Southern Pacific No. 2353 is a class T-31 4-6-0 steam locomotive that was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in August 1912, for the Southern Pacific Railroad. After delivery, 2353 was assigned to pull the San Joaquin/Fresno-Los Angeles expresses.
It was delivered to Southern Pacific in October the same year and it had a new boiler in 1917. A 120-C-1 tender was attached to #2353 in 1921, in place of its old tender.
It was withdrawn from service on the 18th of January 1957, and it was displayed for the next 29 years at the California Mid-Winter Fairgrounds in Imperial, California.
In 1984, the Mid-Winter Fair's operator donated 2353 to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, with physical transfer of the locomotive occurring in the Summer of 1986, then over the next ten years, volunteers restored 2353 to working order, with its first public appearance under steam happening on 2 March 1996. It was withdrawn from service again in 2001, with extensive boiler repairs required before it can run again.
Today it's still at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, though it is now only on static display.
Trivia[]
- The locomotive was featured in "Clash By Night", the music video of their hit single "Jesse Hold On", "Pearl Harbor", and "Train Songs", as well as a commercial for Levi's Jeans.
- When it was featured in "Train Songs" it was under restoration while getting restored in 1994, and it played Tuffy's Great Uncle Stanley.
- Southern Pacific 2353 has at least one surviving sibling: Number 2355, which has been on static display in Mesa, Arizona's Pioneer Park since 1958. Efforts to cosmetically restore 2355 have been underway since at least 2008.
- In April 2000, it used for a railfan trip at the museum to haul a passenger, and later a freight train.
- In "Pearl Harbor", it appeared alongside Santa Fe No. 3751 but instead of using its own whistle, it is dubbed with the infamous sound of Canadian National No. 3254's old out of tune 5 chime whistle.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Southern Pacific 2353 (4282709837).jpg (3.38 MB)")
