Santa Fe 2926 Informations

Santa Fe 2926 is a former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe) 4-8-4 steam locomotive originally built in 1944 by Baldwin Locomotive Works. This locomotive was part of the last group of steam passenger locomotives (class 2900) built for the Santa Fe railway. This class of locomotives were the heaviest 4-8-4's built in the United States, and among the largest. The railroad used the locomotive in both fast freight and passenger service, accumulating over one million miles of usage before its last revenue run on December 24, 1953. The locomotive and a caboose were donated to the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1956 in recognition of the city's 250th anniversary, and placed in a city park.

The city displayed the locomotive as a static exhibit in Coronado Park until it was sold to the New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society on July 26, 1999. On June 23, 2000, the locomotive was moved by Messer Construction Company to a BNSF Railway rail siding just south of Menaul Boulevard. Subsequently, in May, 2002, the locomotive was moved by the railroad to its current location near the intersection of 8th Street and Haines Avenue where it is undergoing restoration to operating condition by the Society. When the restoration is completed, 2926 will be the largest operating 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive in the United States. Norfolk and Western 611 is currently the largest operating 4-8-4 Northern type locomotive.

On October 1, 2007, the locomotive was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

On February 11, 2016, House Memorial 100, introduced by Don L. Tripp, and adopted by the New Mexico State Legislature recognized The Santa Fe 2926 Steam Locomotive as New Mexico's Steam Locomotive and a representative of the Railroads' contributions to the economic and cultural growth and stature of New Mexico.

In January 2018, it was reported that the restoration was nearing completion and that the locomotive could potentially be operational by the end of the year. As of that date, NMSLandRHS members had put in 166,000 hours of volunteer labor and spent over $2.8 million on the project.

On August 22, 2018, the boiler of ATSF 2926 was fired up for the first time in 63 years.

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