#2657
Southern Pacific class AC-9
🇺🇸 United States ·built by Lima Locomotive Works· from 1939· class of 12 American 2-8-8-4 locomotives
1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Southern Pacific AC-9 steam locomotive: Bob Fremming-Dallas, Wisconsin· Public domain
what is it?
The AC-9 was a class of articulated steam locomotive operated by Southern Pacific Railroad. The twelve AC-9 class locomotives were purchased from Lima in 1939 and were specifically designed to burn low grade bituminous coal mined in New Mexico. The AC-9s were partially streamlined (the only articulated steam engines to be so equipped), having "skyline casings" inspired by Lima's GS series of 4-8-4's, also made for Southern Pacific, and were equipped with coal tenders, unlike the cab forwards.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 87 years ago, in 1939.
- Weighs about as much as 51 African elephants (~6 t each).
- Served for 17 years (1939–1956).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1939
- in service from
- 1939
- retired
- 1956
- status
- retired
- number built
- 12
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- Lima Locomotive Works
- operators
- Southern Pacific Transportation Company
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 2-8-8-4
- weight
- 307 t
- nicknames
- Reverse cab forward
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q16973944, Wikipedia: Southern Pacific class AC-9 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.