Union Pacific No. 9000

Union Pacific No. 9000
No. 9000 on static display at the RailGiants Train Museum
Technical specifications
Manufacturer(s)	American Locomotive Company
Build date	1926
Classification	9000
Wheel arrangement	4-12-2
Rail gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Cylinders	Three
Boiler pressure	220 lbf/in2 (1.52 MPa)
Bore stroke	Outside (2): 27 in × 32 in (686 mm × 813 mm); Inside (1): 27 in × 31 in (686 mm × 787 mm)
Firegrate area	108.25 sq ft (10.057 m2)
Fuel type	Coal
Heating area	2,560 sq ft (238 m2)
Performance figures
Maximum speed	50 mph (80 km/h)
Tractive effort	96,646 lbf (429.9 kN)
Factor of adhesion	3.66
Service information
Running numbers	9000
Disposition details
Disposition	Preserved

Union Pacific No. 9000 is a UP-1 class 4-12-2 steam locomotive built in 1926 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). This engine was designed to haul passenger and freight trains on the UP.

History

The UP took delivery of ten three cylinder FTT-1 4-12-2s in 1925 (#8000 & #8800-#8808), but these were not a great success.

The first 15 were ordered and delivered to the Union Pacific Railroad in 1926 and were numbered 9000-9014. The second group of 15 were ordered in 1928. The second series were numbered 9015-9029.

By then, however, the UP had already committed itself to purchasing the massive 4-12-2 as a three-cylinder locomotive from Alco, although problems with the Overlands at least allowed the company to modify the design during its development. Problems included difficulty accessing bearings on the center cylinder drive wheel, main boxes overheating, excessive buildup of back pressure at full speed and wearing of the valve gear.

9000 was the first of the type, built as a test locomotive with the $105,835.27 cost divided between the UP and Alco. It was delivered to the Omaha, NE, shops on 8 April 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, 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, WY, 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 miles.

Design

The middle cylinder is offset upward at an angle from the horizontal of about 8 degrees. To normalize the phases of the cylinder the crank pin is also inclined at an identical angle using Holcroft's cylinder and crank pin offset formula. In order to give enough clearance for the connecting rod to move without fowling on the first axle the distance between the 1st and 2nd coupled axles is greater than the distance between all of the other coupled axles. This was done to avoid using a clearance crank on the 1st axle. Alco's lateral motion devices were placed on the first and sixth axles to help with navigating turns.

Fate

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. 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.

As of today, 9000 is on static display at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, CA and is owned by the Southern California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. As of 2023, with 4-8-4 type No. 844 and Big Boy No. 4014 used in excursion service with the UP's steam excursion program in Cheyenne, WY and Challenger No. 3985 and 2-10-2 type No. 5511 about to undergo restoration back to operating condition by the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA) in Silvis, IL, on the other hand, 9000 is not likely to ever run under steam again anytime soon, unless if someone has the money and facility to afford and restore it to operating condition.

Trivia

• 9000 is the last surviving engine in the world with a 4-12-2 wheel arrangement.
• This locomotive is one of the 88 locomotives that were built, yet only the 9000 is the sole survivor of the locomotives with the 4-12-2 wheel arrangement.
• 9000 was also in the movie "UP Last of the Giants".

Gallery

The 9000 appearing in the Kidsongs song The Locomotion.

No. 9000 on a train run (in colour)

No. 9000 on a train run

The engine being restored.

9000 with UP No. 4014.

The engine in the turntable of a UP Roundhouse.

List of Members of the Union Pacific 9000 Class
UP-1 (Prototype):	9000 (Prototype)
UP-2:	9001 • 9002 • 9003 • 9004 • 9005 • 9006 • 9007 • 9008 • 9009 • 9010 • 9011 • 9012 • 9013 • 9014
UP-3 (Union Pacific):	9015 • 9016 • 9017 • 9018 • 9019 • 9020 • 9021 • 9022 • 9023 • 9024 • 9025 • 9026 • 9027 • 9028 • 9029
UP-3 (Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company):	9700 • 9701 • 9702 • 9703 • 9704 • 9705 • 9406 • 9707
UP-4:	9030 • 9031 • 9032 • 9033 • 9034 • 9035 • 9034 • 9035 • 9036 • 9037 • 9038 • 9039 • 9040 • 9041 • 9042 • 9043 • 9044 • 9045 • 9046 • 9047 • 9048 • 9049 • 9050 • 9051 • 9052 • 9053 • 9054
UP-5:	9063 • 9064 • 9065 • 9066 • 9067 • 9068 • 9069 • 9070 • 9071 • 9072 • 9073 • 9074 • 9075 • 9076 • 9077 • 9078 • 9079 • 9080 • 9081 • 9082 • 9083 • 9084 • 9085 • 9086 • 9087
UP-5 (Oregon Short Line):	9500 • 9501 • 9502 • 9503 • 9504 • 9505 • 9506 • 9507 • 9508 • 9509 • 9510 • 9511 • 9512 • 9513 • 9514
Fallen:	9001 • 9002 • 9003 • 9004 • 9005 • 9006 • 9007 • 9008 • 9009 • 9010 • 9011 • 9012 • 9013 • 9014 • 9015 • 9016 • 9017 • 9018 • 9019 • 9020 • 9021 • 9022 • 9023 • 9024 • 9025 • 9026 • 9027 • 9028 • 9029 • 9030 • 9031 • 9032 • 9033 • 9034 • 9035 • 9034 • 9035 • 9036 • 9037 • 9038 • 9039 • 9040 • 9041 • 9042 • 9043 • 9044 • 9045 • 9046 • 9047 • 9048 • 9049 • 9050 • 9051 • 9052 • 9053 • 9054 • 9063 • 9064 • 9065 • 9066 • 9067 • 9068 • 9069 • 9070 • 9071 • 9072 • 9073 • 9074 • 9075 • 9076 • 9077 • 9078 • 9079 • 9080 • 9081 • 9082 • 9083 • 9084 • 9085 • 9086 • 9087
Preserved:	9000 Preserved Union Pacific Locomotives UP Class 700 No. 737 UP Class C-2 No. 237 • No. 264 • No. 561 • No. 616 • No. 618 • No. 6051 • No. 6237 UP Class C-57 No. 407 • No. 421 • No. 428 • No. 437 • No. 460 • No. 477 • No. 480 • No. 481 • No. 485 UP Class MK-1 No. 2005 UP Class MK-7 No. 2537 UP Class MK-9 No. 2295 UP Class MK-10 No. 2564 UP Class T-57 No. 1242 • No. 1243 UP Class P-1 No. 3206 UP Class P-2 No. 3203 UP Class TTT-6 No. 5511 UP Class S-4 No. 4420 UP Class S-5 No. 4436 • No. 4439 • No. 4442 UP Class S-6 No. 4455 • No. 4466 UP Class FEF-1 No. 814 UP Class FEF-2 No. 833 UP Class FEF-3 No. 838 • No. 844 UP Class 9000 No. 9000 UP Heavy Challengers No. 3977 • No. 3985 UP Big Boys No. 4004 • No. 4005 • No. 4006 • No. 4012 • No. 4014 • No. 4017 • No. 4018 • No. 4023