The 4-8-4 was the ultimate wheel configuration for the modern passenger and fast freight steam locomotive. The eight driver arrangement was usable on almost every main line in North America and with drivers up to 80 inches in diameter allowed any reasonable speed that the railroad could handle. The four wheel trailing truck supported a larger firebox for maximum steam levels allowing for extra boiler capacity. The four wheel leading (or pony) truck completed the best combination for riding and tracking.
With the surge in passenger business in the 1920's most railroads were being forced to operate extra trains or run their scheduled trains in sections simply because the locomotives in use could only haul about 12 cars. It was out of this need that the "super powered" locomotives were developed and of them the 4-8-4 was the most numerous and widely used.
The first 4-8-4 was built by the American Locomotive Company, in January, 1927, for the Northern Pacific. This locomotive was basically the 4-8-2 modified to accommodate a large grate area and a very deep firebox which was required to burn the very low grade of bituminous coal that the Northern Pacific produced from its own mines. This new wheel arrangement was dubbed "Northern Pacific", which was quickly shortened to "Northern".
There were 36 North American Railroads that owned and operated a total of 1,126 "Northern" type locomotives.
Some railroads, particularly the southern ones, rejected the "Northern" name and used names with a more regional connection. The C&O called them "Greenbriers"; the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western used the name "Poconos"; the Lehigh Valley came up with "Wyoming"; the Nashville, Chattanooga & St.Louis named them "Dixies"; the New York Central chose "Niagaras"; the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac named each of its 27, 4-8-4s after southern generals, governors and statesmen; the Southern Pacific used the name "Golden State"; the Western Maryland dubbed them "Potomacs" and in Canada, the CNR named them "Confederations" while the Nacionale de Mexico called them "Niagras".
This locomotive carried road number 1111 and the Timken name and became known as "four aces" on the many railroads that tested it. In the two years it traveled the country it ran up an impressive record in both passenger and freight operation.
Designed for fast freight and passenger service, this locomotive was tested in drag freight operation and consistently did well without helpers. On one occasion it started a 132 car freight train of 9,864 tons.
Timken had "four aces" built so that the boiler pressure could be varied between 235 and 250 psi and its weight could be shifted between the drivers and trucks thus allowing the demonstrator to have a tractive effort of 59,900 lbs at 235 psi and 63,700 lbs at 250 psi. The locomotive weighed 417,500 lbs, had 73" drivers and 27 x 30 cylinders.
While being tested on the Northern Pacific, number 1111 suffered crown sheet damage. Timken was essentially finished with it and did not want a damaged locomotive and NP did not want to repair a locomotive it did not own. In order to resolve this stand-off, NP bought the locomotive, repaired it, numbered it 2626 and used it until 1955.
Information for this introduction to Northerns provided by Richard Duley.
Railroad Line | Quantity, Builder | Name |
---|---|---|
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe | 65 Baldwin | Northerns |
Atlantic Coast Line | 12 Baldwin | 1800s |
Canadian National | 130 MLW 30 Canadian Locomotive Works | Confederations |
Canadan Pacific | 2 CPR | Northerns |
Central of Georgia | 8 Lima | Big Apples |
Chesapeake & Ohio | 12 Lima | Greenbriers |
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy | 8 Baldwin 28 CB&Q | Northerns |
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific | 10 ALCO 41 Baldwin 1 CMStP&P | Northerns |
Chicago & North Western | 35 Baldwin | Northerns |
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific | 85 ALCO | Northerns |
Delaware & Hudson | 15 ALCO | Northerns |
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western | 55 ALCO | Poconos |
Denver & Rio Grande Western | 19 Baldwin | Westerns |
Grand Trunk Western | 37 ALCO 6 Lima | Confederations |
Great Northern | 20 Baldwin | Northerns |
Lehigh Valley | 21 ALCO 16 Baldwin | Wyomings |
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Sainte Marie | 4 Lima | Northerns |
Missouri Pacific | 15 Baldwin 25 MP | Northerns |
Nacionales de Mexico | 16 ALCO 16 Baldwin | Niágaras |
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis | 25 ALCO | Dixies |
New York Central | 28 ALCO | Niagaras |
Norfolk & Western | 14 N&W | Js |
Northern Pacific | 13 ALCO 36 Baldwin | Northerns |
Ontario Northland | 5 Canadian Locomotive Works | Northerns |
Reading | 30 Reading | Northerns |
