Locomotive 1080

Located in front of the Santa Fe Depot and Harvey House, Brownwood, Texas
.
.
Specifications:

Wheels:  2-6-2

Two Leading Wheels
Six Coupled Driving Wheels
Two Trailing Wheels

Driver Wheel Diameter was 69"

Four-cylinder Vauclain Compound
Empty Weight: 235,200 Lbs.
Weight on Drivers:  169,500 Lbs.
Boiler Pressure:  200
Cylinders:  23.5x28
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
Stream Locomotive
Built April 1902
by
Baldwin Locomotive Works
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Construction No.: 20376
Class 150     Prairie Type
103 Were Built by Baldwin

This is One of Nine Surviving Examples

Required a Tender
Used Oil for Fuel
Engine had a symmetrical layout, wherein the 'centre of gravity' is almost over the center driving wheel.  The reciprocation rods, when working near the center of gravity induce severe 'side to side' nosing.  This class was not suited to passengers' workings but OK for freight.
.
Locomotive Given to City of Brownwood

The locomotive was given to the city by Fred B. Gurley, president of the Santa Fe System, during a Santa Fe Appreciation Day sponsored by the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce March 29, 1954.

Santa Fe moved the locomotive to Riverside Park permanent location the afternoon of July 29, 1954 on Santa Fe tracks prior to the tracks being taken out.    The city had constructed a special site for the steam engine, near the lower entrance to the park.  A wire fence was built around the engine and a floodlight was placed on each side. Dean Wyatt drove the 1080 on the Frisco line to Riverside Park.

The 1080 was named "The Fred Gurley" locomotive and that name was painted on the side of the tender.  Forty-five years later, when the locomotive was repainted and moved to the front of the Santa Fe Depot and Harvey House by the Texas Department of Highways, on March 30, 1999, the name was removed.
 
.
Start of Clean-up Operations

The picture above was made at the start of the clean-up operations to prepare the 1080 for moving to Riverside Park on July 29, 1954.  In the picture, left to right, are James E. Benfer, roundhouse general foreman; Fred Paul, clerk to the foreman; R. R. Hagler, boilermaker's helper; O. W. Westerman, boilermaker; City Manager Jack Broad and City Secretary Glenn Harris. 
.
Completion of Clean-up Operations

Photo above taken after locomotive and tender were cleaned and painted by Santa Fe employees at roundhouse in Brownwood in preparation of giving the 1080 officially to the City of Brownwood on July 30, 1954.  In the background is the Brownwood Roundhouse.
.
1080 Hauling Cattle Cars

.
Statement from Sam Swan
Concerning the 1080
June 30, 2009

My grandfather, J. C. Swan, operated the locomotive 1080 among others as the locomotive engineer.  My Dad, while in the Navy, once road home with his Dad from Washington D.C. in the 1080.  He said it was colder than you know what that winter, and the cab of 1080 didn't provide much warmth.  As I recall, my grandfather made the run from central Texas to Pennsylvania during that time.  He took the engine to Pennsylvania on several occasions for repairs.  They had a huge forge there for such repairs to the undercarriage.  A boiler was a simple replacement compared to repairing a locomotive's undercarriage.  But it was done routinely. I would imagine that was 1950-51 or so.

My grandfather only did switching in the Brownwood yard while I knew him.  Santa Fe had different union rules back then, so I think the same crew went with the train to its final destination.  JC made most of his runs on 1080 to the Fort Worth/Cleburne area but others to Temple and Sweetwater. 

My Mom has a slightly different slant on 1080.  She says her father-in-law drove it to Menard and Mason on the now abandoned line.  We later had a deer lease bisected by that line, and I remember my Dad telling me that tale.  That's the same abandoned line where the old boy was running his high-level deer blind up and down the line until he got busted by the game wardens.
.
Return to Home Page