Southern Pacific Railroad

About Southern Pacific

Founded in 1865 by a group of businessmen in San Francisco, the Southern Pacific was created as a rail line from San Francisco to San Diego. By 1868, the it extended to New Orleans.

In 1885, the Southern Pacific leased the Central Pacific Railroad until eventually merging with it in 1959. Through the years, the line expanded to more than 13,000 miles of rail covering most of the southwestern United States.

In 1876, Southern Pacific assistant chief engineer William Hood devised the ingenious method of 18 tunnels in 28 miles of track climbing down from the Tehachapi Mountains to the San Joaquin Valley below. One of the most difficult was the Great Tehachapi Loop. The switchback literally had the Southern Pacific train curved back on itself as it gained altitude.*

*information obtained from UP.com

Locomotives

Left	Right	Details	Notes
		SP GE C44-9W	-
		SP GE AC4400CW	-
		SP EMD SD-40-2	-
		SP EMD SD-40-2 Tunnel Motor	-
		SP EMD SD-45-2	-
		SP EMD SD-70M	-

 

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© Content Provided by Alfred Woolfolk II unless noted.©