Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4963

Last updated
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4963
CB&Q 4963 in storage at Galesburg, Illinois.jpg
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy No. 4963 sitting in storage at a Galesburg, Illinois roundhouse, in 1967
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number56812
Build dateAugust 1923
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 2-8-2
 •  UIC 1′D1′ h2
Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia. 33 in (0.838 m)
Driver dia.64 in (1.626 m)
Trailing dia. 42+1⁄2 in (1.080 m)
Tender wheels33 in (0.838 m)
Wheelbase 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m) ​
 • Engine33 ft 9+1⁄2 in (10.30 m)
 • Drivers15 ft 21 in (5.11 m)
Height15 ft 10+1⁄2 in (4.84 m)
Adhesive weight 233,850 lb (106,070 kg)
Loco weight310,780 lb (140,970 kg)
Tender weight195,300 lb (88,600 kg)
Total weight506,080 lb (229,550 kg)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity42,000 lb (19,000 kg)
Water cap.10,000 US gal (38,000 L; 8,300 imp gal)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area59 sq ft (5.5 m2)
Boiler:
​
 • Small tubes2+1⁄4 in (57 mm)
 • Large tubes5+1⁄2 in (140 mm)
Boiler pressure200 psi (1,400 kPa)
Feedwater heater Worthington
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox254.00 sq ft (23.597 m2)
 • Tubes2,179.00 sq ft (202.436 m2)
 • Arch tubes33.00 sq ft (3.066 m2)
 • Flues905.00 sq ft (84.077 m2)
 • Tubes and flues3,409.00 sq ft (316.706 m2)
 • Total surface4,178.00 sq ft (388.149 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area769.00 sq ft (71.442 m2)
Cylinder size 27 in × 30 in (686 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort 58,090 lbf (258.40 kN)
Factor of adh. 3.85
Career
Operators Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Bevier and Southern Railroad
Class O-1A
Numbers4963
Retired1962
Current ownerIllinois Railway Museum
DispositionOn static display
References: [1]

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4963 is a preserved O-1a class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. It was used by the CB&Q to haul mainline freight trains before it was leased to the Bevier and Southern Railroad to haul short-distance freight trains in the early 1960s. It was subsequently retained by the CB&Q and used as a source of spare parts before being acquired by Richard Jensen.

Contents

Jensen planned for No. 4963 to be restored to run again before it was sold to a scrapyard during legal disputes between Jensen and the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad. No. 4963 was later purchased by the Illinois Railway Museum in 1991, and as of 2025, the locomotive is on static display in Union, Illinois.

History

Design and revenue service

Throughout the 1910s, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad ordered a fleet of 2-8-2 "Mikado" locomotives from the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Eddystone, Pennsylvania, for use in general freight service. [2] [3] The first sixty 2-8-2's of the CB&Q (Nos. 5000-5059) were classified as the O-1 Class. [2] They were built with 64-inch (1,626 mm) diameter driving wheels, 27-by-30-inch (686 mm × 762 mm) cylinders, and a boiler pressure of 170 psi (1,172 kPa), and they were able to generate 49,500 lbf (220 kN) of tractive effort. [2]

In 1917, the CB&Q upgraded the boiler design on the O-1, resulting in a new class of locomotives being created; the O-1A. [2] [3] The O-1A's were designed with radially stayed fireboxes and feedwater heaters, and their boiler pressure was upgraded to 200 psi (1,379 kPa), resulting in their ability to produce 58,090 lbf (258 kN) of tractive effort. [2] [3] The first eighty-eight O-1A's (Nos. 5060-5147) were built between 1917 and 1922, and sixty locomotives (Nos. 4940-4999) were built in 1923. [3]

No. 4963 was among the last O-1A's constructed for the railroad in August 1923. No. 4963 was primarily used for hauling mixed freight trains for over twenty-five years. [2] As the CB&Q acquired diesel locomotives to modernize the railroad's fleet, most of the O-1A's on the CB&Q, including No. 4963, were reassigned to switch and pull hopper cars of coal within the Beardstown Division in Southern Illinois. [4] [5]

The Beardstown Division was the final division on the CB&Q to be fully dieselized. [4] [5] In January 1959, No. 4963 was removed from service in the Beardstown Division, and it was put into storage in Galesburg, Illinois. [6] [7] In December 1960, No. 4963 received a major overhaul inside the CB&Q's roundhouse in Galesburg, and it was subsequently loaned to the Missouri-based Bevier and Southern Railroad (BVS) to operate alongside fellow O-1A No. 4943. [7] [8] The BVS assigned No. 4963 to pull coal trains between coal mines in Brinkley and the BVS-CB&Q interchange in Bevier.

