Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

(SP) 2355 is one of 10 heavy

4-6-0 A 4-6-0 steam locomotive, under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, has four leading wheels on two axles in a leading bogie and six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles with the abse ...

'Ten Wheel'

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

s built by

Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) was an American manufacturer of railroad locomotives from 1825 to 1951. Originally located in Philadelphia, it moved to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania, in the early 20th century. The company was for decades t ...

in 1912, designated the T-31

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

. 2355 was retired from service in 1957 and was converted to a static display at Pioneer Park in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

. The locomotive was fenced off for safety concerns in the 1990s. Since 2008, efforts have been underway to relocate 2355 within Pioneer Park and perform cosmetic restoration. Restoring the locomotive to a running state from its current condition is deemed to be cost-prohibitive. Southern Pacific 2355 has one surviving sibling.

Southern Pacific 2353 Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) 2353 is one of 10 heavy 4-6-0 'Ten Wheel' steam locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in August 1912, designated the T-31 class. It was delivered to Southern Pacific in October and the boiler was changed ...

is on static display in

Campo, California Campo (Spanish for "Field") is an unincorporated community in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California, United States. The population was 2,684 at the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bur ...

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Campo, California, on the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway line. The museum also owns and manages a railroad depot located in La Mesa, California. Facilities Campo Sinc ...

. Southern Pacific 2355 remains on display where it was left in Pioneer Park. It was not relocated. The locomotive and tender have undergone a complete cosmetic restoration. Asbestos material and lead-based paint have been removed. Its paint was stripped completely using an environmentally-friendly blasting material. Polyurethane paint was applied and the train's electronics have been updated. Informational, interactive signage has been installed along with a completely new lighting arrangement. Cab control restorations continue. There are also plans to mount plaques listing all the donors and persons helping with the locomotive's restoration.

References

2355 Baldwin locomotives 4-6-0 locomotives Individual locomotives of the United States Preserved steam locomotives of Arizona Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Railway locomotives introduced in 1912 {{steam-loco-stub