View source for C. P. Huntington

{{Short description|Preserved 4-2-4T steam locomotive on display at the California State Railroad Museum}}
{{about|the locomotive|the namesake railroad magnate|Collis Potter Huntington}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2022}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox locomotive
|name = ''C. P. Huntington''
|powertype = Steam
|image = C.P. Huntington locomotive brighter.jpg
|caption = The ''C.P. Huntington'' at the California State Railroad Museum
|builder          = [[Cooke Locomotive Works]]
|serialnumber     = 277
|builddate        = October 1863
|rebuilddate      = 1888
|whytetype        = [[4-2-4T]]
|uicclass         = 2′A2′ n2t
|gauge            = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
|driverdiameter   = {{convert|54|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|weightondrivers  = {{convert|18500|lb|kg t|abbr=in|sp=us}}
|locoweight       = {{convert|39000|lb|kg t|abbr=in|sp=us}}
|boilerpressure   = {{convert|125|lbf/in2|kPa|0|abbr=on}}
|cylindercount    = Two, outside
|cylindersize     = {{convert|11|x|15|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|valvegear        = Stephenson's Valve Gear
|valvetype        = [[Slide valve]]s
|tractiveeffort   = {{convert|3571|lbf|kN|2|abbr=on}}
|operator         = [[Central Pacific Railroad|Central Pacific]], [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]]
|fleetnumbers     = CP 3, SP 1, renum 1001 in 1891
|officialname     = ''C. P. Huntington''
|firstrundate     = April 15, 1864
|retiredate       = 1914
|currentowner     = [[California State Railroad Museum]]
|disposition      = Static display
}}
'''''C. P. Huntington''''' is a [[4-2-4T]] [[steam locomotive]] on static display at the [[California State Railroad Museum]] in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]], [[California]], USA.  It is the first locomotive purchased by the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]], carrying that railroad's number 1, and it is named after one of the [[Big Four (Central Pacific Railroad)|Big Four]] who founded it.

==History and career==
[[File:CP_Huntington.jpg|thumb|left|''C. P. Huntington'' after its 1888 rebuild in Sacramento]]
''C. P. Huntington'' was originally purchased by [[Central Pacific Railroad]] (CP) in 1863 as that railroad's number 3, along with its sister engine ''[[T. D. Judah]]'' (CP no. 4).  It was CP's third locomotive after ''[[Gov. Stanford]]'' (number 1, built by [[Norris Locomotive Works]]) and ''Pacific'' (number 2, built by [[Mason Machine Works]]).  The locomotive is named in honor of [[Collis P. Huntington]], the third president of the [[Southern Pacific Company]] (parent company of Southern Pacific Railroad).<ref>{{cite book|author1=Diebert, Timothy S.  |author2=Strapac, Joseph A.| title=Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Conpendium| publisher=Shade Tree Books| year=1987| isbn=0-930742-12-5}}</ref> CP used the locomotive beginning on April 15, 1864, during construction of the western portion of the [[First transcontinental railroad]] in [[North America]].

Southern Pacific (SP) purchased ''C. P. Huntington'' from CP on February 5, 1871, gave it their number 1, and used it in light service in northern California.  It was rebuilt twice, first in 1873 with new valves and again in 1888 with a new [[boiler]] built by CP's Sacramento shops.  In 1888 the locomotive was also put on public display for the first time in Sacramento.

In SP's 1891 renumbering plan, ''C. P. Huntington'' was assigned [[UIC identification marking for tractive stock#Older identification systems|road number]] 1001.  The locomotive was placed in storage for some time until it was rebuilt for use as a lineside weed burner in 1901.  Its use as a weed burner proved unsatisfactory and the locomotive was again removed from active service.  In 1910, ''C. P. Huntington'' was again rebuilt and it was then kept at SP's machine shops where it remained for a few years.  The locomotive was nearly scrapped in 1914; it was spared this fate by SP management so that it could be displayed at the [[Panama–Pacific International Exposition]] in 1915 after a [[Conservation and restoration of rail vehicles|cosmetic restoration]].

