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This page last updated on 01/14/2018
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On a trip to Laughlin in January of 2009, we stopped by the Locomotive Park in Kingman, AZ, home to famed steam engine #3759. Built in 1928 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Eddystone, PA, Engine No. 3759, a “Northern-type” coal burning steam locomotive ran passengers between Los Angeles and Kansas City for more than 20 years, and before it was retired by the Santa Fe Railroad, it had run a total of 2,585,600 miles. This engine was a 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam engine. It was one of sixty-five engines of this type used by AT&SF. 4-8-4 refers to the wheel configuration of the engine. There is a four-wheel leading truck, supporting the cab of the engine. This four-wheel truck is followed by an eight wheel driver arrangement. The driver wheels on the steam engine were 73 inches in diameter. The driver wheels are followed by another four-wheel truck, the trailing truck, which supported the fireboxes and the boilers. The 4-8-4 configuration made locomotives faster, and was used mainly on fast freight and passenger trains. In 1941, Engine No. 3759 was rebuilt and converted to run on oil fuel. Engine No. 3759 was presented to the City of Kingman by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1957 as a historical monument. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Area Description: Kingman, the Heart of historic Route 66 & one of the hidden treasures of Arizona, is conveniently located on Interstate 40 and is the perfect launching point for "Route 66 and Beyond". Scenic hiking, historic charm, great cafes and restaurants, and the allure of Route 66 combine to make Kingman a remarkable destination. At an elevation of around 3,300 feet Kingman offers a temperate climate year-round. Kingman was founded as a railroad settlement and a monument in the park pays tribute to those who forged the route, such as the wagon trails of the early settlers and the surveys of Lt. Edward Beale. Located directly across from the Historic Route 66 Museum, Locomotive Park is a place where visitors may get up close and examine this marvel of earlier locomotive structure and design while listening to the modern trains whizzing by on the nearby railroad tracks across the street.
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