Modeling Espee’s P-8 class Pacifics
The following pages describe the restoration and conversion of an old Balboa brass locomotive. The locomotive started life as a Pacific P-10 class and had been partially converted into a P-8 class Pacific. The article follows along with the whole process of rebuilding, remotoring and refinishing this locomotive.
Espee’s P-8 Pacifics
Espee’s P-8 class Pacific’s consisted of fifteen locomotives built in early 1921 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia. These locomotives were assigned numbers between 2461 and 2475. By the end of the spring of 1921 all of these entered service and they all operated into the 1950’s. Several of these locomotives lasted up until the end of steam in the later 1950’s.
The P-8’s were all delivered with 12,000 gallon (120-C-1 class) tenders riding on four wheel trucks. By 1929 most of the tenders had been replaced with six wheel truck tenders of various different classes. Most of these locomotives ended their life with 120-C-3 class tenders.
At the end of the steam era Espee donated a number of locomotives to the local towns that ran along the lines. Fortunately two of these P-8 Pacific’s escaped the scrappers torch and are still around today. Through the dedicated efforts of volunteers both number 2467 and number 2472 have been fully restored and were operating up until a couple of years ago. At the present time both of these locomotives are down for their boiler inspections. The 2472 currently resides at the Golden Gate Railroad Museum in San Francisco. Up until very recently the 2467 was also at the GGRM but it has now been moved to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
Here are a couple of present day photos of number 2472;
GGRM, January 4, 2003
Redwood City, December 29, 2002
And here is her sister number 2467.
GGRM, January 4, 2003
GGRM, January 4, 2003
Page 1 - Last updated August 26, 2005