The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-29
First Locomotive Built West of
the Mississippi River.
Was Constructed in Topeka
Shops in 1SSO-S1.
IS USED AS SWITCH ENGINE
1t Is Just as Effective as Ever
1t Was.
1t Is All That Remains of Geo.
Hackney's Work.

The first locomotive built west OF
the Mississippi river was CONSTRUCTED
m the Topeka shops of the Santa Fe-
The work was begun in 1850 and the
locomotive was completed in 1881,
When this work took place, w. b.
Strong was president of the Santa f'e
with Headquarters in Topeka the
Santa Fe shops employed a force of
400 men when running on full time
The late George Hackney was superin-
tendent of machinery and he was the
builder of the first engine, all parts
being constructed in Topeka.
No. 0172 is still in the service OF
service and in many ways is just as
service and in many ways is puSt as
effective as it was when Hackney built
it. 1t is the only one of a half dozen
which he built that is still in Santa
Fe service today.
Locomotives can be kept in repair
from year to year so that many vet
Grams of the road are still active on
the system. There are only few en-
gines, however, which have been in
constant use for more than 40 years
But for those ten or dozen years
younger, the old parts can easily be
restored from time to time so as TO
keep up with the modern trend of ma
chinery. A large force of men is reg
ularly employed in the local shops re-
building parts.
The reason that the first engines on
the road became obsolete is that they
are too small for the requirements OF
TODAY. All OF the old ones are unIlI
for either passenger or freight use on
the main lines, but they have been
taken to the branches where they are
used to good advantage. The old
freight engines are used in the switch
ing service while the old passenger
engines are pulling plugs on minor
lines.
Value of a Locomotive.
Take engine No. 031, for instance
The worth of a locomotive is usually
I
engine, which was only recently dedi-
Gated to the scrap heap, had a tract1Ve
force of $500. 1t was formerly used
in passenger service The larger pas
$500 of the Baldwin-Pacific type,
have a tractive force of "a, 600 pounds.
One of the best freight engines thir-
ty years ago had a tractive force OF
of that time. one that attracted wide
attention, had force of 23,60O
pounds. No one believed a locomotive
could be larger. Yet in everyday serv-
force $4,000 pounds, while there are
mallet engines with a tractive force
of 1OS.3OO pounds and one or two
huge engines with III, 800 pounds.
The cost of a locomotive today
varies. The smaller ones of S5 years
ago were priced at $4,000. Today the
average engine costs around $4,000,
while the larger ones used in the
nedNN ITelSnI service average ITOIIt
$4,000 to $4,000. One of the finest
types of locomotive on the system, a
series used extensively on fast freight
movements, has a tractive force of
66,400 and costs nearly $4,000
Built in 1888.
No. 40, the old engine used on the
Topeka-St. Joseph branch, was built
in 1888. 1t is still in excellent condi-
ton.
The Santa Fe has between 1900 and
$500 engines. Many of the older 10
comotives are continually being sent
to the scrap-heap or are sold to
smaller railways When an engine is
doomed to destruction, the valuable
parts are always sorted out and sold
or saved for use again.
The Baltimore & Ohio railroad to- |
day has many old locomot olives which |
were in the service as far back as
1928. They have the first engine that !