Santa Fe 3759 Locomotive

The Baldwin Locomotive Works built the Santa Fe 3759 Locomotive in 1928 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF). It provided passenger service between Los Angeles and Kansas City and made the round-trip journey ten times a month. The 3759 was first powered by coal then oil, and is classified as a "heavy mountain" locomotive with a gross weight of 468,800 pounds (that includes the train tender, which contained the coal). It had maximum speed of 100mph although its average speed ranged between 54 and 60.2mph. The ATSF operated the 3759 until 1953 and donated it to the city in 1957. It and a caboose added in 1987 are on display in the aptly named Locomotive Park across the street from the Arizona Route 66 Museum.

The ATSF, which was first called the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, built a rail line from Winslow to Beale Springs (Kingman) in the early 1880s as part of an effort to connect Needles and Albuquerque. Beale Springs was renamed Kingman after railroad supervisor, Lewis Kingman, who was directed to survey routes across Arizona. Kingman was established in 1882. The railroad was essential for the area's mining and ranching industries, which depended on the freight service the ATSF provided.

The 3759 is a 4-84 locomotive, meaning that its wheel arrangement consists of four leading wheels, eight powered wheels, and four trailing wheels. It traveled a total of 2,585,600 miles during its lifetime and stopped at Kingman to refill its water tank. Its last trip was in 1953 from Los Angeles to Barstow when diesel locomotives replaced steam engines. The ATSF put it into storage until it was donated to Kingman in 1957.

"AT&SF Locomotive 3759." Arizona State Historic Property Inventory. July 25, 1984. https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/86001113.

"Santa Fe No. 3759 Locomotive." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed September 15, 2023. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=29360.