#2521 was outshopped in August 1907, and started work on the SP the following year. It was in service until 1957, spending most of it working life in northern California and Oregon, then in Yuma for its last few working years, having travelled an estimated 2.5 million miles.
It is one of the so-called "Harriman Common Standard" roster of eighty-seven Consolidation type (2-8-0) locomotives built in 1905 to the same design by Burnham, Williams & Co., an early incarnation of the Baldwin Locomotive Works (#2513-#2599). This Class C-9 was superheated by the SP beginning in 1922.
This “Common Standard” Consolidation type steam locomotive with its 57” drivers was one of the four types of steam engines developed by the Associated Railroads in the first year of its locomotive program. The “Associated Railroads” consisted of the Southern Pacific, Chicago & Alton, Union Pacific and its affiliates, Oregon Short Line and the Oregon-Washington RR & Navigation Co., which were combined under one management in 1902 by E. H. Harriman.
As built, the C-9 weighed 207,000 lbs, 184,000 lbs on its 57” drivers. The engine wheelbase was 24’ 4” and the driver wheelbase 15’ 9”. With Stephenson valve gear and 22” x 30” cylinders, it had a 49.5 sq ft grate, 171.3 sq ft firebox and total heating surface of 3,397 sq ft. Operating at a boiler pressure of 200 psi, it delivered 43,305 lbs tractive effort. The tender weighed 132,480 lbs light and had a capacity of 7,000 gallons of water and 2,940 gallons of oil.
The Class was progressively superheated by the SP beginning in 1922.
The rebuilt engines were equipped with Walschaert valve gear and increased in weight to 216,700 lbs, 191,900 lbs on the drivers. The firebox area increased to 189 sq ft and total heating surface rose to 3,497 sq ft including 600 sq ft superheating. Boiler pressure rose to 210 psi and tractive effort to 45,471 lbs. A larger tender was also mated to the engine, weighing 135,050 lbs with a capacity of 9,000 gallons of water and 3,353 gallons of oil.
In 1957, #2521 was donated to City of Yuma, AZ. It is on display in Gateway Park.