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac | 27 Baldwin | Generals, Governors & Statesmen |
St. Louis San Francisco | 25 Baldwin | Northerns |
St. Louis Southwestern | 10 Baldwin 10 SLSW | Northerns |
Southern Pacific | 10 Baldwin 60 Lima | Golden States |
Spokane, Portland & Seattle | 3 Baldwin | Northerns |
Texas & Louisiana Lines | 4 Baldwin | Golden States |
Toledo, Peoria & Western | 6 ALCO | Northerns |
Union Pacific | 45 ALCO | Four-Eight-Fours |
Wabash | 25 Baldwin | Northerns |
Western Maryland | 12 Baldwin | Potomacs |
Western Pacific | 6 Lima | Northerns |
Railroad | ATSF | CB&Q | CMStP&P | C&O | GN | NC&StL | NP | N&W | NYC | Philadelphia & Reading | SP | UP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | 2900 | O-5A/O-5B | S3 | J-3b | S-2 | J3-57 | A-5 | J | S-1b | T-1 | GS-6 | FEF-3 |
Wheel Arrangement | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 | 4-8-4 |
Series | 2900-2929 | 5608-5635 | 260-269 | 605-606 | 2575-2588 | 570-589 | 2680-2689 | 600-613 | 6001-6025 | 2100-2129 | 4460-4469 | 835-844 |
Cyl:Dia x Stroke | 28x32 | 28x30 | 26x32 | 27.5x30 | 29x29 | 25x30 | 28x31 | 27x32 | 25.5x32 | 27x32 | 27x30 | 25x32 |
Driver Diameter | 80 | 74 | 74 | 72 | 80 | 70 | 77 | 70 | 79 | 70 | 73.5 | 80 |
Boiler Pressure | 300 | 250 | 250 | 255 | 225 | 250 | 260 | 275 | 275 | 240 | 260 | 300 |
Grate Area | 108 | 106.5 | 96.2 | 100 | 97.75 | 77.3 | 115 | 107.7 | 101 | 94.4 | 90.2 | 100.2 |
Evaporative Heating Surface | 5,312 | 5,237 | 4,478 | 5,434 | 4,781 | 4,203 | 4,672 | 5,271 | 4,823 | 4,920 | 4,852 | 4,294 |
Superheater Heating Surface | 2,366 | 2,403 | 1,438 | 2,315 | 2,265 | 1,782 | 1,930 | 2,177 | 2,073 | 1,214 | 1,834 | 1,400 |
Weight on Drivers | 293,860 | 279,030 | 259,300 | 292,800 | 247,300 | 228,000 | 295,000 | 288,000 | 275,000 | 278,200 | 270,300 | 270,300 |
Total Engine Weight | 510,150 | 474,620 | 460,000 | 506,300 | 420,900 | 400,500 | 508,500 | 494,000 | 471,000 | 441,300 | 468,400 | 490,700 |
Maximum Axle Weight | 77,500 | 73,200 | 74,000 | 69,740 | 67,900 | |||||||
Tender Weight | 464,700 | 359,000 | 364,100 | 388,200 | 326,560 | 285,000 | 443,500 | 378,600 | 337,000 | 367,700 | 317,800 | 421,550 |
Total Engine and Tender Weight | 974,850 | 833,620 | 824,100 | 894,500 | 747,460 | 685,500 | 952,000 | 872,600 | 808,000 | 809,000 | 786,200 | 912,250 |
Overall Wheelbase | 108.17 | 90.69 | 95.54 | 98.44 | 91.17 | 86.31 | 97.5 | 95.4 | 97.21 | 98.42 | ||
Tractive Effort | 79,968 | 67,541 | 62,119 | 68,299 | 58,305 | 56,920 | 69,756 | 77,899 | 61,568 | 67,984 | 65,759 | 63,750 |
Tractive Effort Booster | 10,100 | |||||||||||
Maximum Speed | ||||||||||||
Drawbar Horsepower | 4,600@30 |
No. | Class | F.M. Whyte | Gauge | Railroad Line | Location | Status | Builder Info | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2926 | 2900 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | New Mexico Heritage Rail, Albuquerque, NM | operational | Baldwin #69814, 1944 | Previously placed on display in Coronado Park. Test fired on August 20, 2018. Moved under its own power on July 24, 2021. Debuted in excursion service on September 30, 2023. Became the second steam locomotive to be equipped with Positive Train Control. |
1 (2101) | T-1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AFT (Reading) | B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD | restoration | Reading Shops, 1945 | American Freedom Train Damaged in a roundhouse fire in Russell, KY in 1979. Traded by Ross Rowland to the B&O Railroad Museum in exchange for C&O 614. To be cosmetically restored starting in October 2023 and scheduled for completion sometime in 2027. |
838 | FEF-3 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | UP | UP engine house, Cheyenne, WY | stored | Alco (Schenectady) #72785, 1944 | Used as a spare parts source for UP 844. |
844 (8444) | FEF-3 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | UP | UP engine house, Cheyenne, WY | operational | Alco (Schenectady) #72791, 12/1944 | Featured in the TV series 'Shining Time Station'. Only steam locomotive in the United States to never be retired by a major class I North American railroad. Renumbered to 8444 from 1962 to 1989. Taken out of service in 2013. Returned to service in 2016. |
250 (2100) | T-1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AFT (Reading) | B&O Roundhouse, Cleveland, OH | restoration | Reading Shops, 1945 | Operated the Iron Horse Rambles excursions from 1959 to 1964. From Elgin Co. RY Museum, St. Thomas, ON, then Richland, WA. Restoration by American Steam RR Preservation Association. Will be painted in an American Freedom Train livery and renumbered to 250. |
614 | J3a | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | C&O | C&O Railway Heritage Center, Clifton Forge, VA | restoration | Lima #9306, 06/1948 | Iron Horse Enterprises From the B&O Railroad Museum, PA. Acquired from the B&O Railroad Museum by Ross Rowland in exchange for Reading 2101 in 1979. Restored to operation in 1980. Previously operated in 1999. To be moved to the Strasburg Railroad for restoration to operation. |
