ASARCO 2

Whitcomb Locomotive ASARCO 2

Locomotive

ASARCO 2

Model 12-DM-30 (converted to 14 ton)

Operable

Whitcomb

1939

40081

ASARCO 2, Great America XX?, Kauai Plantation No. 10

14 ton

B

Diesel

19?? - 2 tons added via welded plate by ASARCO

2004 - Complete rebuild for KPRR by Brooks Locomotive Works

2018-2025 - Complete overhaul of mechanical system, including new engine and transmission. Cosmetic de-modifications. Air brake system installed.

1939-1971 - American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO)

19XX - To M. Lummus Co

1973-1996 - Great America (Marriott Corporation)

1996 - 2003 - SPCRR

2004 - 2010 - Kauai Plantation Railway

2010 - 2013 - Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad

2013 - 2016 - Private owner

2016 - Present - On loan to SPCRR

This industrial switching locomotive was originally constructed as a 12-ton diesel-mechanical unit for American Smelting & Refining Company (ASARCo) #2, serving the company's Selby, California smelter complex. The Selby plant was one of the San Francisco Bay Area's major heavy industrial facilities, processing precious and base metals. The locomotive operated on the plant's extensive in-plant industrial railroad system. At an unknown date, it was rebuilt with a General Motors 4-71 diesel engine and upgraded to 14-ton capacity [rebuild date unknown].

Following ASARCo plant closure [date unknown], the locomotive was acquired by M. Lummus Company of Richmond, California, a railroad equipment dealer and contractor [date unknown]. It subsequently passed to Great America Amusement Park in Santa Clara, California in the 1970s, where it is recalled but not verified to have served backstage or maintenance functions rather than guest operations.

The locomotive's preservation history involved multiple ownership changes: It was donated to SPCRR circa 1996 [date uncertain], then traded to a private owner in 19*X* who rebuilt it. The locomotive was used to help construct and establish operations on a tourist railway on Kauai, Hawaii [date uncertain], then sold to that same railway as the Kauai Plantation Railway #10 [dates uncertain]. It was traded to Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad in Felton, California [date unknown, mid-2000s], then sold to a bed and breakfast establishment for static display [name and location unknown].

A private collector purchased the locomotive in 2015 and leased it to SPCRR. It arrived at Ardenwood on September 1, 2015. Between 2016 and 2025, SPCRR volunteers undertook comprehensive rebuilding including installation of a newer diesel engine and addition of air brake systems to meet modern passenger train safety requirements - a substantial investment in returning the locomotive to reliable service.

The locomotive entered public passenger service on October 26, 2025, representing a huge milestone for SPCRR railroad operations. The locomotive runs regularly in SPCRR passenger service, having successfully transitioned from industrial switching to historical railway operations.

* Unknown date information, closest confident date range used.
[] Needs further research or citation