Gov. Stanford

Gov. Stanford is a 4-4-0 steam locomotive originally built in 1862 by Norris Locomotive Works. It entered service on November 9, 1863 and it was used in the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad in North America by Central Pacific Railroad bearing road number 1. It was Central Pacific's first locomotive and it is named in honor of the road's first president and ex-California governor, Leland Stanford.

The locomotive was rebuilt by 1878 with larger cylinders and an increased boiler pressure, which increased its tractive effort to 11,081 pounds force (49,291 N). In 1891 the locomotive was renumbered to 1174. The locomotive was retired from regular service on July 20, 1895, then donated to Stanford University; however, it was not delivered to the university until 1899. The locomotive was disassembled and stored during World War II but was returned to display at the university after reassembly by retired Southern Pacific engineer Billy Jones. In the 1960s, the university needed the space occupied by the engine for other uses, so the engine was removed and loaned to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, which had been in the process of collecting historic locomotives and rolling stock to be displayed in what would ultimately become the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. The locomotive is currently a centerpiece at the museum where it has been cosmetically restored to its 1899 appearance.

Read more about Gov. Stanford:  In Popular Culture