Constructed by Cooke in March, 1897, 4-6-0 No. 2252 is one of the oldest standard gauge Southern Pacific locomotives in existence. Southern Pacific donated the locomotive to the city of Roseville, CA, in 1956 and the locomotive was put on display at the Placer County Fairgrounds until 2003, when the locomotive was moved to Atlantic and Vernon Streets. Sister No.2248 survives and can be seen in operation at the Fort Worth & Western Railroad in Forth Worth, TX. It should be noted, that due to periodic rebuildings and upgrades, today No.2252 appears somewhat differently than it did when originally constructed. Its small tender was replaced with a huge "whaleback," and a steel cab replaced the wooden original.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)