Steamtown National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

Union Pacific #4012 4-8-8-4 “Big Boy” steam locomotive on static display at Steamtown NHS

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Union Pacific “Big Boy” No. 4012

The engine returned to static exhibition on May 5th, 2021 after an extended cosmetic restoration.

4-8-8-4, Builder: American Locomotive Works (Schenectady, NY) November 1941
Builder’s No. 69583
Cylinders: 23-3/4 inch diameter, 32-inch stroke
Drive Wheels: 68-inch diameter
Weight on Drivers: 540,000 lbs
Boiler Pressure: 300 lbs
Maximum Tractive Effort: 135,375 lbs

Built for the Union Pacific Railroad as one of twenty-five 4-8-8-4 (“Big Boy”) steam locomotives ordered by the UP to haul heavy freight across the Continental Divide. Big Boys are famous as among the most powerful steam locomotives ever built. Weighs 1,200,000 pounds. Front set of drive wheels are articulated to move freely around sharp curves. Four cylinders, tractive effort equals four lesser locomotives, built to achieve 80 mph speeds. One of eight remaining of this classification.

Canadian National 3254 was built to pull freight trains. That pulling power is very useful as excursion trains leaving Scranton for Moscow or Tobyhanna face a 1.8% grade for 13 miles. This doesn’t sound like much, but the whole train weighs around 400 tons.

NPS Photo, Ken Ganz

Canadian National Railways No. 3254

Owners: Canadian Government Railways, No. 2854; Canadian National Railways, No. 3254

Builder: Canadian Locomotive Company, Kingston Works Ontario, Canada, 1917
Locomotive No. 3254, a 2-8-2 Mikado, rolled out of the Canadian Locomotive Company’s Kingston Works for use on the Canadian Government Railways. The CGR had a very brief existence. The Canadian Government, on April 1, 1916, consolidated five government owned railways — the Intercolonial Railway (1,527 miles), the Transcontinental Railway, the Prince Edward Island Railway (276 miles of narrow gauge) and the National Transcontinental Railway (1,814 miles) — to become the Canadian Government Railway. In 1918, the CGR was combined with the Canadian Northern Railway, which operated primarily in the Western Prairies. This new railway, the Canadian National, is still in operation today.

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Bullard Company, No. 2

0-4-OT, Builder: H.K. Porter, October 1937. Builder’s no. 7250.
Cylinders: 9 x 14
Drive Wheels: 26 1/2
Weight on Drivers: 30,000
Boiler Pressure: 170
Tractive Effort: 6180

Operated in plant and yard use by the Bullard Company in Bridgeport, CT. Designed for one-man operation, burns oil. Saddletank. One of the smallest standard gauge locomotives built. Purchased by Nelson Blount, l963, from American Machinery Corp, a used locomotive dealer.

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Boston and Maine No. 3713

4-6-2, Builder: Lima Locomotive Works, December 1934. Builder’s no. 7625
Cylinders: 23 x 28
Drive Wheels: 80
Weight on Drivers: 209,800
Boiler Pressure: 260
Tractive Effort: 40,900 (52,800 with booster)

This Pacific is the last survivor of the series No. 3710-3714, class P-4a, used in heavy passenger or fast freight service. Designed for 70 mile an hour speeds. Has superheater and a steam booster on the trailing truck. The booster, an auxiliary steam engine, aided in starting heavy trains smoothly. Named “The Constitution” during a New England-wide name contest sponsored by the B&M. Sold to Nelson Blount 1960. Under restoration.

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Brooks-Scanlon Corp., No. 1

2-6-2, Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works, August 1914 Builder’s no. 41649.
Cylinders: 16 x 24
Drive Wheels: 42
Weight on Drivers: 81,000
Boiler Pressure: 175
Tractive Effort: 20,800

Outshopped to Carpenter O’Brien Lumber Co.; sold to Brooks-Scanlon Corp in 1917. Successive companies used the locomotive in Florida logging service hauling cypress and pine. Could burn either coal or wood. Only 2-6-2 wheel arrangement in collection. Prairie locomotives were once popular in common carrier use. Sold to Nelson Blount in 1962.

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Canadian National No.47

4-6-4T, Builder: Montreal Locomotive Works, September 1914. Builder’s no. 54896.
Cylinders: 21 x26
Drive Wheels: 63
Weight on Drivers: 146,000
Boiler Pressure: 210
Tractive Effort: 32,487

Built for Grand Trunk Railway Co. of Canada as #1542. Became Canadian National #47, class X- 10a, after merger of the two companies in 1923. This Baltic Tank locomotive was used in commuter service around Montreal. Locomotive has no tender but a tank for water and a bin for five tons of coal built into the extended frame behind the cab. The engine operated equally well in forward or reverse, an important asset when commuter turning facilities were lacking. Sold to Nelson Blount in 1959. Only Baltic tank locomotive in the United States.

