America's largest Northern. The largest operable 4-8-4 "Northern" locomotive in the United States is this massive beast, built by Baldwin for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1944. Designed for use on fast passenger and freight trains, AT&SF 2926 is one of 30 Class 2900 locomotives, which weighed in at 974,000 lbs. and featured 80" drivers, an operating pressure of 300 psi, and a tractive effort of 66,000 lbs. They were capable of speeds in excess of 110 mph. Alas, like many "ultimate" steam locomotives produces in the 40s, their careers were rather short. This particular engine was retired in 1953, after just a 9-year career.
Upon retirement, the 2926 was donated to the City of Albuquerque, NM and spent about 45 years as an outdoor, static display, albeit in a desert environment. In 1999, she was acquired by the New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society with the intention to restore it to operational condition. With mostly volunteer labor, the process ultimately took over 20 years. The engine moved under her own power for the first time in 2021, after 65 years of inactivity. The NMSL & RHS, now known as New Mexico Heritage Rail has plans to eventually operate her in excursion service on the state-owned "Rail Runner" trackage, but for now, she's stored indoors, in a dedicated facility in Albuquerque, and she appears occasionally at special events. The locomotive is pictured here, running in the Albuquerque Yard during an October 2024 photo shoot, organized by Lerro Photography.
