www.rgusrail.com - National Railroad Museum, Green Bay

The National Railroad Museum is located about a mile off US Highway 17 in the south of the city of Green Bay, WI. It is one of the oldest and now one of the largest museums in the U.S. dedicated to preserving the country’s railroad history.

It was conceived by D. C. Everest, president and chairman of Marathon Corporation (a paper manufacturer) and formed in 1956 with the aid of community volunteers. Everest's company was a major Milwaukee Road shipper and he managed to convince Milwaukee Road to donate #261 to the museum, making it the first locomotive to go on display there in 1958 (there are photos of a ride in the cab of #261 elsewhere on this website). Sadly, Everest died in 1955, the year before title to #261 was passed to the museum.

I have visited the museum twice (in October 2007 and September 2008). These photos are from both visits.

#4017 was last operated in July 1959 and was one of the last to undergo heavy repairs at UP’s Cheyenne, WY, workshops that year. It arrived at the museum in 1961 and was the first of 8 surviving Big Boys to go on display. You can see other preserved Big Boys on the LA County Fair, Cheyenne Big Boy, Kenefick Park and St Louis Museum of Transportation pages of this website.

At a contemporary value of $35 per ton, there would have been $18,000 scrap value in selling #4017. However, the fact that UP donated it and many other locomotives for preservation, and continues to steam Challenger class #3985 and Northern class #844 as part of its Heritage Fleet, is a testament to the company's commitment to preserving it's historic legacy.

Two front-on shots of #4017. The pilot was cast separately by General Steel Castings, jointly owned by Alco, Baldwin, Pullman and several other companies. An opening was left for the Buckeye Steel cast coupler. Here it is shown in an open position with the coupler extended

The red wheel in this photo opened the hoppers to dump the contents of the ash pan.

Note the SKF roller bearings stamp on the journal box.

The lubricating reservoir for the air pumps is in the upper right of this photo. It was originally positioned ahead of the cooler on the pilot.

A view under the cab. The air brake control valve is on the upper middle right. The injector overflow pipe and spreader is in the lower middle.

The boiler cladding has been removed from #4017, and this view along the right side of the locomotive shows the many stay bolts. Compare with #4004 in Kenefick Park.

The upper part of this photo gives a close up of the Alco power reverse lever and valve.

Also visible are the right rear Walschaert gears, elliptical upper springing for the drive wheel, the multiple guide and bracket, Alco designed Laird-type crosshead, and right rear cylinder.

Front right hand Nathan lubricator is on the left of this photo. It was operated by a chain gear, which replaced the original thin rod that had proved prone to fracture.

Front right hand cylinder showing the lubrication lines to the pistons and valve bushings. Big Boys’ 32” stroke required continuous lubrication to avoid damage to the cylinders.

The grates were a firebar design by the Waugh Equipment Company. In this view, you can see the rods that connect to the grate shakers in the cab and, in the lower half, the opening to the ash pan.

The inside of the firebox shows the circulators designed by Alco. It has been sprayed with foam to protect against condensation and rust.

The grate is 150 sq. ft. in area. The stoker firing plate is at the bottom of this photo.

Big Boys were fitted with MB automatic stokers.

In this photo, the conveyor screw in the tender is visible. Originally, sliding doors were fitted the entire length, except for a small opening at the front. Firemen were expected to open the doors in succession as the coal diminished, but this arrangement proved unpopular with firemen and the doors were soon removed.

In this photo, the red Pyle-National marker lamp and recessed rear reversing light at the top of the rear tender are evident. Compare with the tender on #4004 in Kenefick Park.

A (slightly blurred) view along the tender shows the journal boxes on the centipede pedestal truck.

On display near #4017 is a cut away model of a Timken roller bearing case for a freight car.

Although it took much effort, the Timken company was able to convince locomotive buyers that roller bearings offered great improvements in performance. By the 1940s, they were becoming standard on larger locomotives and Big Boys all had Timken roller bearings fitted to their drive wheels.

When I visited in September 2008, Aerotrain #2 was outdoors, which meant it was possible to get a side on shot and include the two car trainset in photos. I’m not a great fan of streamlining, but it looked good in the Autumn sun.

