Southern Pacific class AC-3

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Southern Pacific class AC-3
Power type Steam
Gauge ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
Driver size 57 in diameter
Weight on drivers 440,800 lb
Total weight 481,200 lb
Boiler pressure 210 psi
Feedwater heater 4¼-BL Worthington
Cylinder size 22 in dia × 30 in stroke
Tractive effort 90,940 lbf
Career Southern Pacific Railroad
Class AC-3
Number in class 20
Number 4029 – 4048
Retired 19481949
Disposition scrapped

Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-3 class of steam locomotive was the last cab forward design based on the 2-8-8-2 wheel arrangement. All 20 locomotives in this class were rebuilds from MC-6 class locomotives originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1912 and 1913. The rebuilds all took place in the late 1920s at Southern Pacific's Sacramento shops.

After the rebuilds, these locomotives were used through World War II. The first to be retired from active service were numbers 4040 and 4045, both on October 21, 1946; the last to be retired was number 4032 on August 8, 1949. All of this class were scrapped soon after retirement.

[edit] References

  • Diebert, Timothy S. and Strapac, Joseph A. (1987). Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Conpendium. Shade Tree Books. ISBN 0-930742-12-5.
Cab forward steam locomotives of Southern Pacific Railroad
2-6-6-2: MM-2 (rebuilt as 4-6-6-2)
2-8-8-2: MC-1 · MC-2 · AC-1 · MC-4 · AC-2 · MC-6 · AC-3
4-8-8-2: AC-4 · AC-5 · AC-6 · AC-7 · AC-8 · AC-10 · AC-11 · AC-12
Preserved: SP 4294 (AC-12)