#3768 was outshopped from the Baldwin Locomotive
Works in Philadelphia, PA, in 1938 at a cost of $178,767.17. It was one of eleven Class 3765 Northern type (4-8-4) locomotives built for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad #3765-#3775).
The 3765s were initially assigned to hauling crack passenger services, such as the Chief and Fast Mail Express between La Junta, CO, and Los Angeles, CA, and frequently ran the entire 1,234 mile trip without an engine change. After dieselisation progressed on the AT&SF, the 3765s were relegated to freight services, their last major assignment working on the Eastern Division between Argentine, KS, and Waynoka, OK. When #3768 made its last trip on 4th August 1953, it had racked up 1,779,162 miles in its 25 years service.
#3768 is the only survivor of its class. It was donated to the City of Wichita, KS, in 1958 and went on display at Friends' University. In 1977, it was relocated to a site near Wichita Union Station and, in 1985, it joined the Great Plains Transportation Museum collection.
Oil burners weighing 494,630 lbs, 281,900 lbs on their 80” drivers the 3765s were all equipped with Timken roller bearings. They had a 21’ 3” driver wheelbase and 50’ engine wheelbase. Equipped with Walschaert valve gear and 30” x 30” cylinders, the engines had 108 sq ft grates, 540 sq ft fireboxes, three thermic syphons and 125 sq ft combustion chambers. Total heating surface was 8,098 sq ft including 2,426 sq ft superheating.
Operating at a boiler pressure of 300 psi, the engines delivered a total of 79,968 lbs tractive effort.
Above, note the telescoping stack extension.
The 3765 class was one of several classes of Santa Fe steam locomotives equipped with air operated stack extensions. These were designed to help improve the draft in the firebox.
Above, 3768’s backhead.
The locomotive’s tender weighs 959,330 lbs light and had a capacity of 20,000 gallons of water and 7,000 gallons of oil.
The AT&SF bought sixty-five Northerns, in four batches, all from the Baldwin Locomotive Works to work its 2,200 main line running from Chicago to California. The first (#3751) was delivered in 1927, nine in 1928 (#3752-#3760) and four in 1929 (#3761-#3764). Eleven more were delivered in 1938 (#3765-#3775) and thirty in 1943 and 1944 designated as Class 2900 (#2900-#2929).
You can see more AT&SF Northerns on the Illinois Railroad Museum Train Sheds, the Pueblo Railroad Museum, ATSF 2900 #2913 and ATSF 3751 #3759 pages of this website.
