The Santa Fe class 3460 consisted of six 4-6-4 “Hudsons” which were delivered by Baldwin in 1937. They were much more powerful than the class 3450 delivered in 1927 and were called “Super Hudsons”. The class leader No. 3460 was the only ATSF locomotive that had been streamlined. It got the name “Blue Goose” and was used for publicity service.
Features of the locomotives were 84-inch drivers, a 300 psi boiler pressure, SKF roller bearings on all axles and a Worthington feedwater heater. The firebox had a combustion chamber and two thermic syphons. It was oil-fired, but the firebox was designed in such a way that a conversion to coal-firing would also be possible. Although they had been built before the similar Chicago & North Western E-4 and Milwaukee Road F7, they were most likely more powerful.
In December 1937, 3461 set a long distance world record for a steam locomotive. There it ran the 2,227 miles or 3,585 km from Los Angeles to Chicago with an average of 45.4 mph or 73 km/h and reached a top speed of 90 mph or 145 km/h on some stretches. The average speed already includes five refueling stops. Although this was a success, it soon became apparent that the high steam pressure led to leaks on different points over time.
In 1945, they were rebuilt to an even more powerful variant and called “Super Duper Hudsons”. In this process they received a longer combustion chamber that led to shorter tubes. The combination of the thermic syphons and a water circulator was apparently matched very good and led to a considerable increase in power. They were retired in 1956 and only 3463 was preserved and is on static display at Topeka, Kansas.
