The California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society display at Fairplex, Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, Pomona, CA

Southern California Chapter RLHS, Fairplex, Pomona, CA

The Southern California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society was formed in 1953. It has a display at Fairplex, on the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, CA. The collection is open on the second weekend of each month, Saturday and Sunday, as well as during the LA County Fair.

To get to the collection, you need to enter the Fairplex at Gate 1 on McKinley Ave. If you tell the guard at the gate that you are visiting the collection, you shouldn't have to pay for parking on a regular weekend. The collection itself also has a small parking area, enough for about three cars.

The collection consists of seven steam locomotives, one UP Centennial class diesel and three pieces of rolling stock. Various rail-related objects are also displayed in the depot building, the former Santa Fe station and freight house from Arcadia, CA. My main interest is in UP #9000, although SP #5021 is also in the collection. These are two of only four surviving US built three-cylinder locomotives, a type somewhat in vogue in the mid-late 1920s. Union Pacific "Big Boy" #4014, one of eight surviving of this class, is also worth the visit.

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The collection stands on a narrow strip of land adjacent to the Los Angeles State Fair Grounds. At the entrance is the former AT&SF station depot and freight house originally from Arcadia, CA. It was built in 1895 and, for over seventy years, remained in use on AT&SF's Pasadena Subdivision. It is a fine example of the "Gingerbread" style of architecture, one characterised by ornate, mixed decoration.

Above, a view looking down the museum yard. On the left is United States Potash narrow gauge #3 and, on the right, ATSF #3450. This view shows just how narrow the spit of land is that is occupied by the collection.

The Fairplex grounds are to the right of ATSF #3450.

#3450 is the first of ten Hudson type (4-6-4) locomotives built for the AT&SF by Baldwin in 1927. It is 97' 11" long and weighs 639,260 lbs (343,900 lbs engine, 295,360 lbs tender light). It has an 88 sq ft grate area, a combined heating surface of 4,108 sq ft, including 980 sq ft superheating, and 25" x 28" cylinders.

All ten (#3450-#3459) were built as coal burners, but were converted to oil in 1932.

Soon after conversion to burn oil, the 73" drivers were replaced by 79" ones, and the boiler pressure raised from 220 psi to 230 psi. This reduced their tractive effort from 44,250 lbs to 43,300 lbs but increased their speed.

Starting service between Chicago, IL, and Colorado, some were later assigned to service between Bakersfield and Oakland, CA. #3450 was donated to the collection by the AT&SF in 1955.

#6915 is a 6,600 hp diesel-electric, one of forty-seven built by EMD for the Union Pacific between 1969 and 1971. At 98' 5", the DD40X is the longest as well as the most powerful single-unit diesel locomotive ever built.

#6915 retired from service in 1984 and was donated to the collection in 1986.

Thirteen other DD40X locomotives survive.

You can see #6900 on the Kenefick Park page of this website, #6913 on the Museum of the American Railroad page, #6916 on the Spencer S. and Hope Fox Eccles Railroad Center page and #6922 on the UP Challenger page.

UP #9000 is the first of eighty-eight 9000 class
(4-12-2) locomotives built by Alco between 1925 and 1929. With a wheelbase of 30' 8", they were the largest steam locomotives built on a rigid frame.

The drive wheels were powered by three cylinders, one 27" x 32" inside the frame, which transmitted power through a crankshaft on the second 67" driver axle, and two 27" x 33" outside cylinders.

9000s operated over much of the UP system, except north of Huntington on the OWR&N and the "North End" from Pocatello, ID, to Butte, MT, where their wheel base and 495,000 lb weight proved unsuited.

They were built with a maximum speed of 35 mph but the Union Pacific worked them to 55 mph as standard and even pushed them to 60 mph hauling fast freight and occasional passenger trains.

Challengers were bought to replace the 9000s, and speed was the main factor in this decision.

Challengers had a maximum speed of 70 mph but could, unofficially, reach 90 mph. Their turning time was also quicker, and they saved 40% in maintenance costs over the 9000s.

The last 9000 ran in revenue service in March 1956.

The following month, #9000 ran as Extra 9000 West to Los Angeles and was donated to the collection. It is a great historical artefact in that it is not only the sole survivor of its class, but also the first built.

This 3-truck Climax locomotive was built for the Northern California Lumber Co., of Hilt, CA., in 1909. It was sold to the Fruit Growers Supply Co., in 1913, who donated it to the chapter in 1954 (the collection's very first acquisition).

An oil burner, #3 weighs 130,000 lbs, has 12 35" geared drivers and 12½" x 14" cylinders. It operated at a boiler pressure of 180 psi generating a tractive effort of 9,562 lbs with a top speed of 12 mph.

This 0-6-0 switcher was built by the Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1887 for the AT&SF as #590. In 1909, it was sold to the Outer Harbor Terminal Railway, and worked on the San Pedro Docks in California until retired in 1955 and donated to the collection.

#3 weighs 91,500 lbs, has 53" drivers and 18" x 24" cylinders. An oil burner, it operated at a boiler pressure of 140 psi generating a tractive effort of 17,5 lbs.

UP "Big Boy" (4-8-8-4) #4014 last operated in July 1959 and was donated to the chapter by the UP in 1962.

When the collection is open, the whistle can be operated by compressed air. This is perhaps the closest we'll get now (other than recordings) to hearing how a Big Boy actually sounded in operation.

Eight Big Boys have survived.

You can find detailed information and many more photographs of Big Boys on the Cheyenne Big Boy, Kenefick Park, St. Louis Museum of Transportation, Museum of the American Railroad, National Railroad Museum and Steamtown pages of this website.

#5021 is the sole survivor of forty-nine Southern Pacific type locomotives built by Alco between 1925 and 1927. The three cylinder oil burning 4-10-2 was delivered in 1926.

#5021 was in active operation until 1955 and was donated to the collection the following year. It weighs 395,700 lbs and has 63½" drivers. The inside cylinder is 25" x 28" and the outside cylinders are 25" x 32". It operated at a boiler pressure of 225 psi and delivered tractive effort of 84,200 lbs.

#3 is a narrow gauge (36") Consolidation type locomotive (2-8-0) built by Baldwin in 1903 for the Morenci Southern Railroad, an 18.4 mile line in Southern Arizona running between Morenci and Guthrie on the San Francisco River. When the Morenci Southern was abandoned in 1922, #3 was bought by United States Potash for their ore hauling railroad at Carlsbad, NM, where it operated until 1946.

#3 weighs 134,000 lbs and has 17" x 20" cylinders. Its 38" drivers are inside the frame, counterbalances and rods on the outside. An oil burner, it operated at 175 psi with tractive effort of 21,495 lbs.

It was donated to the collection in 1956 by the United States Borax and Chemical Corporation (ex United States Potash).

The California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society display at Fairplex, Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, Pomona, CA

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