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ATCHISON TOPEKA & SANTA FE 2900 CLASS 4-8-4 During World War Two the Santa Fe was hit hard with an upsurge of traffic. The War Production Board allocated over half of all EMD FT units built to the railway, but even this was not enough. The road requested an allowance of twenty Baldwin 4-8-4's to be built for freight service and in 1943 was finally granted permission to acquire thirty. In 1943 and 1944 numbers 2900-2929 were delivered from Baldwin. The new engines were very similar to the previous 3776 class but because of wartime shortages, they had to be built with heavier steel components than the earlier engines. One result was that the 2900's were the heaviest, longest, most powerful 4-8-4's ever built. Carbon steel was used for the boilers, the frame and integral cylinders were cast in a single piece and the rods, which were tapered like all but #3784 and #3785 on the 3776 class (which had Timken rod bearings) were made of quenched steel. Drivers were "Box-pok by Baldwin. Timken roller bearings were used on all axles. Like the 3776 class, the 2900's were equipped with enormous tenders carried on eight wheel Buckeye trucks. These tenders could carry 25,000 gallons of water and 7,000 gallons of oil fuel. With the delivery of the thirty 2900's, the Santa Fe owned sixty-one 4-8-4 locomotives. The 2900's were placed into service between Kansas City and Los Angeles. Although ordered as freight locomotives, they were actually dual service machines and were used for long troop trains, mail and express runs and fast passenger runs. Few roads could claim the mileage records that the Santa Fe recorded, as it was common during the steam era to change engines every division or two rather than running them through on the same run. With modern appliances and good lubrication the Santa Fe 3776 and 2900's were more than capable of long distance running through some of the most extreme and varying geography in North America, ranging from the flat plains of Kansas, west Texas and Colorado to the grades of Raton and Cajon Passes, the mountains of northern Arizona and the deserts of New Mexico, California and Arizona. While waiting for eastbound assignments in Los Angeles, many 2900's made a quick round trip down the coast pulling troop trains and "San Diegans", which at this time consisted of anything from lightweight or heavyweight passenger cars, to a train of de-motorized electric suburban cars from the San Francisco Bay area. With the end of the war, traffic declines and proven economies of the diesel locomotive allowed the Santa Fe to develop a plan for replacement of obsolete power. The 4-8-4's (and 2-10-4's) were not considered with the older obsolescent power, and plans were made to modernize the locomotives. The 2900's were equipped with Automatic Train Shop equipment after 1947 which would allow them to continue service at speeds up to 100 mph. The engines were rebuilt with lightweight rods equipped with roller bearings. The number four drivers were changed to Baldwin disc (probably for better counter and cross balancing). These improvements allowed the 2900's to be used for any passenger service, which included almost any train except the SUPER CHIEF or the EL CAPITAN (which were diesel operated). They saw much use on the CHIEF and GRAND CANYON second sections and mail and express trains. By 1950 with dieselization well under way, Santa Fe's modern steam locomotives were concentrated on the Argentine (Kansas City)-Clovis freight line. The 4-8-4's were mixed with the 2-10-4's in heavy freight service. After the Korean truce, freight traffic declined and together with additional diesel deliveries, the big engines were needed less and less. Most were stored for various periods of time. A few engines were used on the Belen-Mountainair, New Mexico line in helper service, but by the end of August 1957 no further use of steam engines was made by the Santa Fe. In 1959 it was decided that the stored 4-8-4 and 2-10-4 locomotives could be disposed of. Fortunately a number of 2900's were thoughtfully preserved by the Santa Fe. Many were donated to cities that never saw them in regular service and Number 2925 was held by the Santa Fe until 1986 when it was presented to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
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