Union Pacific 9000

Union Pacific 9000
Union Pacific 9000 at the RailGiants Train Museum in May 2024.
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder American Locomotive Company Build date 1926
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-12-2  • UIC 2′F1′ h3g Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 67 in (1,702 mm) Wheelbase Loco & tender: 91.50 ft (27.89 m) Length 102 ft 7 in (31.27 m) Axle load 59,000 lb (26,762 kg; 27 t) Adhesive weight 354,000 lb (160,572 kg; 161 t) Loco weight 496,500 lb (225,209 kg; 225 t) Tender weight 310,599 lb (140,885 kg; 141 t) Total weight 807,099 lb (366,094 kg; 366 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 44,000 lb (19,958 kg; 20 t) Water cap. 18,000 US gallons (68,000 L; 15,000 imp gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 108.25 sq ft (10.057 m2) Boiler 92 in (2,337 mm) Boiler pressure 220 lbf/in2 (1.52 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 591 sq ft (54.9 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 2,560 sq ft (238 m2) Cylinders Three, two outside, one inside Cylinder size Outside (2): 27 in × 32 in (686 mm × 813 mm); Inside (1): 27 in × 31 in (686 mm × 787 mm) Valve gear Gresley Conjugated
Performance figures Maximum speed 50 mph (80 km/h) Tractive effort 96,646 lbf (429.9 kN) Factor of adh. 3.66
Career Operators Union Pacific Railroad Class UP-1 Numbers 9000 Delivered April 8, 1926 Retired May 1956 Current owner Southern California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Disposition On static display at the RailGiants Train Museum

Union Pacific 9000 is a class UP-1 4-12-2 steam locomotive built in 1926 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Union Pacific Railroad (UP).

Revenue service

No. 9000 was the first of the class UP-1, built as a test locomotive with the $105,835.27 ($1,821,481 in 2024) cost divided between the UP and ALCO. It was delivered to the Omaha, Nebraska, shops on April 8, 1926, and, after some final work there, was moved to the depot for display west of the passenger station on May 13. The following day, the No. 9000 moved west, starting out on the old main line from Omaha, part of the original transcontinental railroad bypassed by a later UP realignment. The locomotive was inspected at each division point, finally arriving at Cheyenne, Wyoming, just after midnight on the 15th of May.

The first test was on the 16th May, over Sherman Hill. Strings of cars lined Highway 30 just west of town as people came to see the new engine. Arriving at Laramie after midnight, it underwent a complete inspection and lubrication before continuing testing well into June, running up 4,159 mi (6,693 km).

Preservation

Once out of testing, 9000 was assigned to the Laramie roundhouse where it operated as part of the freight pool and was shopped according to mileage schedules. No. 9000 was retired in May 1956, the last of its type to be retired; it moved under its own power to the East Los Angeles Yard before being towed to the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds.

No. 9000 was placed on static display at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California and still sits there as of 2024.

See also

• Union Pacific 4014