Built in 1925 for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, #1526 was one of ten Mountain type (4-8-2) locomotives delivered to the railroad (#1520-#1529) designated Class T-54. Twenty of the class had been delivered in 1923
(#1500-#1519), and all thirty were built by
the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA.
Problems with the Baker gear on the earlier T54s, led the Frisco to order the next ten with Walschaert valve gear. They also featured other changes from the earlier T-54s. The firebox was fitted with thermic syphons contributing 84 sq ft of heating surface and an 89 sq ft combustion chamber.
Other changes
included more, large diameter flues and
more superheater
area.
Although the ten were delivered with Sellers injectors and were coal burners, they were
soon converted to oil burners with Chicago injectors.
#1529 weighs 355,000 lbs, 247,000 lbs on its 69" drivers. The engine wheelbase is 40' 4" and the driver wheelbase 18'. With a 70.3 sq ft grate and 405 sq ft firebox, the total heating surface is 5,620 sq ft, including 1,180 sq ft superheating. Operating at a boiler pressure of 200 psi the locomotive delivered 54,085 lbs tractive effort. The tender weighs 240,500 lbs light and has a capacity of 11,700 gallons of water and 4,500 gallons of oil.
The 1500s were well regarded by crews and could handle fast freight and passenger service as well as locals.
The engines could also make very long runs, including 542 miles from St Louis to Oklahoma City, MO, and 737 miles from Kansas City, MO, to Birmingham, AL, without an engine change.
In 1961, #1526 was donated to the Great Plains Historical Association. It is on display at the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton, OK. Six Frisco 4-8-2s have been preserved. You can see other survivors on the SLSF #1501, Railroad Museum of Oklahoma, National Museum of Transportation, St. Louis Sheds and SLSF #1527 pages of this website.
