Locomotive number 60004 rolled out of Baldwin Locomotive Works (founded in 1831 by Matthias Baldwin) in May of 1927. She was the 13th 4-8-4 type locomotive built in America. The first twelve have all been scrapped, leaving only 3751 as the oldest 4-8-4 in existence.
Destined for the Santa Fe Railroad, she was a new design experience for both the builder and the operator. She was the first class of Santa Fe 4-8-4’s (a 4-8-4 locomotive has four leading wheels arranged in a leading truck , eight coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels in a trailing truck). Each costing $99,712.77 as delivered.
As originally built, 3751 was an innovation in design, with its 4-wheel trailing truck to support the 108 sq/ft firebox. The newly developed Type E super heater was applied. Included was a cast-steel engine bed and separate cast cylinders, with cross-counter balanced 73 inch drive wheels. The total engine weight was 432,240 lbs. The total engine-tender weight tipped the scales at 724,600 lbs. She had a starting tractive effort of 66,000 lbs, with a maximum drawbar horsepower of 3,200 at 40 mph.
Mechanical Engineer Lanning and his staff collaborated with...