Southern Pacific Yards

Southern Pacific locomotive 4274 in the Southern Pacific railyards in Sparks. 4274 was a cab-forward locomotive, designed to keep smoke out of the cab during the long tunnels over Donner Summit. In the mid 1950s Southern Pacific replaced all their old steam locomotives with diesel.

Date Uploaded: September 24, 2026

Permanent Link: http://wnhpc.com/details/fb1867029124538186

Contributor: Sparks Museum & Cultural Center on Facebook

Source: Facebook: Sparks Museum & Cultural Center

Source URL: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1867029124538186&set=a.795327121708397

Source Caption: The Southern Pacific sand tower in the Sparks rail yards is in full operation in this early photograph. Sand was used for traction and flue cleaning during steam operation days of the railroad. Sand is still used today on the railroad for traction for diesel engines. #SpiritofSparks

Download Photo: JPG (276 KB)