2472 & Suntan Special

Ben Quirk · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2003 1:43 am

Hey all:

I asked this over on trainorders, but only got one brief response and was wondering if anyone had more detailed info:

"Ive seen several photos of 2-6-0s, 4-6-0s, 2-8-0s, and even light Pacifics on the Suntan Special via the Mountain Route, however, I have yet to see any of the larger pacifics (2472, 2467, 2479 size).

Did this size engine ever make it to Santa Cruz? If so, was it ever via Felton?

Oh, and did the 2-8-0s that handled the train over the mountain run all the way to SF or was the train handed off to faster power?

Thanks
Ben Quirk"

Sam Reeves already posted: "No they were too heavy to go past Watsonville Jct. The Pajaro River trestle would fall down among others."

Could the 2472 sized Pacifics go through Felton and over the mountain?

benquirkc@yahoo.com

Tom Shreve · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2003 3:16 am

> Could the 2472 sized Pacifics go through
> Felton and over the mountain?

According to Rick Hamman the two largest engines ever to run on the Santa Cruz Branch were #3224, A consolidation, and #2371, a large ten wheeler. Some of the small Pacifics of class P-11 were used on the hill but the big engines of the P-8 and P-10 classes were (and are) too stiff for the tight curves of the mountains

ironbartom@aol.com

Tom Shreve · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2003 10:40 am

> According to Rick Hamman the two largest
> engines ever to run on the Santa Cruz Branch
> were #3224, A consolidation, and #2371, a
> large ten wheeler. Some of the small
> Pacifics of class P-11 were used on the hill
> but the big engines of the P-8 and P-10
> classes were (and are) too stiff for the
> tight curves of the mountains
Pardon me, #3224 was a mike of class MK-4. The worst part of the old line over the Santa Cruz Mountains was the former Santa Cruz & Felton and that's whats left.
Tom

ironbartom@aol.com

Ben Quirk · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2003 8:55 pm

> Pardon me, #3224 was a mike of class MK-4.
> The worst part of the old line over the
> Santa Cruz Mountains was the former Santa
> Cruz & Felton and that's whats left.
> Tom
Thanks Tom...
Also, do you have any idea if the smaller engines which handled the Suntan Specials powered the trains on their entire route or were the trains handed off by faster power in SJ, Los Gatos, etc?
Ben

benquirkc@yahoo.com

Tom Shreve · **Posted:** Wed Jul 30, 2003 1:25 pm

> Thanks Tom...
> Also, do you have any idea if the smaller
> engines which handled the Suntan Specials
> powered the trains on their entire route or
> were the trains handed off by faster power
> in SJ, Los Gatos, etc?
> Ben
I don't know about San Jose but after 1940 engines were changed at Watsonville Junction, usually to consolidations, for the Suntans to Santa Cruz.
Tom

ironbartom@aol.com