A combined celebration of the 100th birthday of the historic Bartlesville, Ok Santa Fe station and the homecoming of AT&SF No. 940 will be held for the public on. Thursday, Dec 17, at the depot. Built in 1903, this Santa Fe type 2-10-2 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive works. Originally, the engines were built as 2-10-0’s. They worked well as pushers but getting them back down the hills was difficult because of their long rigid wheelbase. To solve this problem the AT&SF ordered more 2-10-0’s with trailing wheels to help guide them while traveling backward. This resulted in a new wheel arrangement — the 2-10-2 or “Santa Fe” type because of their long rigid wheelbase.
The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. and end at 5:30 p.m.
Children and adults will be able to enter the cab of No. 940 and ring its bell, which has been silent for more than 50 years while the historic locomotive stood behind a high fence in Johnstone Park. Last week the 150-ton locomotive was moved back to the depot, which itself is a historic landmark that opened on Dec. 17, 1909.
For more, visit http://www.bartlesvillelocomotive.org/index.html
