RRHX
Railroad History Story: The Famous Empire State Express "999" Visits Jackson, Michigan
Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum
In the early 1950's, the New York Central Railroads brought their famous 999 locomotive for a visit to Jackson, Michigan. Jackson was a major locomotive service facility for the NYC and it's predecessor, the Michigan Central. In fact, the Jackson shops actually built locomotives in the mid-1800's. Because Jackson was such a railroad town, there was a great deal of interest in the 999 by railroad employees, their families and people in general.
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The "999" is parked along Liberty Avenue, where the NYC displayed a number of exhibitions for the public in Jackson. Below, the outside of the boiler of the "999". [Doug Leffler Collection] |
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Above, the fireman side of the boiler of the "999". The locomotive required a lot of shoveled coal to make 112 miles per hours. Below, another shot of the "999" at Jackson. [Doug Leffler Collection] |
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According to Richard Leonard's New York Central Collections web site, the 999 was built by the New York Central & Hudson River's West Albany shops in 1893, lettered for the Empire State Express, NYC&HR's crack passenger train at the time. The locomotive had 86" drivers which made it very fast compared with other 4-4-0 locomotives which were fairly standard at the time.
On May 9, 1893, the locomotive headed up a train between Rochester, New York and Buffalo, New York, set a new land-wheeled speed record of 100 m.p.h. which was national news at the time. A few days later, the locomotive reached a speed record of 112.5 m.p.h.
Click here for more information about the 999 on Richard Leonard's NYC Collections Web Site.