Boilermaker Special - Boilermaker Special V

Boilermaker Special V

Boilermaker Special V was introduced on September 23, 1993. It was built on a Navistar Low-Profile 4600 chassis and powered by a non-turbocharged V-8 diesel engine. The Navistar chassis was donated by the Navistar International Corporation (formerly International Harvester). The body was primarily constructed of aluminum which was donated by ALCOA, which has an aluminum processing factory in Lafayette, Indiana. The aluminum body was fabricated and installed on the chassis by the Wabash National Corporation, also of Lafayette, Indiana.

The brass bell from Boilermaker Special I and the brass whistle from Boilermaker Special III were installed on the boiler. A five-chime freight train horn from a Norfolk Southern locomotive was installed on the body. The coal tender was large enough to seat up to 14 passengers. The Special was able to "kneel", which allowed children and the elderly easier access to the coal tender. Despite the extensive use of aluminum in the body, the Boilermaker Special V weighed 10,800 pounds (4,900 kg).

It is interesting to note the Boilermaker Special V had roots which traced back to the original construction of Boilermaker Specials I and II. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Studebaker Corporation, which provided the chassis for Boilermaker Special I, was losing money. In an effort to raise money and reduce operating costs, Studebaker sold the naming rights for its Loadstar heavy truck line to International Harvester, which provided the chassis for Boilermaker Special II. In 1986, International Harvester Corporation sold its agricultural division to Tenneco and changed its name to Navistar International to concentrate in the manufacture of heavy trucks. Since the Boilermaker Special V had a Navistar chassis, it was linked to the Studebaker Loadstar brand and the International Harvester Corporation which produced Boilermaker Specials I and II.