back to Interstate 5 to US 101 to Vignes Street and the parked in the MTA building parking lot. We walked up to Track 8B and the LA County Sheriffs only had one door open so they could check to see that everyone had a ticket. We took a seat at a table in the bicycle car and waited for departure at 12:10 PM on Metrolink train 362 to San Bernardino.
Elizabeth on Metrolink 362. The train made great time almost to San Bernardino.
BNSF PR30C 1323, ex. Progress Rail 3005, nee Canadian Pacific SD40-2 5647 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1972. It is one of two BNSF engines to wear Union Pacific colours, in anticipation of a sale to that company. But when Union Pacific refused buy the engines, they were sold to BSNF.
BNSF 129 and friends.
The intermodal yard.
BNSF 7757 and 6656 at San Bernardino.
Metrolink train 367 from Riverside on its way from San Bernardino then onto Los Angeles.
Metrolink train 362 with leased RBBX F59PH 18533 (ex. Larry's Truck and Electric 18533, nee GO Transit 533, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1988) at San Bernardino.
Santa Fe 3751 HistoryBuilt 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.
In May 2012, 3751 powered a six-day excursion from Los Angeles to Williams, Arizona, as part of the centennial celebrations of Arizona's statehood. As part of the excursion, another special round-trip doubleheader to the Grand Canyon and back was run with 3751 and GCR 4960. The train also operated over the Arizona & California Railroad on the way to Williams and on the return trip to Los Angeles. Three weeks before the trip to Arizona, the engine also made the trip east to attend the San Bernardino Railroad Days Festival for the third year in a row.
In May 2013, 3751 ran on a fourth trip to the San Bernardino Railroad Days Festival.
Santa Fe 3751 with Metrolink 894, Metrolink 208 "Stay Alert, Stay Alive, Stay off the Tracks", Amtrak Great Dome 10031, Amtrak Amfleet 82620, Santa Fe 1370 "Acoma" and "Tioga Pass".
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 built by Baldwin in 1927.
BNSF 3GS21C 1306 built by National Railway Equipment in 2014. We went inside the station, first getting our wrist bands for our trip on the "Tioga Pass" later today and then spent some time with my dear friend Chris Parker before returning outside to photograph "Tioga Pass".
The "Tioga Pass" built by Canadian National Railway in 1959. It was part of an order for 12 similar cars designed for railroad executives. Originally numbered 23 and later 93, "Tioga Pass" spent most of its life in Edmonton, Alberta. There it served the Vice President of the Mountain Region. Records show the car travelled all over Canada, providing some 30 years of faithful service. By the early 1990's, though, the car was largely redundant and seldom used. Like the passenger trains on which it used to hitch a ride, the automobile and airplane offered quicker and more convenient transportation in today's fast-paced corporate world.
In 1992 Canadian National decided to sell the car and a local businessman in Barstow, California named Rutherford P. "Rudy" Hayes bought it sight unseen because, as he put it, "I always just wanted one". In an epic trip, the car traveled from Edmonton to Barstow in January 1993. Through fierce cold and driving blizzards, the passengers stayed warm inside. Its new owner was like a proud father, pronouncing the car was all he ever thought it would be. Unfortunately, Rudy never got the chance to travel on his new car as he died of a heart attack only months after it was delivered. The car sat, forlorn and neglected in front of the Harvey House train station in Barstow for several years.
Aronco Leasing Company purchased the car in 1997 from the Hayes estate. A victim of benign neglect, numerous repairs and upgrades were needed before the car could be used again. Starting in 2002, the "Tioga Pass" has undergone the most extensive restoration since its construction. An exhaustive examination of all of the major mechanical components of the car was undertaken, including the wheels, suspension, couplers and airbrakes. This thorough examination allows the car to be considered as good as new. At the same time, a number of upgrades were made to allow the car to operate behind Amtrak trains, such as installation of heavy-duty power cabling and signal and communications wiring.
During the off-season in winter 2005, "Tioga Pass" saw its first significant redecorating in more than 20 years. The living room was completely redone in oak paneling and new furniture was installed. New carpeting and flooring was accompanied by fresh paint and a host of other interior decor changes. A new high-capacity diesel generator was installed along with miles of new wiring. Almost every trace of the original electrical system was removed in preparation for new equipment. A completely new air conditioning system, and upgrades to the heating, ventilation, lighting and plumbing rounded out the vast array of improvements.
Elizabeth on the rear platform of the car. We then boarded the car sitting on the couch.
BNSF 6873 West came through while we waited to depart.
Then BNSF 7740 East passed us.
BNSF 7396 West was next.
Bob Riskie and Chris Parker at San Bernardino.
BNSF 6954 West came through just as we were leaving.
At exactly 3:00 PM, Santa Fe 3751 started to leave San Bernardino for LAUPT.
We passed BNSF 1306 and waved to all those people on the ground watching us leave.
There were far less people on the Mount Vernon overpass this year.
In addition, far less people photographing us leaving San Bernardino.
The train started climbing the San Bernardino flyover.
The look back to San Bernardino.
Almost to the top of the flyover.
We then went down the west side of the flyover, after which I went back inside and sat on the couch just enjoying the ride. You could hear the whistle at all the crossings and I relaxed throughout the westbound trip.
We ran to Bassett then went into the siding there, letting Metrolink 366 pass by us on its way east then sat and waited for Metrolink 369 to go by us west. Once we received a green signal, we headed the rest of the way to LAUPT. Elizabeth and I detrained from the "Tioga Pass", two very happy people. We walked down to the front of the train for some final pictures of Santa Fe 3751.
Metrolink leased F59PH 18520 (ex. Larry's Truck and Electric 18520, nee GO Transit 520, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1988) at LAUPT.
Santa Fe 3751 and train at rest here.
One last view of Santa Fe 3751. After that we drove back down Interstate 5 to Santa Ana then went to The Habit where we got dinner for Elizabeth, myself and my mother. We got home and ate before watching the end of the Pittsburgh Penguins/Ottawa Senators game with the Penguins losing 3-2 in a shootout then watched some television before I drove Elizabeth back to the Red Roof Inn for the night. I returned home and had a good night's sleep before picking Elizabeth up at 6:00 AM and driving her to Orange County Airport. I came home, did some chores, decided to write this story and went to work at my job at Heninger Elementary School in Santa Ana.
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