By Lloyd E. Stagner and TRAINS Magazine

Although more efficient than its sisters, 3752 failed more frequently. During 1949-1953, eight failures were charged to the valve gear, compared with four failures by the other 3751's. Vernon L. Smith, who was intimately associated with rebuilding 3752, states that only two of these failures were directly attributed to the valve gear, and that the redesign of a part corrected that deficiency. Most failures seemed to be chargeable to the unfamiliarity of enginehouse forces in properly servicing and inspecting the valve gear. Mechanical Superintendent Paul Danneberg chastised his master mechanics on the occasion when the engine was away from Argentine March 18-28, 1950, and it was necessary to add 3 1/2 gallons of oil to the driving gear boxes due to the failure of roundhouse forces at Emporia, Wellington, Waynoka, Arkansas City, and Purcell to replenish them during that 10-day period.

One cogent memory remains of 3752. Her sharp, square exhaust is still the subject of comment by enginemen who handled or fired her between 1948 and 1953. The author remembers when the second-trick dispatcher at Dodge City held down his speaker button so operators along the line could hear her leave town on No. 10. Vernon Smith recalls her working up from the river at Canadian, Tex., on a heavy eastbound with every exhaust, for miles on end, precisely metered from the stack. "She was dead square."

Meanwhile, more 4-8-4's entered freight service as diesels were assigned to the Chief, effective June 2, 1946; new 6000 h.p. sets of F3's and PA's also went on Nos. 7-8 in November. As of January 21, 1947, 7 3751's, 3 3765's, 10 3776's, and 13 2900's were in the Kansas City-Los Angeles passenger pool. Except for 3 3751's assigned to the four daily passenger trains between La Junta and Denver, the other 29 4-8-4's were in the Argentine-Clovis freight pool, quite often turning at Waynoka, Okla., as 5001-class 2-10-4's replaced them between Waynoka and Clovis.

AT&SF dieselization 1946-1948 was directed primarily to passenger service. By mid-January 1949, 4-8-4's were assigned only to Nos. 1-2 between Newton and Clovis, which had Nos. 2917-2920; second sections of Nos. 7-8 betwee Kansas City-La Junta, Nos. 2922, 2923, and 2925; Nos. 9-1 between these points, Nos. 2908 and 2909; second 7-8, La Junta-Los Angeles, 2926-2929 and 3780. The 3751's continued on the La Junta-Denver passenger assignments and on Nos. 23-24 between Barstow and Bakersfield over Tehachapi Pass.

The freight 4-8-4's were working primarily between Argentine and Waynoka. These engines were well suited for this territory, where maximum grades did not exceed .6 per cent. The westbound tonnage rating was 4500 tons to Emporia, 5300 to Augusta, 4000 to Wellington, and 5000 into Waynoka. Eastbound ratings were 6500 tons Waynoka-Wellington, 5700 Wellington-Emporia, and 6000 Emporia-Argentine. After an investigation in October 1949, the Middle Division decided the 2900's could handle from 250 to 400 tons more, and the Emporia-Augusta rating was increased to 5500 tons, with 4250 tons Augusta-Wellington. The eastbound rating from Augusta to Emporia was stepped up to 6000. No changes were made in the Eastern and Panhandle ratings, with the 3765, 3776, and 2900 classes all taking the same tonnage.

In 1949, six daily Red Ball trains were scheduled from Argentine to Waynoka, 328 miles. The fastest timing was with No. 91, 13 hours, 45 minutes. Total traffic aggregated from 7 to 9 trains in each direction, increasing to about 12 during the peak June-July perishable movement. Tonnage on the westbound Red Ball trains was usually from 3500 to 3800, with up to 5500 tons on eastbound GFX'S.

Although the Assistant General Manager in Topeka promulgated instructions to not operate 4-8-4's to Arkansas City, during an era when chief dispatchers controlled motive power assignments it was quite often accomplished. The 3160-4000-class Mikes always lost time with tonnage trains on the second sections of Nos. 37 and 39. A 4-8-4 could take 3500 tons and make the 3-hour, 15-minute schedule on the 117-mile district. Management wanted the 4-8-4's kept out of Arkansas City because the 90-foot turntable was too short, and it was necessary to turn the engines on the wye. Sometimes a 4-8-4 would venture over the Oklahoma Division to Purcell, where a turn on the wye also was required for the return trip back to Arkansas City.

In March 1949, 4-8-4's replaced coal burning 2-8-2's and 2-8-4's between Argentine and Shopton, Ia., over the 215mile main line of the Missouri Division. A slump in freight business during the winter of 1949-1950 due to an economic recession brought the first storage of 4-8-4's, which were replaced between Shopton and Argentine and partially between Argentine and Waynoka by three-unit FT's released from the Coast Lines assignment by new 6000 h.p. sets of F7's. Ten 3765's and two 3751's were laid up in January. The La Junta-Denver passenger trains also received diesel power, and the released 3751's were stored or assigned with three others which had worked La Junta-Newton through freight since September 1949. Five surplus 3776's entered freight service on the Slaton Division, operating out of that Texas Panhandle terminal to Sweetwater, Amarillo, and Clovis, where they replaced 2-8-2's and 3800-class 2-10-2's.