While all modern diesel locomotives in North America have the cab on the forward end of the locomotive, this was not the case in the steam era. The vast majority of steam locomotives had the cab at the back of the locomotive. This was the result of early steam locomotives being powered by wood or coal that would be fed into the firebox from a tender behind the locomotive by the fireman. Even when steam locomotives began to be oil fired, the cab still remained at the rear.

The only notable exception to this was with the Southern Pacific Railroad. In California, SP had mountainous territory with a number of long tunnels and snow sheds. This was a very real challenge for operation of steam locomotives and safety of crew. Having the cab at the rear resulted in the locomotive having to travel through it's own exhaust.

To address these problems, Southern Pacific developed several classes of cab forward steam locomotives. These very distinctive locomotives proved very successful and memorable for those who saw them. While all but one are gone, they remain a fond memory for those who saw them.

Features:

• Sharp painting and lettering
• Powerful drive - upgraded from earlier release for more power, speed and reliability
  
• Directional lightning
• Intricate details
• DCC w/Sound modesl are factory equipped with ESU LokSound Select sound decoders
• For more pictures of a previous releae model, click HERE