814 | FEF-1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | UP | Rock Island Depot Museum, Main & 16th, Council Bluffs, IA | display | Alco (Schenectady) #68822, 1937 | |
5633 | O-5A | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | CB&Q | Douglas Railroad Interprative Center, C&NW Depot, Douglas, WY | display | CB&Q (West Burlington) #66108, 1940 | Donated by the CB&Q in May 1962. |
2913 | 2900 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | Riverview Park, Fort Madison, IA | display | Baldwin #69801, 1943 | contact info Cosmetic restoration completed in 2023. |
4501 | 4500 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SLSF | Museum of the American Railroad, Frisco, TX | display | Baldwin #64450, 1942 | |
5629 | O-5B | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | CB&Q | Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, CO | display | CB&Q (West Burlington) #66104, 1940 | Donated by the CB&Q in September 1963. |
2584 | S-2 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | GN | Havre depot, Havre, MT | display | Baldwin #61238, 1930 | |
4-8-4 | 14" | Kiddieland Limited | Hesston Steam Museum, Hesston, IN | operational | Wagner & Sons Miniature Train Co, 1950 | From Kiddieland, Melrose Park, IL. | ||
801 | 4-8-4 | 15" | ATT&NW | Kings Lights Railroad, Houston, TX | operational private | Merrick Light Railway Equipment, 2006 | From the Arborway T.T. & Northwestern Railroad, Steelville, MO. | |
S-2 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | CMStP&P | open area, Ingomar, MT | display | Tender only. Was used as an auxiliary water tender. | ||
3759 | 3751 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | Locomotive Park, 315 W Beale St (US 93), Kingman, AZ | display | Baldwin #60385, 1928 | |
261 | S-3 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | CMStP&P | GN Shops/Minneapolis Junction, Minneapolis, MN | operational | Alco (Schenectady) #71974, 07/1944 | Restored to operation in 1993. Taken out of service in 2008. Returned to operation on December 12, 2012. Considering a possible conversion to burn oil, according to a March 2021 feasibility study. |
2921 | 2900 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | Amtrak Station, Modesto, CA | display | Baldwin #69809, 1944 | From Beard Brook Park. |
576 | J3-57 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | NC&StL | Tennessee Central Railroad Museum, Nashville, TN | restoration | Alco (Schenectady) #69786, 1942 | NCPS Nashville Steam Preservation Society From Centennial Park in Nashville, TN. Restoration is expected to be completed in 2025. |
3028 | QR-1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | NdeM | New Hope & Ivyland Railroad, New Hope, PA | stored | Alco (Schenectady) #74383, 1946 | AHTS Now owned by the ALCO Historical & Technical Society. |
833 | FEF-2 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | UP | Utah State Railroad Museum, Ogden, UT | display | Alco (Schenectady) #69174, 1939 | From Pioneer Park, Salt Lake City, UT. Displayed with UP Centennial 6916. |
5000 | R-67a | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | CRI&P | Steam Railroading Institute, Owosso, MI | operational | Alco, 1929 | Tender only. Used as an auxiliary water tender for PM 1225. |
819 | L-1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SSW | Arkansas Railroad Museum, Pine Bluff, AR | restoration | SSW, 1942 | Featured in 'Extreme Steam: Classic North American Steam Locomotives' and 'End of the Line'. Previously operated in October 1993. Cosmetic restoration only. Operational restoration is still being considered by the museum in the near future. |
814 | L-1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SSW | Arkansas Railroad Museum, Pine Bluff, AR | stored | SSW, 1942 | Tender only. Used as an auxiliary water tender behind SSW 819. |
2102 | T-1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | RBM&N (Reading) | RBM&N headquarters, Port Clinton, PA | operational | Reading Shops, 1945 | Operated the Iron Horse Rambles excursions from 1959 to 1964. Previously operated in October 1991. Test fired in January 2021. Restored back to operation on April 6, 2022. |
4449 | GS-4 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SP | Oregon Rail Heritage Center, Portland, OR | operational | Lima #7817, 1941 | American Freedom Train Restored to operation in 1975. Pulled the American Freedom Train from 1975 to 1976. Featured in 'Tough Guys' (1986). Taken out of service in 2013. Returned to operation in late 2015. |
2575 | S-2 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | GN | Oregon Rail Heritage Center, Portland, OR | operational | Baldwin, 1930 | Tender only. Used as an auxiliary tender on SP&S 700 excursions. |
