Southern Pacific 18

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Nevada-California-Oregon 12
Southern Pacific 18
SP 18 at Laws.jpg
SP No. 18 at Laws, California in 2017
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number37395
Model10-26 D 285
Build dateDecember 1911
Rebuild date2009–July 2017
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
 • UIC2′C
Driver dia.44 in (1.118 m)
Tender weight87,000 pounds (39 t)
Tender typeWhaleback
Fuel typeOil
Boiler pressure180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size16 in × 20 in (406 mm × 508 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
CouplersKnuckle
Performance figures
Tractive effort17,800 lbf (79.18 kN)
Career
OperatorsNevada–California–Oregon Railway
Southern Pacific
Eastern California Museum
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (leased from November 2018–October 2019, April 2021–October 2021)
Numbers
  • NCO 12
  • SP 18
NicknamesSlim Princess
LocaleEastern California
Delivered1911
Retired1955 (revenue service)
RestoredJuly 2017
Current ownerEastern California Museum
DispositionOperational, based in Independence, California
#18 with standard gauge Southern Pacific locomotive 3203 at Owenyo, California in 1953.

Southern Pacific No. 18, also known as the "Slim Princess", is an oil-fired 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type narrow-gauge steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1911.

History[]

It was originally built in 1911 for the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway and was sold to Southern Pacific in 1926.[1] No. 18 worked the rest of its career on the Southern Pacific narrow-gauge. The locomotive, along with sisters Nos. 8 and 9, were nicknamed "The Desert Princess" for serving the desert areas of Nevada and California.

In 1954, a new narrow-gauge General Electric diesel locomotive was purchased as Southern Pacific No. 1 to replace Nos. 8 and 18, resulting in the two steam locomotives retiring soon after the arrival of No. 1. No. 8 was donated to the City of Sparks, Nevada, while No. 18 was donated to the City of Independence, California.

No. 9 was the last Southern Pacific narrow-gauge steam locomotive to retire and pull a Southern Pacific narrow-gauge passenger train, with the last day of steam operation on the narrow-gauge line being August 25, 1959 and was retired a year later.[2]

The locomotive was preserved, along with No. 8 and E9 Unit No. 18, was restored for operating condition between 2009 and July 2017 on a short stretch of track in a public park in Independence, California. Then, in early November 2018, No. 18 was leased to the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Durango, Colorado to train the crew on an oil burner, as the D&SNG is restoring K-37 No. 493 to operating condition while also converting the locomotive from burning coal to burning fuel oil.[3][4] Restoration work on No. 493 was later completed on January 24, 2020.

On April 9, 2019, while the locomotive was working a spring excursion, a piston ring broke, creating a hole in the right-side cylinder head.[5] The failure of the piston ring occurred on the grades between Hermosa and Rockwood.[5] The four passenger cars, along with 100 passengers on board, were hauled back to Durango. The next day, No. 18 was hauled back to Durango for repairs.

The cause of the piston ring failure is unknown. On July 22, 2019, the engine returned to service.[6] No. 18 returned home to the Eastern California Museum in October 2019.

On April 8th, 2021, it was announced that No. 18 is returning to Durango and Silverton from April 2021 to October 2021, and on April 11th, it departed for Durango, Colorado via truck. After arriving back at Durango, Colorado 18 has been used for many doubleheader runs to Silverton since early May 2021 and will be taking part in a photo charter in September 2021 alongside 493.

Southern Pacific No. 18 in Silverton

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Devereux, Nigel (November 30, 2017). "Southern Pacific narrow gauge steams again". The Railway Magazine. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  2. ^ Drury (2015), pp. 301, 307.
  3. ^ Laepple, Wayne (October 8, 2018). "Southern Pacific's 'slim princess' to visit Colorado's Durango & Silverton". Trains. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  4. ^ "Colorado railroad leases oil-fired locomotive from California museum for crew training". Trains. October 24, 2018. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Scalf, Thomas (April 11, 2019). "VIDEO: Southern Pacific No. 18 blows a cylinder while on D&SNG excursion". Trains. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  6. ^ Scalf, Thomas (July 22, 2019). "Southern Pacific No. 18 returns to service on the Durango & Silverton". Trains. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.

Bibliography[]

  • Drury, George H. (2015). Guide to North American Steam Locomotives (2nd ed.). Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62700-259-2.

External links[]

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