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.
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 then two years later, it made an appearance at Fullerton Railroad Days 2015 in Fullerton, making it the first time since 2008 to appear at this event.
My VisitMike Haines was going to be hosting the Heninger Staff party at his home in San Clemente so it was not possible to cover the event in Los Angeles in the afternoon. I thought about catching the train along the Los Angeles River at Cesar Chavez Drive from the bridge and since it was not going to start until 11:00 AM, per the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society Facebook page, I decided to do my normal train riding I do on Saturday, at least as far as Los Angeles. So I arose early then drove to the Santa Ana station and used a ten-ride ticket to get me to Oceanside on Pacific Surfliner 562, then took Metrolink 661 to Los Angeles.
The empty home where Santa Fe 3751 rests at the Redondo turntable.
The Sunset Limited in the 8th Street shed. Santa Fe 3751 and its train was hidden behind a set of private cars in the yard. After I detrained I took pictures of my first surprise at LAUPT.
Metrolink F125 905, their newest engine, was on display today.
Three views of Metrolink F125 905. I left the station and walked to the Cesar Chavez bridge over the Los Angeles River.
Metrolink train 358 for San Bernardino.
Metrolink 662, my usual ride to Oceanside, came by my photo location.
Pacific Surfliner 567 on approach to LAUPT.
A Union Pacific Z train left the Los Angeles Transportation Center but was stopped at Main Street as he was leaving the yard.
Pacific Surfliner 572 heads for San Diego.
The Union Pacific Z train finally left Los Angeles for good.
A late running Metrolink 357 finally makes it to Los Angeles.
The Southwest Chief returns from LAUPT to the 8th Street Yard.
Metrolink 362 heads to San Bernardino.
Pacific Surfliner 769 heads for LAUPT then onto Goleta.
Finally Santa Fe 3751 reversed along the Los Angeles River with a surprise consist I would never had thought of until I saw it. The train consisted of "Tioga Pass", Southern Pacific 2981 "Overland Trail", Union Pacific 5430 "Pacific Trail", Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751, Amtrak Pacific Parlor Car 39974 "Sonoma Valley", Amtrak Superliner lounge car 33030, Amtrak California Pacific Business Class car 6801 and Amtrak F59PHI 464. After it had passed all the way by I crossed the roadway for one more picture.
Metrolink's Keller Yard where PTC has been installed and Rotem cab car new pilots have been attached to those cars. As I walked back, I enjoyed the whistling from Santa Fe 3751 and walked to the Track 14 platform.
Santa Fe 3751 at rest. I then walked around to the other side.
Santa Fe 3751 at rest. I walked back over to Track 8 and waited for my Metrolink train home. Metrolink 663 arrivedbut we could not board it until our new crew arrived. Once they got there I boarded the bicycle car as I usually do and enjoyed the trip back home to Santa Ana, ending another day with Santa Fe 3751.
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