Empire State Express - Empire State Express No. 999

Empire State Express No. 999

The key to the Empire State's initial fame was a specially outfitted, 37-foot (11 m)-long American-type 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was built in West Albany, New York especially to haul the train. The handmade unit was mounted on 86" diameter driving wheels, and was the first of its kind to have brakes mounted to the front truck. The bands, pipes, and trim were highly polished; the boiler, smokestack, domes, cab, and tender were given a black satin finish, and "Empire State Express" was applied to the sides of the tender in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) high gold leaf lettering.

Advances in locomotive design, particularly the advent of diesel-electric power, eventually rendered No. 999 obsolete. After touring the nation and making appearances at numerous expositions including the Chicago Railroad Fair, the unit was retired from service in May, 1952, at which time it was relegated to yard switching service in western New York shuttling express service milk cars. The New York Central donated the locomotive to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry in 1962, where it has been preserved and placed on static display. The unit as displayed lacks its original 86" drivers, which were removed sometime after the historic speed run and replaced with smaller diameter driving wheels.