On May 3, 1939, ''C. P. Huntington'' participated in the grand opening ceremonies for the [[Union Station (Los Angeles)|Los Angeles Union Station]]. Operating under her own steam, the ''Huntington'' was paraded past large, cheering crowds to the newly completed passenger terminal, along with several other engines, including the famous [[4-4-0]], [[Virginia and Truckee Railroad|Virginia & Truckee]] [[Virginia and Truckee 22 Inyo|22, the ''Inyo'']] (still painted in [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]] livery, from the filming of [[Cecil B. DeMille|Cecil B. DeMille's]] [[Union Pacific (film)|1939 movie of the same name]], which premiered two days later), and [[Southern Pacific Transportation Company|Southern Pacific]] 4120, a massive [[Southern Pacific class AC-5|AC-5 class]] [[4-8-8-2]] [[cab forward]]. The moment was captured on film by [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] animator and lifelong train enthusiast, [[Ward Kimball]], and may be some of the only known footage of the engine under steam.<ref>[http://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/kimball-family-collection Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Kimball Family Collection]</ref>

Southern Pacific donated the engine to the State of California in 1964. The locomotive was placed on display at the old state fairgrounds on Stockton Boulevard, in Sacramento, where it remained until a 1970 refurbishing at Southern Pacific's Sacramento Shops, when it was placed in the [[Sacramento Valley Station|Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station]] in Old Sacramento in 1979. In 1981 it was moved into the newly opened [[California State Railroad Museum]], where it now remains on static display.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parks.ca.gov/|title=C.P. Huntington|website=CA State Parks|language=en|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.californiarailroad.museum/visit/exhibits|title=Exhibits - California State Railroad Museum|website=www.californiarailroad.museum|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>

==Working replicas==
[[File:Miniature Railway.JPG|thumb|left|A Chance Rides ''C. P. Huntington'' train operating at the [[Saint Louis Zoo]]]]
[[Chance Rides]] began to fabricate their {{track gauge|2ft|lk=on}} [[Narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]]<ref>[http://www.chancerides.com/peoplemovers/cphuntington_train.html Chance Rides C. P. Huntington Train Specs]</ref> ''C. P. Huntington'' locomotive in 1961. These locomotives can be powered by gas, diesel, propane or electric motors; as of 2025, only the electric model is being offered. Its drive wheels are not powered, but roll on the rails while fake side rods reciprocate in and out of fake [[Cylinder (locomotive)|cylinder]]s. Power is instead provided by the front and rear [[Bogie|trucks]]. Some owners have chosen to remove the false drive wheels for ease of maintenance.

With over 400 examples built as of 2024, the ''C. P. Huntington'' has become the most popular park train since the [[Allan Herschell Company]] merged into Chance Industries in 1970 and production of the S-24 Iron Horse train ceased. Many parks have replaced their [[steam locomotive]]s with ''C. P. Huntington'' locomotives since they are easier to maintain and operate.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-04|title=C. P. Huntington {{!}} Train & Theme Park History|url=https://theabandonedcarousel.com/c-p-huntington/|access-date=2020-10-08|website=The Abandoned Carousel|language=en-US}}</ref> Locomotives and coaches can be customized in a variety of ways.

Additional working replicas of the ''C. P. Huntington'' are manufactured by Western Train Co. (formerly Katiland Trains), which also converts older ''C. P. Huntington'' locomotives to hydrostatic diesel power.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.parkworld-online.com/train-conversions-available/ | title=Train conversions available | date=13 May 2019 }}</ref>

==In popular culture==

The unique design of the ''C. P. Huntington'' inspired the appearance of ''[[The Little Engine That Could]]'' in most storybook renderings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=I think I can. I think I can. - Original 1906 cover|publisher= |date=19 July 2010|url=http://www.gettingthroughthis.com/2928/i-think-i-can-i-think-i-can/
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper, 1954 - yellow cloth cover with black print|url=http://www.myerscollectibles.com/store/item/1e3wp/Picture_Books_Post_1920/The_Little_Engine_That_Could_Watty_Piper_1954.html|access-date=2018-06-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426023442/http://www.myerscollectibles.com/store/item/1e3wp/Picture_Books_Post_1920/The_Little_Engine_That_Could_Watty_Piper_1954.html|archive-date=2012-04-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|C. P. Huntington (locomotive)}}
{{Portal|Trains|California}}

*[http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=191 ''C. P. Huntington'' Information Page]

{{CSRM rolling stock}}

[[Category:Individual locomotives of the United States]]
[[Category:Southern Pacific Railroad locomotives]]
[[Category:4-2-4T locomotives]]
[[Category:Cooke locomotives]]
[[Category:First transcontinental railroad]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge locomotives of the United States]]
[[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1863]]
[[Category:Preserved steam locomotives of California]]
[[Category:Steam locomotives of the United States]]