In the fall of 1962, No. 4963 was removed from service on the BVS, when the CB&Q loaned an EMD NW2 to the railroad, and the O-1A was returned to Galesburg, two years later. [7] At the time, the CB&Q was hosting a steam excursion program, and No. 4963 began serving as a spare parts provider for No. 4960, another fellow O-1A class locomotive. [9] In 1966, the CB&Q’s steam program was discontinued, and all of their remaining steam locomotives were sold off. [10]

In 1967, Railroad Club of Chicago member Richard "Dick" Jensen purchased No. 4963 to add to his growing locomotive collection. [9] [11] [12] He moved the O-1A to the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad's (C&WI) 47th Street Roundhouse outside of Dearborn Station in Chicago for storage, having already reached a lease agreement with the railroad's president, Robert McMillian. [11] [13] Jensen planned to restore No. 4963 to operating condition for use in excursion service, and he relied on ticket sales from excursion trains powered by Grand Trunk Western 5629 to fund its overhaul.

In 1968, McMillan unexpectedly left the C&WI, and successor Robert Dowdy decided to demolish the 47th Street Roundhouse and to rip up the surrounding 51st street rail yard. [11] On February 27, 1969, the C&WI sent Jensen a notice that unless he removed all of his equipment from the roundhouse within thirty days, the railroad would assume ownership of the equipment and sell it for scrap. [11] Dowdy also ordered for everything to be shipped in one trip. [11] During the summer of 1969, Jensen made several arrangements to remove No. 4963, CB&Q 4-8-4 No. 5632, and his large collection of locomotive parts and tools off the property; it involved making plans to relocate them to either the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) or the Chicago, West Pullman and Southern Railroad (CWPS), and he purchased some empty freight cars second-hand to load the parts and tools. [11] [14]

No. 4963 and 4-8-4 No. 5632 sitting inside Erman-Howell scrapyard south of Chicago, July 22, 1970 CB&Q 4963 and 5632 sitting at Luria Steel and Trading Co. scrapyard.jpg
No. 4963 and 4-8-4 No. 5632 sitting inside Erman-Howell scrapyard south of Chicago, July 22, 1970

By the end of August, Jensen had his locomotives and parts coupled together in one consist for shipment, but they still remained in the 51st street yard. [11] The following month, superintendents from the Chicago and North Western (C&NW) and the Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC) inspected the consist, and they concluded that it couldn’t legally be shipped, since Nos. 4963 and 5632 were both in a disassembled state, and most of the freight cars were overloaded and in poor condition. [11] The C&WI subsequently moved the consist themselves at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) to their 83rd street yard, and Robert Dowdy ordered for all of Jensen’s equipment to be sold off in one sale. [11]

On September 25, the C&WI sold Nos. 4963, 5632, and the freight cars of parts to the Erman-Howell division of the Luria Brothers Scrap Company for $5,800, and on October 2, the C&WI and the BRC worked to move the consist into Erman-Howell's scrapyard. [11] [14] The C&WI sent Jensen the $5,800 check, but he later sent it back, and he made many unsuccessful attempts to re-purchase Nos. 4963 and 5632 from Erman-Howell for their scrap value. [11] [14] In November 1972, No. 5632 was scrapped, and Jensen subsequently sued the C&WI for illegal conviction of his property, while No. 4963 remained intact in the yard. [9] [11] [14]

Illinois Railway Museum ownership

In the fall of 1990, the O-1A became scheduled to be dismantled for scrap. [9] A proposition was made to the city of Chicago to acquire No. 4963 and restore it for use in pulling their own excursion trains around the area, but the proposition was declined, and the threat of scrapping returned. In early 1991, the Illinois Railway Museum reached an agreement with Erman-Howell to trade five Ex-Northwestern Steel and Wire 0-8-0 switchers (Nos. 8306, 8328, 8372, 8375, and 8379) in exchange for No. 4963. [9] [15] The locomotive was subsequently moved to the IRM’s property in Union, Illinois, where it was cosmetically repainted and put on static display with the rest of the Museum’s collection. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad</span> Former railroad in the Midwestern United States

The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, CB&Q, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and also in Texas through subsidiaries Colorado and Southern Railway, Fort Worth and Denver Railway, and Burlington-Rock Island Railroad. Its primary connections included Chicago, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver. Because of this extensive trackage in the midwest and mountain states, the railroad used the advertising slogans "Everywhere West", "Way of the Zephyrs", and "The Way West".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois Railway Museum</span> Museum in Union, Illinois, U.S.

