THE STORY: This medal commemorates the
50th anniversary of the last appearance of the Southern Pacific Cab Forward locomotive in Stanislaus County. Cab Forwards
were a distinct trademark of the Southern Pacific. They are sometimes also called “Cab-in fronts” or "Backup
Mallies". In 1908, the Southern Pacific ordered two conventional mallets classified as MC-1 for a trial run up the Sierra Nevada. During
this run there was a problem with a great volume of exhaust gasses that almost asphyxiated the crew. A team of Southern Pacific
design engineers came up with a plan and designs for a mallet with the cab in front, classified MC-2, to greatly reduce the
exhaust gasses the crew had to breathe. Southern Pacific had Baldwin build fifteen that were delivered in February and March of
1910.
