Final Resting Place for Madam Queen Santa Fe 5000
by Janette Boyd
Title
Final Resting Place for Madam Queen Santa Fe 5000
Artist
Janette Boyd
Medium
Photograph - Photo/texture/digital
Description
Photo of final resting place of steam locomotive, "Madam Queen", AT& Santa Fe 5000 in Amarillo, Texas.
Featured by FAA Group, "Images That Excite You"
Santa Fe 5000 is a 2-10-4 steam locomotive constructed by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. No. 5000 was immediately nicknamed "Madame Queen" and remained a unique member of its own class. It was donated to the city of Amarillo, Texas, in 1957 and is currently maintained by the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society. Santa Fe 5000 is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Texas type on the Santa Fe is by design a Berkshire with an additional driving axle, as it was ordered by most railroads. Although Santa Fe 3829 was the first steam locomotive with the 2-10-4 wheel arrangement, Santa Fe 5000 served as the prototype for all further 2-10-4 locomotives rostered by the road.
In 1930, Santa Fe looked at the contemporary heavy-duty motive power policies of other railroads, and decided that its own needed substantial reappraisal.[Additional locomotives were ordered as a result of this study, including the 5000. Santa Fe 5000 was placed in service between Clovis and Vaughn, New Mexico for observation. The result was the company had purchased a locomotive which would pull 15% more tonnage in 9% less time, burning 17% less coal per 1000 gross ton miles than its 3800 series 2-10-2s.
Although the locomotive was a success, the 1930s brought the national depression and Santa Fe adopted a policy of avoiding capital expenditures during this period. By the time the next 2-10-4s were delivered in 1938 they were placed in a different class because of many design refinements. With the various classes of 4-8-4 types, the 2-10-4 type represented the pinnacle of modern heavy-power development on the Santa Fe Railway System.
On April 17, 1957, after several years of storage and 1,750,000 miles (2,820,000 km) of service, Santa Fe 5000 was retired and donated to the city of Amarillo, Texas. It was placed on outdoor static display at the Santa Fe station. In August 2005, 5000 was moved by the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society to a new location in Amarillo where they plan to construct a building to house and preserve the locomotive.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_5000
Uploaded
September 20th, 2015
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