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Maine Central, No. 519

2-8-0, Builder: American Locomotive co. (Schenectady), February 1913. Builder’s no. 52991.
Cylinders: 23 x 28,Drive Wheels: 63, Weight on Drivers: 171,600, Boiler Pressure: 185, Tractive Effort: 37,000.

Built for Maine Central Railroad as No. 519 in the series 517 – 524. MeC class W-l. A high boiler, low tender, mainline Consolidation. Revenue career spent in freight service. Sold to Nelson Blount in 1963; one of three remaining.

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Lowville and Beaver River No. 1923

2-8-0, Builder: American Locomotive Co., (Cooke), October 1920. Builder’s no. 62623. Cylinders: 18 x 22, Drive Wheels: 50 , Weight on Drivers: 106,500, Boiler Pressure: 178, Tractive Effort: 23,800

Possibly built for another company but never delivered, Alco sold the engine in 1923 to Lowville and Beaver River Railroad, an Adirondack shortline in New York that hauled passengers and freight. The company selected the year of purchase as the engine number. Sold to Nelson Blount, 1964. Smallest of four Consolidations in the Steamtown collection. About 150 Consolidations exist nationwide.

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Grand Trunk Western No. 6039

4-8-2, Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works, June 1925. Builder’s no. 58463, Cylinders: 26 x 30, Drive Wheels: 73, Weight on Drivers: 231,370, Boiler Pressure: 210, Tractive Effort: 49,590.

Built for Grand Trunk Western Railway as No. 6039. One of five in the 60376041 series, GTW class U- I c. has a Vanderbilt tender and an enclosed cab. Purchased for passenger service but easily adapted to freight hauling. During the 1950s leased to Central Vermont Railway. Last and only surviving steam locomotive in common carrier service in Vermont. Sold to Nelson Blount, 1959. Only Mountain locomotive in the collection. One of fourteen remaining 4-8-2s in the U.S.

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Illinois Central No. 790

2-8-0, Builder: American Locomotive Co., (Cooke), November 1903. Builder’s no. 28686. Cylinders: 22 x 26, Drive Wheels: 44, Weight on Drivers: 161,000, Boiler Pressure: 190, Tractive Effort: 42,000

Ordered as No. 100 for the Chicago Union Transfer Railway co. Sold in 1904 to Illinois Central Railroad and became No. 641.

Rebuilt and modernized in 1918 to a superheated heavy freight locomotive. Renumbered to IC 790, January 1943. Last company service was replacing IC diesels during spring floods near Cedar Rapids, IA. Manually fired. Sold by a private owner to Nelson Blount, 1966. Only surviving locomotive from the Chicago Union Transfer Railway and one of nine surviving from the Illinois Central.

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Groveton Paper Co., No. 7

2-4-2T, Builder: Vulcan Iron Works, January 1911. Builder’s no. 1679. Cylinders: 17 x 24, Boiler Pressure: 140, Drive Wheels: 44, Tractive Effort: 21,720, Weight on Drivers: 85,000.

Outshopped to Berlin Mills Railway in New Hampshire. Sold to Groveton Paper Co., also in New Hampshire, in 1944. Used for switching service in the paper and chemical industries. Donated to Nelson Blount in 1969. Only four standard gauge 2-4-2T saddletanks survive today. Vulcan iron Works was in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

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Rahway Valley No. 15

2-8-0, Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works, June 1916. Builder’s no. 43529. Cylinders: 20 x 26, Drive Wheels: 50, Weight on Drivers: 127,700, Boiler Pressure: 200, Tractive Effort: 35,360.

Built as No. 20 for Oneida & Western Railroad in Oneida, TN. Used in coal and lumber hauling. Sold in 1937 to Rahway Valley, a shortline railroad at Kenilworth, NJ and renumbered to No. 15 in 1937. On at least one occasion major repairs were handled at the Lackawanna’s Scranton shop. Sold to Nelson Blount in 1959 and remained in operation until 1973.

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E.J. Lavino Steel Co. No.3

0-6-OT, Builder: American Locomotive Co., (Schenectady), August 1927. Builder’s no. 67536. Cylinders: 16 x 24, Drive Wheels: 44, Weight on Drivers: 107,000. Boiler Pressure: 180, Tractive Effort: 21,400.

Outshopped as Poland Spring Railroad No.2. Poland Springs was a mineral water plant and resort in Maine. Saddletank. Bunker behind cab held one ton of coal. It is unclear if Poland Springs took possession of the engine, stored it, or even used it. Either they or Alco sold it to E.J. Lavino, Sheridan, PA, between 1927 and 1949. Donated 1966 to Nelson Blount.

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Reading Company No. 2124

4-8-4, Builder: Baldwin, Reading Company Shops. January 1947. Builder’s no. Baldwin 2044.
Cylinders: 27 x 32, Drive Wheels: 70, Weight on Drivers: 278,200,Boiler Pressure: 240, Tractive Effort: 68,000.

