Southern Pacific No. 1744

Southern Pacific No. 1744 is a M-6 2-6-0 class "Mogul" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in November 1901 for the Southern Pacific Railroad. This type of locomotive is one of sixty-nine M-6 locomotives delivered to the Southern Pacific. It was built for freight service for much of its career.
On May 4, 1958, the locomotive took a railfan excursion on the Knights Landing branch.
Sometime after retirement it had had a number of different owners in preservation, such as the Heber Valley Railroad.
The 1744 was sold to the Tarantula Corporation and shipped to Fort Worth, Texas in 1989/1990, but remained dormant until acquisition by the Rio Grande Pacific Corporation in 1999, for restoration to working order.
From 2000 to 2001, the 1744 ran the New Orleans and Gulf Coast Railroad's "Big Easy Steam Train". The locomotive was then put into storage for a few years, not only surviving the wrath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but also even avoiding it.
The locomotive was then sold to the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad where it was used to haul excursions during the 2007 tourist season.
Immediately afterwards, it was dismantled for an FRA-mandated inspection and an overhaul which was never completed. The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad (part of the San Luis and Rio Grande) had cancelled its steam programme in 2013, after 4 years of its locomotives (1744 and ex-LSI 18) lying dormant and in pieces.
In 2020, #1744 was sold to the Pacific Locomotive Association, where its restoration re-commenced. Once this long and arduous job is finished, 1744 will be able to run under its own steam once again, on the Niles Canyon Railroad.
== Trivia ==
* No. 1744 is featured in the 1959 "This Earth Is Mine", starring Rock Hudson, Jean Simmons, Dorothy McGuire, Claude Rains, and directed by Henry King where it is filmed in the opening scene.
== Gallery ==
File:WMR 1744 alongside Deer Creek Reservoir August 1982RPx - Flickr - drewj1946.jpg
File:1744 July 21 2nd 063xx4 (12873559773).jpg
1744 3 - Flickr - drewj1946.jpg
Category:2-6-0 locomotives
Category:2-6-0 steam locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:Southern Pacific locomotives
Category:Baldwin locomotives
Category:Six-coupled locomotives
Category:Built in 1901
Category:Locomotives
Category:Excursion locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Restored locomotives
Category:Locomotives featured in media
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:Niles Canyon Railroad
Category:Southern Pacific Class M-6
Category:Niles Canyon Railway