After being restored to operational condition in the early 1990s, the locomotive would pull excursion trains on the Niles Canyon Railway until being retired in 2015.

2472 and the other "Pacific" locomotives served the Overland Route from Ogden, Utah, to Oakland, California.

On November 30, 1929, SP's Ogden shops added a feedwater heater to the locomotive, which increased its overall weight to 300,000 lb (140,000 kg).

2472 again underwent a rebuild at SP's Bayshore shops in Brisbane, California (San Mateo County), completed on November 26, 1940, which increased its boiler pressure to 210 psi (1,400 kPa) and its tractive effort to 45,850 pounds-force (204.0 kN).

2472 was retired from regular revenue service on February 7, 1957, during Southern Pacific's dieselization, and on April 10, 1959, No.

The GGRM and all other tenants at Hunter's Point had to leave the former navy base in 2006 due to redevelopment.

[5] The initial equipment move took place in February 2006, although an extended lease on the shop building allowed work to continue on No.

2472 and the remaining pieces of GGRM rolling stock completed relocation to the Niles Canyon Railway, located in Sunol, California, on the east side of San Francisco Bay.

The locomotive became serviceable in February 2008,[6] and was stored in Niles Canyon at the Brightside Yard between operations.

It was scheduled to make its excursion return hauling Labor Day Weekend 2022 trains from September 4 through September 5, 2022 before its Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 1,472-day inspection and overhaul begins, but the event was later canceled and the railroad had the engine fired up for an open house event.