Originally built by Baldwin as a 2-8-0 around 1923- 1925. Rebuilt by the Reading Company, out shopped January 1947 as a 4-8-4, class T-l, Northern. This heavy freight engine pulled long trains of anthracite coal, the Reading’s main cargo. Used in the Reading Company’s “Reading Rambles” excursions. Purchased by Nelson Blount in 1963. One of nine remaining Reading Company locomotives.

Fireless locomotive, built for Public Service Electric Company for use in Newark, NJ. These locomotives carried no fuel or no water, but were charged with steam by connecting to a stationary steam boiler. Known by its builder’s number, 6816, as the company never gave it an engine number. Donated to Steamtown Foundation in 1974. One of six known 0-6-0 fireless engines.

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New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, Locomotive No. 759. S0759, 81516

Nickel Plate Road, No. 759
2-8-4, Builder: Lima Locomotive Works, August 1944 Builder’s no. 8667. Cylinders: 25 x 34, Drive Wheels: 69, Weight on Drivers: 264,300, Boiler Pressure: 245, Tractive Effort: 64,100.

Built for New York, Chicago & St. Louis, NKP class S-2. One of a large fleet of fast freight Berkshires built by Lima. These fast, modem locomotives were among the last steam locomotives to compete successfully with diesels. Sold to Nelson Blount, 1962. Leased to the High Iron Company from 1968 to 1972 for special fan trips and excursions.

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Nickel Plate Road No.44

4-6-0, Builder: American Locomotive co. (Brooks), December 1905. Builder’s no. 38831. Cylinders: 21 x 24, Drive Wheels: 62, Weight on Drivers: 105,600, Boiler Pressure: 180, Tractive Effort: 21,040

Built for New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Co. Part of an order for 10 Ten Wheelers numbered 40-49, class P. Renumbered to 304 in 1910. Sold to Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway Co. in 1923. Only surviving engine from AC&Y. In 1929 sold to Dansville & Mount Morris Railroad, a New York short line. One of two engines surviving from the Dansville railroad. The other is DL & W 565, also at Steamtown NHS. Sold to Myers Steel & Supply Co. in 1957 and then to Nelson Blount in 1963.

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Norwood & St. Lawrence No. 210

2-6-0, Builder: American Locomotive co. (Cooke), December 1923. Builder’s no. 65265 (or 65365). Cylinders: 20 x 26, Drive Wheels: 56, Weight on Drivers: 129,000, Boiler Pressure: 180, Tractive Effort: 28,400

Built for Norwood & St. Lawrence Railroad, a subsidiary of the St. Regis Paper Co. This Mogul pulled mixed trains over northern New York State. It is manually fired, has a second sand dome and an all weather cab. Sold to a Watertown, NY scrap yard in 1957. Purchased by Nelson Blount in 1965.

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New Haven Trap Rock Company No. 43

0-4-OT. Builder: Vulcan Iron Works, December 1919. Builder’s no. 2888. Cylinders: 14 x 20, Drive Wheels: 37, Weight on Drivers: 80,000, Boiler Pressure: 150, Tractive Effort: 13,450

Purchased by C.W. Blakeslee & Sons, New Haven, CT and operated as New Haven Trap Rock No. 43 in the Blakeslee owned Quarry Company. Typical of saddle tank switchers used in industries throughout the U.S. Retired in 1959, sold to Nelson Blount in 1962.

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Meadow River Lumber Co. No. 1

2-truck Shay, Builder: Lima Locomotive Works, May 1910. Builder’s no. 2317. Cylinders: 10 x 12, Boiler Pressure: 180, Drive Wheels: 29 ½, Tractive Effort: 16,900, Weight on Drivers: 86,000.

Sewell Valley Railroad No. 1, Sewell Valley became Meadow River Lumber Company of East Rainelle, WV. Used as a switcher in Meadow River’s mill yard. Shay patent geared locomotive typical of engines used on industrial railroads and a few common carriers. Huge Radley and Hunter balloon smokestack fitted with screen to curb hot cinders. Acquired by Nelson Blount in 1959. Only geared locomotive in collection.

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Delaware, Lackawanna and Western No. 565

2-6-0, Builder: American Locomotive Co. (Schenectady), September 1908. Builder’s No. 45528. Cylinders: 20 1/2 x 26, Drive Wheels: 63 , Weight on Drivers: 140,000, Boiler Pressure: 200, Tractive Effort: 29,484.

Purchased as part of a series of locomotives replacing older, worn engines. Sold to Dansville & Mount Morris Railroad in 1936. Moguls were a popular configuration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Has Walschaert valve gear.

Purchased for the New Jersey tourist railroad, the Black River and Western in 1960. Between 1968 and 1985 the Mogul passed through a series of private owners until it was sold to Steamtown Foundation. One of two surviving DL&W engines.

Last updated: September 30, 2022

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Mailing Address:

150 South Washington Avenue
Scranton,
PA
18503-2018

Phone:

570-340-5200
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