QUOTE: Originally posted by DeLuxe
I know that SP´s 4-10-2 locomotives were used on Donner Pass in the beginning, where they could pull 17 cars up the hill alone. But soon, they were found too rigid for the curves and tracks there, and where moved to more flater terrain to the Coast Line and the Sunset Route. And they still were used sometimes on passenger trains. I would like to know which passenger trains they have pulled after being placed there, especially, did they ever pull the Sunset Limited in the late 20ies, 30ies and 40ies? And in addition to that I would like to know if the Sunset Limited ever enjoyed All Pullman status back in his heavyweight days.
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Check out the book "Three Barrels Of Steam" by Jim Boynoton. There's a chapter on a robbery of the "West Coast Limited" near Saugus, CA in 1929. Train was hauled by #5042. My guess is that "The Owl" and "San Joaquin" also saw 4-10-2's on the point in the late 20's to early 30's from LA to Bakersfield. Given that #5042 was on the point of #59, it's a reasonable assumption that it was equipped with steam heat and signal lines.
SP's 4-8-2's were originally designed for and assigned to the Sunset Route, so I would doubt that the 4-10-2's would have been the road engine on the "Sunset Limited" except in an emergency. They certainly were used as helpers on both freight and passenger trains over Beaumont Hill.
As for the Coast Line, I've seen pictures of 4-10-2's either light or on freights in Santa Clara, San Jose and San Luis Obispo, but I doubt they were used as the road engine on passenger trains on that route. They just didn't have the speed capacity.
Andre
It's really kind of hard to support your local hobby shop when the nearest hobby shop that's worth the name is a 150 mile roundtrip.