| Central Pacific locomotive 173 | |
|---|---|
| CP 173. | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | Andrew Jackson Stevens |
| Builder | Norris-Lancaster |
| Serial number | 13 |
| Build date | 1863 |
| Total produced | 1 (prototype for first 12 CP-built engines) |
| Rebuilder | Central Pacific's Sacramento Shops |
| Rebuild date | 1872 |
| Configuration | 4-4-0 |
| UIC classification | 2'Bn |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 54 in (1.372 m) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Cylinders | Two, outside |
| Cylinder size | 17 × 24 in (432 × 610 mm) |
| Career | Western Pacific Railroad, Central Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific Railroad |
| Number | WP "H", CP #173 |
| Official name | Sonoma |
| First run | 1863, Nov 1872(rebuild) |
| Retired | 1909 |
| Disposition | unknown, presumed scrapped |
The Central Pacific Railroad number 173 was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was an example of a modern steam locomotive of the time. It was the prototype used for the Central Pacific's Sacramento Shops when the railroad began constructing locomotives. The engine was successful, and more engines were subsequently built to 173's design.
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While the Central Pacific's records had mistakenly listed number 173 as a CP built engine, the engine was in fact built in 1863 by Norris for the Western Pacific Railroad who had it designated "H"(the railroad had its engines lettered rather than numbered), and later became Central Pacific's #173, the "Sonoma." A train wreck involving CP's 173 and 177 occurred at Alameda Junction in 1870, and both engines were brought to the railroad's new shops in Sacramento two years later. Here, master mechanic Andrew Stevens was given the task of rebuilding the 173. Though much damage was sustained from the wreck, Stevens found the engine's boiler and parts of the chassis to be reusable, and had decided to use the 173 as a test bed for the railroad's entry into the locomotive manufacturing business. The rebuilt 173, finished in November of 1872, was well received by the railroad, and soon the shops produced twelve engines based on its design. Three of these were sold to other roads, among which was Virginia and Truckee's number 18, the "Dayton," which is the only preserved example of Steven's work.
In 1950, Walt Disney began to build the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, a miniature railroad in his backyard. Walt saw a photo of 173 and decided to build a model of it for his railroad. Southern Pacific draftsman David L Joslyn located the specifications of 173 in a warehouse of SP's old records, and recreated the 173's drawings scaled down to two inches to one foot. This engine operated for a few years in Walt's backyard railroad, and when it was shut down, the 173 model was displayed in Disneyland's Main Street station for nearly fifty years, before moving to a new museum dedicated to Disney's legacy.