This Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Hudson type (4-6-4) locomotive was built by Baldwin in October 1930 as Class S-4 #3002.
It was rebuilt at the Burlington's shops in West Burlington, IA, in April 1937 as S-4A #4000 with the application of a new valve gear frame, Boxpok main drivers, lightweight roller bearing rods and roller bearing trailing truck and tender truck journals. Shrouded in stainless steel streamlining, it was named Aeolus and served as standby power for the Burlington's new diesel-electric Zephyr trains. Aeolus was the Greek god, Keeper of the Winds, and the choice of name was in keeping with the Burlington's adoption of a Greek mythological theme in choosing Zephyr for their diesel-electric trains, but #4000 soon earned the nickname "Big Alice the Goon" after a Popeye cartoon character.
A second shrouded S-4A, #4001, was built from scratch at West Burlington in 1938. The shrouding was removed from both locomotives in 1940-41 to contribute to the WWII war effort.
The CB&Q ordered twelve of these Hudsons from Baldwin in 1930 (#3000-#3011). They were one of the most successful steam locomotives operated by the CB&Q and hauled Burlington's "varnish" passenger services such as the Lincoln, NE-Chicago, IL, Ak-Sar-Ben (Ak-Sar-Ben is "Nebraska" spelt backwards), the Chicago, IL-Denver, CO, Aristocrat and the Black Hawk Chicago, IL–Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN, overnighter.
Three more S-4s (#3008, #3009 & #3011) received the running gear upgrades in 1938, but not the shrouds and were renumbered #4003-#4005.
The S-4 weighs 391,880 lbs, 207,730 lbs on its 78" drivers. With a Type B stoker and an 87.9 sq ft grate, the locomotive's 131' ⅞" long, 96" wide firebox was fitted with 43 sq ft of arch tubes and had a 70 sq ft combustion chamber. The total heating surface of 6,077 sq ft included1,830 sq ft superheating. With 25" x 28" cylinders, 14" diameter piston valves, and operating at a boiler pressure of 250 psi, it delivered 47,676 lbs tractive effort.
The tender weighs 326,050 lbs light with a 24 ton coal and 15,000 gallon water capacity.
Scrapping of the S-4s started in 1955 and all but five had gone to the torch by 1960. #4000 was retired in the late 1950s and donated to the City of La Crosse, WI, in 1963. It is on display in Copeland Park.
Four other S-4s have survived. You can see #3001 on display in Ottumwa, IA, on the CBQ S-4 #3001 page of this website, #3007 on the Illinois Railway Museum Yard page, #3003 on display in Burlington, IA, is on the CBQ S-4 #3003 page and #3006 at the Galesburg Railroad Museum in Galesburg, IL, is on the CBQ S-4 #3006 page.
