My Descriptive RecorD
The fireman’s Side of Southern Pacific 3420 just before the November 2017 El Paso Train Show. The location is the tail of the switching spur in the FreePort McMoRan Copper Refinery near the Jack Bell Ball Park. 3420 operated for the dedication of the ball park in 1985
My Construction
Date Built: August 1904
Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works
Where Constructed: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Builder’s Number: 24586
My Ownership History
Original Owner: El Paso & Northeastern Ry
Second Owner: El Paso & Southwestern RR
Third Owner: Southern Pacific RR
Current Owner: City of El Paso, Texas
Sunsetted City of El Paso Boards that have had oversight of Southern Pacific 3420
El Paso Historical Railroad Board, City of El Paso Ordinance 7120 on February 10, 1981 and amended by Ordinance 7834.
El Paso Transportation & Industrial Archaeology Board City of El Paso Ordinance 10583 on May 7, 1991.
To see the legal papers go to 3420 legal papers.
Above is the last locomotive diagram that the Southern Pacific produced for 3420 from March 1, 1950.
Railroads would often create a booklet of drawings with information on each class of locomotives that they owned. This way employees in the field could quickly freer to the drawings for certain information. The longer a class of locomotives served on a railroad, the class members would often develop differences between each other. At the end of 3420’s service on the Southern Pacific, 3420 had its own page in the locomotive diagram book, page C-19a. (research continues as to why)
The information given varies from between railroads. The El Paso & Southwestern typically showed the tender in the locomotive diagrams. The Southern Pacific had a separate Tender Diagram book. This was because of the large classes of locomotives of the Southern Pacific and the different locomotive and tender combinations that were possible.
My Basic Information
WHEEL ARRANGEMENT: 2-8-0 (using the Whyte Classification System)
MY DIMENSIONS
RIGID WHEEL BASE: 16 Feet.
WHEEL BASE: 24 Feet 7 Inches
DISTANCE BETWEEN PULLING FACE AND CHAFING IRON: 38 Feet 11 7/16 Inches
CAB HEIGHT: 13 Feet 10 1/4 Inches
STACK HEIGHT: 15 Feet 2 1/4 Inches
WEIGHT ON DRIVERS: 177,800 Lbs.
TOTAL LOCOMOTIVE WEIGHT: 198,500 Lbs.
Weights are after the installation of the superheaters in 1918 which added approximately five tons to the total locomotive weight.
TENDER LENGTH BETWEEN PULLING FACE AND CHAFING IRON: 28 Feet 3 1/2 Inches
TENDER HEIGHT: 12 Feet 11 3/8 Inches
(The heights of railroad equipment are taken from the top of the rail for a consistent reference point.)
FUEL: Oil
CAPACITY: 2,200 Gallons.
TENDER: 126,000 Lbs.
LOCOMOTIVE AND TENDER WEIGHT FULLY LOADED: 324,500 Lbs. or 162.25 Tons
(Source UTEP Library Special Collections Department Southern Pacific Collection MS 077 Locomotive and Tender Diagrams)
CYLINDER DIAMETER: 22 ½ INCHES
PISTON THRUST 79,520 LBS (Source Locomotive Data The Baldwin Locomotive Works Eleventh Edition 1939 Philadelphia PA, Pg 58.)
CYLINDER STROKE: 28 Inches
DRIVER DIAMETER: 57 Inches
BOILER PRESSURE: 200 Psi.
TRACTIVE FORCE: 42,280 Lbs.
BOILER TYPE: EXTENDED WAGON TOP
BOILER SAFETY VALVES: 3 INCH CROSBY
NUMBER OF SAFETY VALVES: 2
INJECTORS: Number Two
Type: NATHAN SYMPLEX LIFTING 11
I am required by federal law to have two ways of putting water into my boiler. To meet this requirement, I currently have two lifting injectors, one is on each side of the boiler. A lifting injector lives on the side of the boiler and the water is lifted by steam to the injector.
To operate the injector the water valve is turned on and then the sliding steam handle is partially pulled back until water appears at the overflow showing the overflow showing that the injector is primed. It is then fully pulled back to increase the steam flow and start placing the water into the boiler. You then adjust the water valve to control the rate of water input into the boiler. To shut the injector of you first push the pull handle to stop the steam. You then close the water valve leaving it at ¼ turn from the fully closed position. The water flowing thru the valve has cooled I the valve causing it to contract and without the water flowing thru it the metal expands. If the valve is tight the result is it swells to a very tight condition that takes a wrench to reopen it.
BOILER CHECK VALVES: NATHAN REVERSIBLE
This I am equipped with two boiler check valves. A check valve is a valve that permits the flow in only direction. My Boiler Check Valves are located where the flow from the boiler injectors enters my boiler. This prevents the boiler pressure from flowing to the injector. The operation of the check valve is automatic by the use of boiler pressure and the flow from my injectors.
I am currently equipped with reversable check valves manufactured by the Nathan Manufacturing Co.
This photo shows my fireman’s side check valve. This photo also shows the boiler patch applied by the SP on December 31, 1944. Photo by Robby Peartree
WATER GLASSES: KLINGER 8 5/8-INCH REFLEX GLASS
SUPERHEATERS: SCHMIT TYPE A
THROTTLE VALVE: RUSHTON DOUBLE SEAT BALANCED VALVE
VALVE GEAR: STEPHENSON
Hydrostatic Lubricator: Nathan Five Feed
Mechanical Lubricator: None
PISTON RING SLOT: BOX TYPE
PISTON RING NUMBER: 6
PISTON RING SIZE: 9/16” BY ¾”
Piston Rod Packing: P&M
POWER REVERSE: RAGONET 9-INCH
ENGINE TRUCK or PILOT TYPE: SWING CENTER
AIR BRAKES: WESTINGHOUSE ENGINE and TENDER #6
AIR COMPRESSOR GOVERNOR TYPE: SD
AIR COMPRESSOR: WESTINGHOUSE 8 1/2 INCH CROSS COMPOUND
AIR RESERVOIR VOLUME: 67,179 CUBIC INCHES
INDEPENDENT BRAKE VALVE: WESTINGHOUSE S-6
AUTOMATIC BRAKE VALVE: WESTINGHOUSE H-6
BELL RINGER: VILOCO (Missing)
CYLINDER COCKS: AIR
Sanders: Air Operated
Type: Leach
The lower valve handle operates the rear sanders and the solid valve handle operates the pneumatic ringing of the bell. The valve at the top with the handle outside of the photograph operates the front sanders. On 3420 sand is applied ahead of the second driver and behind the third driver. The firebox limits the placement of the rear sander any further back and the front sander is placed behind the first driver to avoid sand in the cross heads.
DRAW GEAR: 1 DRAW BAR 2 SAFETY CHAINS
GENERATOR: K2 TURBO GENERATOR
HEADLIGHT: 18-INCH ROUND CASE PYLE NATIONAL
(California State Railroad Museum Southern Pacific Form C.S.-4395)