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Southern Pacific Class P-8

Class of 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotives

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2012 characters
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Revision
1349607476 · 2026-04-18T02:59:55Z
Key vocabulary

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Pacific9 uses in this article Southern8 uses in this article Locomotive5 uses in this article Class6 uses in this article condition2 uses in this article excursion2 uses in this article Overland2 uses in this article Baldwin2 uses in this article between2 uses in this article County2 uses in this article being2 uses in this article Route2 uses in this article train2 uses in this article until2 uses in this article Works2 uses in this article preservation1 uses in this article specifically1 uses in this article constructed1 uses in this article Information1 uses in this article operational1 uses in this article

Overview

The Southern Pacific Class P-8 was a class of "Pacific" type steam locomotives that were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in 1921.

Introduction, construction and revenue service

In all, a total of 15 locomotives of what had become the Southern Pacific Class P-8 were ever constructed by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1921 and they were all numbered 2461 through 2475. They were designed to be used on the Southern Pacific specifically for the Overland Route from Ogden, Utah, to Oakland, California. The P-8 locomotives had operated on the Overland Route until the larger, more powerful Mt-class of 4-8-2s were delivered in the late 1920s. Most of the P-8s were then transferred further west for service between Oakland, California and Sacramento, California, along with the demanding Peninsula Commute services between San Francisco, California and San Jose, California. Withdrawal of the class commenced in 1957 and concluded in 1958, and all but two were scrapped.

Excursion star: No. 2475

On January 1, 1958, No. 2475 was pulled out of storage and fired up for an excursion train over Altamont Pass, after the excursion train finished, No. 2475 was retired again on May 21, 1958, moved to West Oakland and scrapped on March 25, 1959, at San Jose, California.

Preservation

Two locomotives have survived into preservation. As of 2022, No. 2467 is still stored serviceable while being displayed inside the CSRM's main hall with the chances of it running in operational condition being unlikely. * 2472 was donated to San Mateo County, California, where they had put the locomotive on static display at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds, it remained there in that spot until 1976 when a group of volunteers decided to restore the locomotive to operating condition. Restoration work was completed on April 30, 1991, the locomotive had also met up with Southern Pacific GS-4 #4449, as of 2023, No. 2472 is undergoing a 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.

See also

* Southern Pacific 2479 (Southern Pacific Class P-10)

External links

* Southern Pacific Class P-8 Information Page

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