# Big steam power on Santa Fe



## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

*I was going thru some old Santa fe photo looking for some Eng.'s to model and found this one.. I didn't know Santa fe has that large of power. * 
*I wonder where it ran/operated at???*











*Can't believe Santa fe had that large of a Eng.







*
*and nothing ever mention of it that I know of..*


*The photo is a org. Santa fe photo and has this typed on the back of the photo..*

" One of the ten 2-10-10-2, or Mallet type, freight locomotives constructed in 1911 by joining two 2-10-2 or Santa fe type locomotives together. They have a tractive force of 111,600 lbs.,A wheel base of 103 feet and a total length with out tender of 120 feet. Commencing in 1915 they were converted to Santa fe or 2-10-2 type freight locomotives."


*Noel*


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have actually held a brass model of this in HO in my hands. They could not keep them in steam, and eventually split them back to 2-10-2 locos as you said. 

Regards, Greg


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

The 2-10-10-2's were used between Bakersfield and Barstow and up to San Bernardino. They only lasted about six years before being dismantled and rebuilt into regular 2-10-2's. The tenders survived intact for many years used behind some of the 2-10-2's. I once saw an old silent movie on TV that took place on the Santa Fe in which a 2-10-10-2 took part. In fact there was a fight staged on top of it. I wish I could remember the name of the movie as it's the only time I've ever seen film of a Santa Fe 2-10-10-2 in action. 

Santa Fe tried a number of innovations including using flexible boilers. Articulateds were not successful on the Santa Fe and except for a few ex-N&W mallets used during WWII were not used after the very early years of the twentieth century.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

If I am not mistaken, this loco did have one of those flexible boilers, with the flex in the middle, where the large band is... right? That's the reason for the big pipes right? 

I also seem to remember seeing some locos with "corrugations" in the middle of the boiler... or maybe I am having a flashback. 

Regards, Greg


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg, 

To be honest I don't recall if the 2-10-10-2 had a flexible boiler or not. I don't believe so. I do know that they had a fleet of 2-6-6-2's with flexible boilers and a 4-4-6-2 that possibly had one. The flexible boilers were of course a maintenance headache.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

The Santa Fe shop guys were masters of innovation! Whereas many "innovations" leading to our modern steam engines were thought to be the work of Baldwin and the other manufacturers, the shops of the various railroads (particularly the ATSF) were almost as influential! I have a fascinating book on the locomotive design and innovations of the Santa Fe (complete with some really awesome photos!) that goes into quite some detail on this subject.


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