Union Pacific No. 9000

Union Pacific No. 9000 is a UP-1 class 4-12-2 steam locomotive built in 1926 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). This engine was designed to haul passenger and freight trains on the UP.
== History ==
The UP took delivery of ten three cylinder FTT-1 4-12-2s in 1925 (#8000 & #8800-#8808), but these were not a great success.
The first 15 were ordered and delivered to the Union Pacific Railroad in 1926 and were numbered 9000-9014. The second group of 15 were ordered in 1928. The second series were numbered 9015-9029.
By then, however, the UP had already committed itself to purchasing the massive 4-12-2 as a three-cylinder locomotive from Alco, although problems with the Overlands at least allowed the company to modify the design during its development. Problems included difficulty accessing bearings on the center cylinder drive wheel, main boxes overheating, excessive buildup of back pressure at full speed and wearing of the valve gear.
9000 was the first of the type, built as a test locomotive with the $105,835.27 cost divided between the UP and Alco. It was delivered to the Omaha, NE, shops on 8 April 1926 and, after some final work there, was moved to the depot for display west of the passenger station on May 13. The following day, 9000 moved west, starting out on the old main line from Omaha, part of the original transcontinental railroad bypassed by a later UP realignment. The locomotive was inspected at each division point, finally arriving at Cheyenne, WY, just after midnight on the 15th of May.
The first test was on the 16th May, over Sherman Hill. Strings of cars lined Highway 30 just west of town as people came to see the new engine. Arriving at Laramie after midnight, it underwent a complete inspection and lubrication before continuing testing well into June, running up 4,159 miles.
==Design==
The middle cylinder is offset upward at an angle from the horizontal of about 8 degrees. To normalize the phases of the cylinder the crank pin is also inclined at an identical angle using Holcroft's cylinder and crank pin offset formula. In order to give enough clearance for the connecting rod to move without fowling on the first axle the distance between the 1st and 2nd coupled axles is greater than the distance between all of the other coupled axles. This was done to avoid using a clearance crank on the 1st axle. Alco's lateral motion devices were placed on the first and sixth axles to help with navigating turns.
== Fate==
Once out of testing, 9000 was assigned to the Laramie roundhouse where it operated as part of the freight pool and was shopped according to mileage schedules. 9000 was retired in May 1956, the last of its type to be retired; it moved under its own power to the East Los Angeles Yard before being towed to the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds.
As of today, 9000 is on static display at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, CA and is owned by the Southern California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. 9000 is unlikely to return to operational condition.
==Trivia==
*9000 is the last surviving engine in the world with a 4-12-2 wheel arrangement.
*This locomotive is one of the 88 locomotives that were built, yet only the 9000 is the sole survivor of the locomotives with the 4-12-2 wheel arrangement.
*The locomotive is sometimes filled with compressed air, allowing visitors to blow the whistle.
*9000 was also in the movie "UP Last of the Giants".
==Gallery==
9000inKidsongs.jpg|The 9000 appearing in the Kidsongs song The Locomotion.
Up 9000.jpg|No. 9000 on a train run (in colour)
9000051.jpg|No. 9000 on a train run
30ABAFE6-F6E2-45E5-9E70-A5F09A14F222.jpeg|The engine being restored.
FF483F87-6AC1-4984-8C43-4B8ED88994C0.jpeg|9000 with UP No. 4014.
EA00E8FE-1575-4CBC-AF2E-A680A74315A0.jpeg|The engine in the turntable of a UP Roundhouse.
UPppp9000pp.webp
407168265 894044442110095 4063946024485030056 n.jpg
438799546 7832264936791691 6688024211688492653 n.jpg
9000headlight.jpg
9000wheels.jpeg
9000inlastofthegiants.jpg
Category:Union Pacific locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:Twelve Coupled locomotives
Category:4-12-2 steam locomotives
Category:4-12-2 locomotives
Category:Three-cylindered locomotives
Category:Built in 1926
Category:Locomotives
Category:Freight locomotives
Category:Locomotives featured in media
Category:Sole survivor
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:Union Pacific 9000 Class
Category:RailGiants Train Museum
Category:Prototype locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:United States