This book presents the complete history of all Southern Pacific locomotives with ten drivers, the heavy duty workhorse engines found on the railroad's entire far-flung “Golden Empire.” They were assigned to districts where there were heavy grades, on both the “Pacific Lines” from El Paso to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Ogden and Portland, and the subsidiary Texas & New Orleans “Atlantic Lines” from El Paso to San Antonio and New Orleans.Coverage includes all classes of these engines, from the 1884 El Gobernador 4-10-0, the T&NO Decapod 2-10-0s, and the F class 2-10-2s, to the SP class Gresley valve-geared three-cylinder 4-10-2s.
Extensive research by noted steam authority Bob Church was required to make this book the definitive work on these locomotives. It is richly documented with 795 photos, most never before published, line elevation charts, drawings, roster, bibliography and index. This definitely is a book for SP historians, modelers and anyone interested in the workings of mans' ingenious creation, the steam-powered railroad locomotive.