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Santa Fe class 2900
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United States | 1944
30 produced
Image of locomotive
Baldwin

The class 2900 was the last class of 4-8-4 passenger locomotives ordered by the Santa Fe. They numbered 30 and like all previous ones, they were built by Baldwin. Basically the same design as the class 3765, they fell under wartime restrictions. This meant that they could not be built with strong lightweight alloys, what increased their weight by around five tons. In the result, these were the heaviest passenger steam locomotives ever built.

The firebox had a combustion chamber that was 84 inches or 2.14 meters long and contained thermic syphons. Other features were a Worthington feed water heater and Timken roller bearings on all axles. During the war, they were mandated to haul freight and clocked nearly 10,000 miles per month on average. After the war ended, they hauled passenger trains until the late fifties. In 1959, 24 were scrapped while six were preserved. 2926 was started to be restored in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1999. It made the first run under its own power in 2021.

General
Built1944
ManufacturerBaldwin
Wheel arr.4-8-4 (Northern) 
Gauge4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase50 ft
Rigid wheelbase21 ft 3 in
Total wheelbase108 ft 2 in
Service weight510,150 lbs
Adhesive weight293,860 lbs
Total weight974,850 lbs
Axle load77,500 lbs
Water capacity24,500 us gal
Fuel capacity7,000 us gal (oil)
Boiler
Grate area108 sq ft
Firebox area479 sq ft
Tube heating area4,833 sq ft
Evaporative heating area5,312 sq ft
Superheater area2,366 sq ft
Total heating area7,678 sq ft
Power Plant
Driver diameter80 in
Boiler pressure300 psi
Expansion typesimple
Cylinderstwo, 28 x 32 in
Power
Power sourcesteam
Estimated power5,500 hp (4,101 kW)
Starting effort79,968 lbf
Calculated Values
steam locomotive
express
last changed: 01/2026
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