Swanton Pacific Railroad owned by Cal Poly University, featuring Pacifics built by Louis MacDermot for the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, CA. Now residing in Swanton, CA on the former ranch of Al Smith, proprietor of Orchard Supply Hardware.
The Overfair Railway Pacifics were designed after Southern Pacific’s Brooks (The American Locomotive Works) built (1913) P-6 Pacific class locomotives (Nos. 2453 to 2458). About 6,800 of the Pacific 4-6-2 type engines were built in the United States from 1902 or 1903 until approximately 1930. Although the Pacific class was originally built for passenger service, it was readily adopted for high speed freight service. The Pacific was the logical development of both the 4-4-2 and 2-6-2 steam engines. It retained the riding stability of the 4-4-2 class, the driver adhesion of the 2-6-2 class, and the desirable firebox characteristics of both types. Soon the Pacific became the standard American high-speed locomotive. This was a position the Pacific was to hold for many years, only to be dethroned when greater horsepower output was obtained from newer locomotive types which featured additional driving axles.
Louis MacDermot modeled his Overfair miniatures after these “great” locomotives. The basic Overfair Railway Pacific locomotive specifications are:
Locomotive: length 17 feet, 3 feet 6-inches width over cab.
Locomotive Frame: 1 7/8-inch-thick steel plate.
Boiler: 12 feet long Wagontop boiler with a 30-inch diameter at the smokebox.
Boiler Pressure: 180 pounds per square inch as set now, 200 when new.
Firebox: approximately 9 square feet, with 162 1-inch tubes.
Fuel: currently oil, coal when built.
Wheels/Drivers: lead truck wheels 10.5 inches, wheelbase 25.5 inches, drivers 26 inches, 14 inch diameter trailing axle.
Cylinders: 9 X 10.5 inches
Tender: length 8 feet, 375-gallon water capacity, approximately 60 gallons oil (diesel), with a three-inch steel channel and wooden frame.
Weight: 12 tons dry