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Santa Fe 2-10-4 #5000, The "Madame Queen"

Published: January 30, 2025

By: Adam Burns

Santa Fe 2-10-4 #5000, better known as the "Madame Queen," was the railroad's first 2-10-4 locomotive.  The engine - sporting the largest drivers (74 inches) of a Texas type for fast freight service - was completed by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930.

The engine held the distinction of being the sole member of its class although the railroad went on to acquire two additional classes of 2-10-4s between 1938 and 1944.

Following more than a 1.5 million miles of service it was gifted to the City of Amarillo, Texas in 1957. Today, the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society ensures its care, and it proudly resides on the National Register of Historic Places as of 2023.

Santa Fe 2-10-4 #5000 has a westbound freight extra sitting in the siding at Ricardo, New Mexico in March, 1943. This Baldwin-built locomotive was out-shopped in 1930 and nicknamed the "Madame Queen." It racked up 1.7 million miles in heavy freight service before its retirement in 1953. Jack Delano photo.

The 2-10-4 Arrangement

The 2-10-4 steam locomotive, commonly known as the "Texas" type, played a crucial role in the development of rail transport, particularly in North America, during the first half of the 20th century.

The designation "2-10-4" refers to the locomotive's wheel arrangement under the Whyte notation system: two leading wheels, ten driving wheels, and four trailing wheels. This configuration provided a larger firebox and greater engine stability, making it suitable for pulling heavy freight trains over long distances.

The origin of the 2-10-4 steam locomotive dates back to 1925 when the Texas and Pacific Railway first introduced it to address the need for locomotives that could handle steep gradients and long freight routes efficiently.

The wheel arrangement's design evolved from existing 2-10-2 types by adding an extra pair of trailing wheels, which supported a larger and more effective firebox. This innovation allowed the locomotive to generate more steam power, translating into increased hauling capacity.

The "Texas" type quickly garnered interest from other railroad companies facing similar operational demands. Railroads such as the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, among others, adopted their versions of the 2-10-4.

These locomotives distinguished themselves with their ability to manage heavier loads while maintaining consistent speeds over difficult terrains, reducing the need for multiple locomotives or banking engines.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, the 2-10-4 steam locomotive became a popular choice for heavy freight services, particularly as post-Depression America ramped up industrial production and wartime logistics. It represented the zenith of non-articulated steam locomotive design, offering an optimal balance of power, efficiency, and reliability.

Despite their superiority in certain railroading tasks, the era of the 2-10-4 was relatively short-lived, as diesel-electric locomotives emerged in the late 1940s and 1950s, offering lower operational costs and maintenance needs.

Nevertheless, the 2-10-4 remains an iconic symbol of steam's final years, reflecting the technological advancements that characterized the golden age of railroading. Today, aficionados preserve and celebrate these powerful machines, which continue to capture the imaginations of steam enthusiasts and historians alike.

AT&SF's 5000 Class

For nineteen years, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad dabbled with the 2-10-4 wheel configuration before committing to a larger purchase. This experimentation began in 1919 with a single 2-10-2 locomotive, number 3829, which was modified with a four-wheel trailing truck. As they received their final batch of 2-10-2 locomotives, the railroad had the Baldwin Locomotive Works upgrade number 3829 as a trial to include this feature.

This trial with the 2-10-4 setup, a first of its kind, resulted in a locomotive featuring 63" diameter drivers, 30" x 32" cylinders, 220 psi boiler pressure, and a tractive effort of 85,485 pounds, weighing in at 396,900 pounds. The trial did not provide any definitive results, so number 3829 continued to serve as a 2-10-4 until its retirement in 1955, without any further modifications to the rest of the Class 3800s.

The second round of experimentation happened with the arrival of locomotive number 5000 in 1930, a lone 2-10-4 model built by Baldwin. This hefty "Texas" type engine weighed 502,600 pounds and stood out with its 69" drivers, larger than typical freight train engines at the time (both the 5001 and 5011 classes sported the largest, 74" drivers).

The 300 psi boiler allowed it an impressive tractive force of 95,584 pounds. Nicknamed "Madam Queen" from the start, it was the performance of this engine that validated the use of a four-wheel trailing truck and large drivers in 2-10-4 layouts. Consequently, from 1938, AT&SF ordered thirty-five more of these locomotives. "Madam Queen" logged a staggering 1,700,000 miles in heavy freight service before being retired in 1953. Originally coal-powered, it was switched to oil in 1940.

Data Sheet

Preservation

Throughout its service, Santa Fe 5000 underwent a few upgrades. It was fitted with a larger 'square tender,' necessitating an alteration to the cab roof to enable crew members to move across to the tender. Converted from coal to oil in 1940, it added to its flexibility.

In 1957, after overcoming years in storage and after traversing 1,750,000 miles (2,820,000 km), Santa Fe 5000 was retired and bestowed to the town of Amarillo, Texas, honoring its illustrious service.