Santa Fe 3415 is a preserved class 3400 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in 1919 by Baldwin for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Retired in 1954, it sat in Eisenhower Park in Abilene, Kansas until 1996. At that point, it was put on display in the Abilene and Smoky Valley yard. Restoration began in 2005 and was completed in early 2009. As of 2022, No. 3415 is out of service at the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad.

Santa Fe 3415
ATSF No. 3415 passing by some cattle walking in Abilene, Kansas
Type and origin References:[1]: 3  Power type Steam Designer John Purcell Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works Serial number 51861 Build date June 1919
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2  • UIC 2'C1'h Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 79 in (2.007 m) Wheelbase 72.06 ft (21.96 m)  • Engine 35.25 ft (10.74 m)  • Drivers 13.67 ft (4.17 m) Axle load 70,800 lb (32.1 t) Adhesive weight 205,100 lb (93.0 t) Loco weight 338,900 lb (153.7 t) Tender weight 396,426 lb (179.8 t) Total weight 735,326 lb (333.5 t) Fuel type New: Coal Now: Oil Water cap. 12,000 US gal (45,000 l; 10,000 imp gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 66.80 sq ft (6.206 m2) Boiler pressure 220 psi (1.52 MPa) Feedwater heater Elesco Heating surface:  • Firebox 269 sq ft (25.0 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 25 in × 28 in (635 mm × 711 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Loco brake Air brake
Performance figures Tractive effort 41,424 lbf (184.3 kN) Factor of adh. 4.95
Career Operators Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad Class ATSF 3400 Number in class 16 of 50 Numbers AT&SF 3415 Retired 1954 (revenue service) Restored 2009 Current owner Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad Disposition Operational, based in Abilene, Kansas ATSF Steam Locomotive No. 3415 U.S. National Register of Historic Places Show map of Kansas Show map of the United States Location 411 South Elm Street., Abilene, Kansas Coordinates 38°54′49.3″N 97°13′17.7″W Built 1919 Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works NRHP reference No. 12000203 Added to NRHP April 16, 2012

History

Service on the Santa Fe

No. 3415 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June 1919 as the sixteenth member of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway's fifty 3400 class locomotives. This class of steam locomotives was designed by John Purcell,[2] and this was also the last class of 4-6-2s bought by the Santa Fe. The 3400 class was similar to the United States Railroad Administration (USRA)'s Heavy Pacific in its tube and flue counts but fitted with a grate close in size to the USRA's Light Pacific and delivered with drivers close in size to the latter. The first forty locomotives initially burned coal, but were later converted to coal while being rebuilt between 1936 and 1947.

No. 3415 was initially assigned to pull passenger trains throughout the midwest, particularly through the Kansas City-La Junta and Newton-Galveston divisions, until diesel locomotives began to replace steam on the Santa Fe. No. 3415 was subsequently reassigned to pull freight and mail trains throughout Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, until it was retired in 1954. Instead of being sold for scrap, the Santa Fe donated No. 3415 to the city of Abilene on December 9, 1955 for static display in Eisenhower Park.[3]

Preservation

In April 1996, the city of Abilene decided to redevelop the park, and they removed No. 3415 from its display location and donated it to the nearby Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad, who put it on display near their depot. In 2005, the A&SVR decided to restore No. 3415 to operating condition for use on their tourist excursions. The locomotive was moved inside the A&SVR's locomotive facility, and restoration work was started by Wasatch Railroad Contractors from Cheyenne, Wyoming.[4] After three years of work, No. 3415 was test fired on December 1, 2008, and was officially fully restored for excursion service by 2009.[5]

The locomotive subsequently spent the next twelve years pulling tourist trains over the A&SVR's ex-Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific trackage between Abilene and Enterprise. However, it did not go faster than fifteen miles per hour, due to the rails being too light. At the end of the 2022 operating season, No. 3415 is planned to be taken out of service for its next 1472 rebuild and inspection.

Historical significance

No. 3415 was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 2012.[1]

References

External links

• Steam Locomotive - ATSF 3415

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