700 | E1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SP&S | Oregon Rail Heritage Center, Portland, OR | out of service | Baldwin #62171, 1938 | Restored to operation in 1990. Taken out of service in early 2015. Undergoing mandated 1,472-day inspection and overhaul. Currently scheduled to return to operation sometime in 2024. |
484 | GS-64 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | WP | Western Pacific Railroad Museum, Portola, CA | display | The engine was scrapped after retirement in 1953, but the tender still survives today. The tender was later converted into a steam generator for their rotary snowplow. | |
2912 | 2900 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | Pueblo Union Depot, Pueblo, CO | display | Baldwin #69800, 1944 | Cosmetically restored in 2023. Received a non-operational air compressor from C&O 2716 in Ravenna, KY. |
611 | J | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | N&W | Virginia Museum of Transportation, Roanoke, VA | operational | N&W #388, 1950 | Fire up 611 Named Spirit of Roanoke. Also nicknamed Queen of Steam. Official state steam locomotive of Virginia. Appeared in National Geographic - Love Those Trains. Restored back to operation in 2015. Operated at the Strasburg Railroad in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. |
2925 | 2900 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | Old Sacramento, Sacramento, CA | stored | Baldwin #69813, 1944 | Retired in 1955. Stored in the Belen, NM roundhouse. Donated to the CSRM in 1985. |
2124 | T-1 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | Reading | Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton, PA | display | Reading Shops, 1947 | Operated the Iron Horse Rambles excursions from 1959 to 1963. Piston rods cut. Cosmetically restored in 2019. |
4516 | 4500 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SLSF | Missouri State Fair Grounds, Sedalia, MO | display | Baldwin #69732, 1943 | |
5631 | O-5A | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | CB&Q | Broadway and 5th, Sheridan, WY | display | CB&Q (West Burlington) #66106, 1940 | Donated by the CB&Q in February 1962. |
4524 | 4500 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SLSF | Grant Beach Park, Springfield, MO | display | Baldwin #69740, 1943 | |
5614 | O-5A | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | CB&Q | Patee Park, St. Joseph, MO | display | CB&Q (Aurora) #70584, 1937 | Donated in May 1962. Oldest surviving CB&Q Northern type. |
4460 | GS-6 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SP | Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, MO | display | Lima #8013, 1941 | Last steam locomotive to operate and pull a passenger train for the SP. |
6325 | U-3-b | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | GTW | Age of Steam Roundhouse, Sugarcreek, OH | display | Alco (Schenectady) #69631, 1942 | 2001 photo Displayed in Battle Creek, MI in 1959. Local restoration effort failed. Purchased by Jerry Jacobson in 1993. Restored to operation in 2001 and used on fantrips. Retired from excursion service in 2006 in need of repairs. |
4500 | 4500 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | SLSF | Route 66 Historical Village, Tulsa, OK | display | Baldwin #64449, 1942 | |
H | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | C&NW | Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL | stored | Baldwin, 1929 | Tender only. It had been converted into either a sand car or auxiliary water tender. | |
U | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | GTW | Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL | stored | Alco, 1941 | Tender only. It was probably used as an auxiliary water tender. | |
6323 | U-3-b | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | GTW | Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL | display | Alco (Schenectady) #69629, 1942 | Last steam locomotive operated by the GTW. |
265 | S-3 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | CMStP&P | Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL | display | Alco #71978, 1944 | |
2903 | 2900 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL | display | Baldwin #69791, 1943 | From the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL. |
3751 | 3751 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | Amtrak/Redondo Junction Shops, Vernon, CA | operational | Baldwin #60004, 1927 | SBRHS Restored to operation in late 1991. Featured in 'Boots Malone', 'Key to the City', 'There Goes a Train', 'Pearl Harbor', and more. Taken out of service in 2017. Returned to operation on September 21, 2022. Equipped with Positive Train Control. |
3768 | 3765 | 4-8-4 | 4'-8½" | AT&SF | Great Plains Transportation Museum, Wichita, KS | display | Baldwin #62122, 1938 |