Stockton Terminal & Eastern No. 1

The Stockton Terminal & Eastern RR No. 1 is a 4-4-0 "American Standard" type steam locomotive built by the Norris Locomotive Works in 1864 for the first railroad to bear the name "Western Pacific".

The Western Pacific was organized in 1862 to connect the Central Pacific in Sacramento with San Jose, CA, and #1 was one of 10 locomotives bought by the company. When received, they were lettered "A" to "J", and #1 was originally lettered "G" and nicknamed "Mariposa".

The engine operated on the Western Pacific until 1867 when the road went bankrupt and was subsequently purchased by the Central Pacific Railroad three years later.

In 1869, the Central Pacific had re-designated the engine as the road's second number 31, replacing another engine of that number, which was destroyed in an accident that year, and continued to serve the CP, as well as the Southern Pacific Railroad (which absorbed the road in 1885), until 1914.

Since #31 was leased to (and then bought by) the Southern Pacific in 1891, it underwent many different re-numberings - it was first renumbered #1193. It was renumbered #1215 in 1901 and #1488 in 1907.

After forty years working for the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific, #1488 was sold to the newly formed Stockton, Terminal & Eastern Railroad in 1914 where it was renumbered #1.

Stockton, Terminal & Eastern began operations on 5 September 1910, on a line built east from Stockton, CA, by a group of San Joaquin County farmers, merchants and promoters. No. 1 was the railroad's primary power for many years, until 1953, when #1 was retired, completing nearly 90 years of loyal service.

The locomotive was donated to Travel Town Museum in Los Angeles, CA where it sits on display today.

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"Mariposa" was renumbered #31 and was the second Central Pacific locomotive to bear that number (the first #31 had suffered a boiler explosion in Nevada in 1870).
The Norris Works produced locomotives from 1832 to 1866 and was, during its peak in the 1850s, the largest locomotive maker in the US if not the world. Baldwin acquired the Norris factory site in 1873.
The Stockton, Terminal & Eastern still operates 25 miles of track out of Stockton connecting to transfers with the BNSF, Union Pacific and Central California Traction Company.

Stockton Terminal & Eastern No. 1

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