El Gobernador

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (September 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

El Gobernador
Central Pacific Railroad No. 237 El Gobernador
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Central Pacific's Sacramento shops Serial number 21 Build date February 1883
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-10-0  • UIC 2′E n2g Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 57 in (1,448 mm) Adhesive weight Original: 128,000 lb (58,000 kg; 58 t); Rebuilt: 121,600 lb (55,200 kg; 55.2 t) Loco weight Original: 146,000 lb (66,000 kg; 66 t); Rebuilt: 154,400 lb (70,000 kg; 70.0 t) Boiler pressure 140 lbf/in2 (970 kPa) Cylinder size 21 in × 36 in (533 mm × 914 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 33,150 lbf (147.5 kN)
Career Operators Central Pacific, Southern Pacific Railroad Numbers 237, renum. 2050 in 1891 Official name El Gobernador First run March 1884 Scrapped July 15, 1894

El Gobernador was an American 4-10-0 steam locomotive built by Central Pacific Railroad at the railroad's Sacramento, California shops. It was the last of Central Pacific's locomotives to receive an official name and was also the only locomotive of this wheel arrangement to operate on United States rails. El Gobernador was the largest steam locomotive in the world when it was built. Its name is reminiscent of the railroad's first locomotive, Gov. Stanford, as El Gobernador is Spanish for The Governor. This locomotive is a Mastodon type.^[1][2] Confusingly, this was the unofficial name for an earlier engine, "Mastodon" No. 229, the first successful 4-8-0 ever built. Both engines looked nearly identical, except that El Gobernador was longer and had an additional pair of drivers.