Extra! Extra!
N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson signs executive order creating the Centennial Task Force at the 2926 retoration site.
Centennial Train Project
A Centennial Train has been proposed for the 2012 New Mexico celebration.
click here for more info
National Registry
AT&SF 2926 was placed on the National Registry of Historical Places on Oct.1 2007
We are now officially:
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Donations are tax-deductible.
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2926 Faq's
The 2926 is a 4-8-4 Northern type constructed to a Santa Fe railroad
design following "Super Power" principles
Q. How old is 2926?
A: The 2926 was built in 1944 and is 64 years
old (2008).
Q. How big is 2926?
A: That depends on what you mean by big. Together,
the engine and tender are approximately 121 ft long.
Q. How much does it weigh?
A: The locomotive weighs 510,150 lbs,
and the tender weighs 464,700 lbs fully loaded with fuel and water.
Q. How does it work?
A: Oil is burned in the firebox to heat the
water in the boiler and make steam. The steam is piped to the cylinders
to drive pistons back-and-forth. The pistons are connected to the steel
pins on drive wheels by rods. When the pistons move back and forth the
rods transmit that force to the drive wheels making them rotate
Q. How powerful is the 2926?
A: There are three measures of power:
tractive effort, draw bar pull, and horsepower.
Tractive Effort: The starting tractive effort generated by the drive wheels
is listed in all company documents and specifications as 66,000 lbs. However,
that figure is thought to be little low. The real tractive effort when
starting is estimated to be closer to 70,000-74,000 lbs.
Draw bar Pull: The actual pull exerted at the tender coupler (and therefore
available to pull the train) ranges between 68,000-72,000 lbs. This is
based on test data obtained from a similar Santa Fe 4-8-4 (#3766). The
difference between estimated tractive effort and actual measured draw
bar pull is the amount of tractive effort (several thousand pounds) needed
to start the dead weight of the tender.
Horsepower: Horsepower varies with speed. Maximum horsepower is developed
between 35-65 mph. Testing showed draw bar horsepower (measured at the
coupler on the rear of the tender and available to pull the train) as
4,590 at 40 mph. The locomotive was actually producing more horsepower
(500-800 more), but some power is consumed moving the engine and tender
at that speed. As speed increases, more horsepower is needed for the engine
and tender just to maintain the higher speed, and less is available to
pull the train.
Q. How fast could 2926 go?
A: Nobody really knows. It was designed for
90 mph operation. That doesn't mean it couldn't go faster. It was upgraded
(as were all 2900 class engines) between 1946-48 with light weight roller
bearing rods to increase the design speed to 100 mph and in passenger
service there are lots of stories of speeds well over the "century" mark.
But documented runs in excess of 100 do not exist. This is because running
over 100 mph exceeded established speed limits and could get engineers
in trouble. However, when running late and with a "headnod" from management,
crews did exceed 100 mph and occasionally (if the stories of "old timers"
are to be believed) exceeded 110 mph. The locomotive's design, wheels,
rods, bearings, pistons, lubrication, etc. should have been capable of
the machinery speeds required to exceed 120 mph or more