In October 2007, the engine and trainset was on track #1 inside the Victor McCormack Train Pavilion, alongside DM&IR #506.

Following WWII, with the growth of car ownership, the interstate highway system and air services, railway passenger numbers began to decline rapidly. In response, railroad companies sought ways to attract passengers back, including introducing stylish trains that combined speed and added luxury. One such effort was General Motors "Aerotrain" unveiled in 1955. There were two such trainsets, essentially a combination of GM bus bodies re-styled and adapted to run on rails and hauled by a diesel engine (you can detect the GM "style" in the windshield design, smooth front end lines with recessed headlights, and the fin-like wrap-around just above the pilot).

The first railroad to test them out was the Pennsy. It introduced one in February 1956, but the lightweight coaches, single-axle trucks and a suspension system designed for buses, made for a very uncomfortable ride at high speed. Pennsy was not convinced and returned the train to GM after a year of use. GM then took both trains on a tour of the country in an effort to drum up interest, but the same problems arose and no-one was willing to buy. Finally, in 1957, they were sold to the Rock Island Line for commuter services in Chicago, where lower speeds applied. However, after only nine years service there, both "Aerotrains" were retired in 1966. (You can see C&O's ill-fated attempt to attract passengers back to its services on the B&O Museum Car Shop page of this website).

#506 is one of 10 E-1 class Santa Fe type locomotives (2-10-2) built for DM&N by Alco in 1919 following successful introduction of the 6 E class locomotives built by Baldwin in 1916. You can see E #502, one of that first order, on the St. Louis Transportation Museum page of this website.

The 1920s upgrade included supplying a larger tender than the one originally delivered.

The new tender came with a coal pusher shown here.

#506’s cladding has been removed, which reveals much of the “plumbing” that is still covered on #502

The larger tender also came with a “dog house” for the brakeman, visible right at the top of this photo.

As part of an upgrade in the late 1920s, additional sand boxes were fitted on the pilot.

Growing demands as a result of the WWI war effort necessitated the purchase of the 10 additional Santa Fes. However, they were judged amongst the most versatile of the Missabes’ rosters.

#506 was in service until 1962 and was donated to the museum the same year.

The engineer’s controls inside the cab.

The dust certainly gathers on locomotives that are open to the elements!

The Delta trailing truck is visible under the cab.

The driving wheels are slightly smaller than the E class (57” diameter on E-1s v. 60” on Es) more suited to heavy drag freight.

A view of the right side of the cab.

Developing considerably more tractive effort than the 5001s, these were the last steam locomotives ordered by AT&SF.

#5017 remained in service until 1959 on the AT&SF Pecos Division serving Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Colorado. It was donated to the museum in 1959.

#5017 is one of 25 oil burning AT&SF 5011 class Texas type locomotives (2-10-4) built in 1944 by Baldwin for fast freight service. The first AT&SF Texas type was delivered in 1930. 9 more of the 5001 class were delivered in 1938.

The class name was derived from the first in each order. You can see the first 5011 on the St. Louis Transportation Museum page of this website.

The 5011 class is one of the largest non-articulated locomotives ever built. At 74” in diameter, its driving wheels were the largest ever applied to a Texas type locomotive, and its 310 psi boiler pressure one of the highest.

#5017 lines up with Soo Line #2718 and Lake Superior & Ishpeming #24 in the Victor McCormack Train Pavilion.

2-6-4 Pacific type #2718 was the second locomotive donated to the museum and arrived with UP #4004 in the winter of 1958.

It is partner to Soo Line #2719 and there is a page devoted to a September 2008 excursion with #2719 on this website.

Tucked away in the gloom of the Train Pavilion behind AT&SF #5017 is C&O class K-4 #2736, one of the Berkshire type locomotives (2-8-4) known as “Kanawhas” by C&O. However, it is difficult to photograph because of the cramped location and poor lighting.

You can see #2705 and find much information about the C&O K-4 class on the B&O Museum Car Shop page of this website. Another K-4, #2727, is on the St. Louis Museum of Transportation page.

#2736 was in service until 1961, the year it was donated to the museum.