The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area at 7000 Olson Road in Union, Illinois, 55 miles (89 km) northwest of downtown Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Hills Central Railroad</span> Heritage railroad in South Dakota

The Black Hills Central Railroad is a heritage railroad that operates in Keystone, South Dakota, United States. The railroad was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 5, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldwin 60000</span> Preserved steam locomotive

Baldwin 60000 is an experimental steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, in 1926, during the height of the railroading industry. It received its number for being the 60,000th locomotive built by Baldwin.

The Macomb and Western Illinois Railway was chartered on October 26, 1901. The railroad was built south along Johnson Street in Macomb, Illinois, to nearby Industry and Littleton by local financier Charles V. Chandler. It was open for service on January 1, 1904. It ran for about twenty-five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galesburg station (Amtrak)</span> Amtrak intercity train station in Galesburg, Illinois

Galesburg is an Amtrak intercity train station in Galesburg, Illinois, United States. The station was originally built in 1984, after the razing of the large depot just south of the current site. It is located north of the large BNSF Railway classification yard. Just south the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg diverge via the Quincy main line which bypasses the yard on the east side. The California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief continue to the southwest side of Galesburg near Knox College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Western 90</span> Preserved American 2-10-0 locomotive

Great Western 90 is a preserved 12-42-F class 2-10-0 "Decapod" steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road (SRC) east of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Built in June 1924 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, No. 90 originally pulled sugar beet trains for the Great Western Railway of Colorado, and it was the largest of the company’s roster. In April 1967, No. 90 was purchased by the Strasburg Rail Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USRA Light Pacific</span> Class of American two-cylinder 4-6-2 locomotives

The USRA Light Pacific was a USRA standard class of steam locomotive designed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration, the nationalized railroad system in the United States during World War I. It was the standard light passenger locomotive of the USRA types, with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2′C1′ in UIC classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois Central 790</span> Preserved 2-8-0 steam locomotive

Illinois Central No. 790 is a preserved 2-8-0 “Consolidation” steam locomotive, built by ALCO’s Cooke Works in 1903. In 1959, No. 790 was saved from scrap and purchased by Lou Keller, and he used it to pull excursion trains in Iowa. In 1965, the locomotive was sold to a New York businessman, who, in turn, sold it the following year to F. Nelson Blount, the founder of Steamtown, U.S.A.. As of 2025, No. 790 is on static display at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burlington railroad strike of 1888</span> 1888 labor movement

The Burlington railroad strike of 1888 was a failed union strike which pitted the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, and the Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association (SMAA) against the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) its extensive trackage in the Midwestern United States. It was led by the skilled engineers and firemen, who demanded higher wages, seniority rights, and grievance procedures. It was fought bitterly by management, which rejected the very notion of collective bargaining. There was much less violence than the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, but after 10 months the very expensive company operation to permanently replace all the strikers was successful and the strike was a total defeat for them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Trunk Western 4070</span> Preserved GTW S-3-a class 2-8-2 locomotive

Grand Trunk Western No. 4070 is an S-3-a class 2-8-2 USRA Light Mikado steam locomotive, and it was originally built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in December 1918 for the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) as No. 474. It was later re-numbered to 3734 by the Grand Trunk Western (GTW), after the GTR was absorbed into Canadian National (CN). In the late 1950s, the locomotive received a larger tender from an S-3-c class locomotive, and it was further re-numbered to 4070.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Canyon Railway 4960</span> Preserved American CB&Q O-1a class 2-8-2 locomotive

Grand Canyon Railway 4960 is a preserved O-1A class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in August 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad. It was used by the CB&Q to pull freight trains, until 1958, when the locomotive pulled its first excursion fantrip, as part of the railroad's steam excursion program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago, Burlington and Quincy O-5 class</span> American locomotive class

The Chicago Burlington and Quincy O-5 was a class of 36 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930 and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) between 1936 and 1940 and operated by the CB&Q until the late 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bessemer and Lake Erie 643</span> Preserved American 2-10-4 steam locomotive

Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad No. 643 is the sole survivor of the class H-1 2-10-4 "Texas type" steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1944 for the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, primarily used for hauling heavy mainline freight trains in Pennsylvania and Ohio, until retirement in 1952. As of 2025, No. 643 is owned by the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4000</span> Preserved American CB&Q S-4a class 4-6-4 locomotive

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy No. 4000, also known as Aeolus, is a preserved S-4a class 4-6-4 "Hudson" steam locomotive that was originally built by Baldwin in 1930 as S-4 locomotive No. 3002. It was primarily used to pull fast passenger trains before it was rebuilt by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1937 to be re-classified as an S-4a with Streamlining, and it was renumbered 4000 in the process. The streamlining was removed during World War II, and the locomotive was later downgraded to secondary passenger and mail service. In 1956, No. 4000 pulled two excursion trains out of Chicago, Illinois before it was retired. The locomotive was donated to the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1963, and it remains on static display in Copeland Park, as of 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Trunk Western 5629</span> Scrapped GTW K-4-a class 4-6-2 locomotive

Grand Trunk Western 5629 was a 4-6-2 K-4-a steam locomotive, which was a copy of the United States Railroad Administration's (USRA) Light Pacific design, built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1924, for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. It was used to haul commuter passenger trains in Michigan until 1960, when it was purchased by Chicago-based railfan Richard Jensen, who used No. 5629 to pull several excursion trains in the Chicago area throughout the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 5632</span> Scrapped CB&Q O-5b class 4-8-4 locomotive

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 5632 was an O-5B class 4-8-4 “Northern” built in the CB&Q's shops in August 1940. It was used to pull mainline passenger and freight trains before it eventually became famous for pulling a plethora of excursion trains for the CB&Q's steam excursion program. By the time the program ended in 1966, No. 5632 was disassembled for an unfinished overhaul, and was subsequently sold to Chicago area railfan Richard Jensen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois Central 2613</span> Scrapped 4-8-2 steam locomotive

Illinois Central 2613 was a 4-8-2 "Mountain" type 2600 class steam locomotive built in April 1943 by the Illinois Central Railroad's Paducah Shops in Paducah, Kentucky. No. 2613 and its classmates were the most powerful 4-8-2 locomotives ever built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galesburg Yard</span> Railway yard in Illinois, USA

The Galesburg Yard is a classification yard of the BNSF Railway south of Galesburg in Illinois. It dates back to a goods and classification yard of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), which from 1905 developed into one of the largest classification yards in the USA. At the beginning of the 20th century, Galesburg developed into CB&Q's most important railroad junction, with the main lines from Saint Paul to St. Louis and Kansas City (north-south) and from Chicago to Omaha and Kansas City (east-west) running through it. Nearly all CB&Q's passenger and freight trains passed through Galesburg, where there was also a large railroad depot with several roundhouses.

References

  1. ↑ Stowe (1966), p. 5
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bianchi, Curt (May 1997). "Steam's comeback kid". Trains. Vol. 57, no. 5. p. 36. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Moungovan, Tom (January 1997). "4960: A New Career for an Old Friend". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 16, no. 1. p. 28.
  4. 1 2 Stagner (1997) , p. 7
  5. 1 2 Stagner (1997) , p. 13
  6. ↑ Stagner (1997) , p. 15
  7. 1 2 3 Stagner (1997) , p. 17
  8. ↑ "Steam! News Photos" . Trains. Vol. 21, no. 5. Kalmbach Publishing. March 1961. p. 10. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Illinois Railway Museum Adds, Trades, and Scraps Steam". Locomotive & Railway Preservation. January–February 1993. p. 55.
  10. ↑ Stagner (1997) , p. 22
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Jensen v. Chicago Western Indiana R.R. Co., 94Ill. App.79-781 (Ill. App. Ct.1981).
  12. ↑ Conrad, Dave (November–December 1991). "Obituaries: Richard Jensen". Locomotive & Railway Preservation. p. 60.
  13. ↑ "Steam News Photos" . Trains. Vol. 27, no. 10. Kalmbach Publishing. August 1967. p. 9. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Train buff awarded $1.7 million in suit". The Pantagraph. December 28, 1978. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Arrivals and Departures - Obituary" . Trains. Vol. 51, no. 12. Kalmbach Publishing. October 1991. p. 17. Retrieved February 10, 2024.

Bibliography

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.