Saw a photo of a Santa Fe steam switcher working at Chicago's Dearborn Station in the late 1940's or early 1950's. I checked out the internet and found that this particular class (825 class) were built as Vauclain Compound 2-8-0's in 1902 by both the Pittsburgh and Rhode Island plants of Alco, and by Slaughter & Grunning. I figured this last part was a misprint, but I checked and found that the WAS a Slaughter & Grunning Company that manufactured locomotives......in ENGLAND! Could the AT&SF have actually imported some of the 40 locomotives in this class from across the pond? Anybody out there have any details? And do any engines from this company still exist anywhere?

Thanks.

Les

It's definitely a misprint; according to all of the published rosters and other information on AT&SF's steam locomotives that I've seen, none of the Vauclain compound locomotives built for Santa Fe came from foreign builders, much less any other steam locomotives built for AT&SF or its subsidiaries after 1900. Besides, only Baldwin built Vauclain compound locomotives (Samuel Vauclain was Baldwin's general superintendent at the time and the company held exclusive ownership of the design patents for the type) and all of the 825 class locomotives built by the Pittsburgh and Rhode Island works were tandem compound locomotives.

As for the rest, just do a Google search for Slaughter & Grunning and you'll find what you're looking for.