Five Locomotive Number One

By Russell Crump and Richard Scholz

In the History of the Santa Fe Railroad, latter Railway, there were many locomotive number ones. There was even a number one that crossed the Kaw River before the Cyrus K. Holliday first number one of the Santa Fe. This locomotive was owned by the Levenworth Lawrence and Galveston and crossed the Kansas (Kaw) river into Lawrence November 1, 1867 17 months before the Cyrus K. Holliday. The Levenworth Lawrence and Galveston became a part of the Santa Fe on December 15, 1880. Ignoring the other locomotive number ones of predecessor companies there were five locomotives to bear the number one and at least three also the name Cyrus K. Holliday on the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe.

The first number one an 1854 product of Niles & Co was one of 19 locomotives built new for the 6 foot gauge Ohio and Mississippi Railway. The Santa Fe purchased one of these engines and had it converted to standard gauge before delivery. When purchased the locomotive had 16 x 20 inch cylinders, 60 inch driver diameter, boiler diameter of 42 inches, 132 iron flues, weight of 30 tons, tractive effort of around 7000 lbs. and used coal for fuel. The exact number locomotive purchased from the O & M is unknown a good guess would be that the number 6 became the Santa Feâs number one as this locomotive was removed from the O & M roster in 1868. The first number one was delivered between March 23 when the first rails were laid and March 30, 1869 when it made itâs first trip across the Kaw.

In 1881 the first number one was renumbered to make room for the first locomotive built new by the Topeka shops the second number one the Cyrus K. Holiday. First number one became number A then Number 344. In 1898 first number one was again renumbered as Number 78 then finally in 1900 the locomotive received the number 0177. By 1911 the locomotive had been converted to oil and was being used as a branch line passenger locomotive in Oklahoma. The locomotive was scrapped at Topeka on February 10, 1915. Dispites first number ones long and productive career no photos of this locomotive are known. All we have are pictures of her sisters on the Ohio and Mississippi see fig 1(photo of O & M number 4 from Smithsonian Institute Chaney negative collection, negative 13955).

The second number one a 4 - 4 - 0 was photographed and is often mistaken for first one see fig 2 (B of L. F., Excursion from Topeka to Ft. Leavenworth July 29,1885 KHS negative AT&SF 51-32). This locomotive weighed in at 39 tons with a boiler diameter of 50 inches with 172 iron flues and 17 x 28 inch cylinders. The second number one was renumbered to number 81 in 1898 and then to number 0171 in 1900 and was scraped prior to 1907.

The third locomotive to be given the honor of being number one was first number 23 which became the third number one with the renumbering of 1898. This locomotive named the Chas. W. Pierce was built by Taunton Locomotive Works in 1872. This locomotive weighed in at 26 1/2 tons with a 40 inch boiler and 105 iron flues and 14 x 24 inch cylinders driving 62 inch drivers. The honor of being number one was short lived as in 1900 the locomotive was renumbered to become second number 2.

The fourth locomotive number 1 was the first number 2 the Govenor Burnside which had gone through several renumbering all ready. In 1881 the locomotive became number 345 to make way for the second number 2 the second locomotive to be built new by the Topeka shops. In 1898 the locomotive became the 2nd number 3 figure 3 (page 58 Worley, S. R. wood collection, believed to be available in KHS collection) and in 1900 reached the exalted position of being the one spot. All locomotives mentioned to this point were American type 4-4-0 locomotives.

The fifth and last number one was built by Baldwin in September 1880 for $12175 and delivered to the Santa Fe October 1880 as Number 132. This consolidated or 2- 8 - 0 locomotive was renumbered to number 912 in 1898 and to 2414 in 1900. In January 1904 number 2414 was in freight service between Pueblo and La Junta but by January 1907 was designated in switching service on the Eastern Lines with no pilot and foot boards. In 1924 while in yard service at Argentine the locomotive lost itâs pilot wheels becoming an 0 - 8 - 0. The last day in service at Argentine was October 31, 1939. August 1940 saw the beginning of partial restoration for a new life as a display locomotive. After much restoration work returning the locomotive to operating condition the locomotive was released June 23, 1951 from the Topeka shops as the Fifth number one the Cyrus K. Holliday. The locomotive with exhibition cars Nos. 2 and 3 were sent around the system for display purposes occasionally being operated under steam. The last run under steam was 0.7 miles on April 22, 1964 at Norman Oklahoma. On February 25, 1983 the locomotive was moved to the Kansas Museum of History were cosmetically restored to her 1880 appearance she continues on display.