Cab Forward Locomotive at the California State Railroad Museum

Photo by Cliff West

Southern Pacific AC-12 Class 4-8-8-2 #4294 was built by Baldwin in 1944 and was retired in March 1956. It is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific’s unique Cab Forward locomotives.

Southern Pacific purchased two conventional 2-8-8-2 articulated locomotives from Baldwin in 1909, but discovered the smoke posed a danger to crews in the tunnels and snowsheds of the mountainous routes they were needed for. The Cab Forward design was developed to solve these problems, placing the crew ahead of the locomotive’s exhaust. The first 2-8-8-2 Cab Forward locomotives were delivered in 1910 and proved to be a success for the Southern Pacific. In addition to the 2-8-8-2 wheel arrangement, Southern Pacific also ordered Cab Forwards with a 2-6-6-2 wheel arrangement which were quickly converted to the 4-6-6-2 arrangement. In 1928, Southern Pacific purchased its first Cab Forwards with a 4-8-8-2 wheel arrangement, the AC-1 class. Southern Pacific ultimately purchased a total of 256 Cab Forward locomotives. All were built by Baldwin, and no other American railroad followed Southern Pacific’s example.

Photo by Cliff West

Southern Pacific #4294 was the last steam locomotive purchased by the Southern Pacific. It was in service from March 19, 1944 to March 5, 1956. Southern Pacific wrote off its last Cab Forwards in September 1958. Southern Pacific #4294 was placed on display outside the Sacramento, California, station and dedicated to the city of Sacramento on October 19, 1958. In 1967 it was moved to make room an Interstate 5 ramp, and was stored at Southern Pacific’s Sacramento yards until restored in 1981 and placed in the California State Railroad Museum’s Railroad History Museum in Sacramento.