DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the one they called Madam Queen. Now, every age has its royalty — and in the age of steam, this was hers. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway came into Texas in 1886, and by the time our story reaches its peak, the Panhandle and Santa Fe General Offices were right there in Amarillo.
The Santa Fe served much of this region, and it knew a thing or two about locomotives. So when the railroad's own engineers drew up the designs and handed them over to the world-famed Baldwin Locomotive Works, they weren't ordering just any engine. What came back cost one hundred thirty-three thousand, nine hundred and two dollars — and eighty cents.
You want to remember that eighty cents. Somebody was counting every last piece of iron. It rolled into service in December of 1930.
By then, the Santa Fe — like other American railways — had long stopped naming engines after officers or celebrities. They went by numbers now. Clean, orderly, impersonal.
This one was No. 5000. Pilot locomotive of its type. A model and champion in power and speed.
The railroad was proud of it, and rightfully so. But here's where the story gets its soul. One of the first engineers to steer No. 5000 over the rails looked at this magnificent machine and decided a number just wouldn't do.
He called her Madam Queen — after a character from radio's popular Amos and Andy show. And whether the railroad approved of that or not, the name stuck like coal dust on a white shirt. Now let me tell you what Madam Queen was carrying under that iron skin.
Her tender held twenty thousand gallons of water and seven thousand, one hundred and seven gallons of fuel. Locomotive and tender together weighed six hundred sixty-two thousand, five hundred pounds. Her tractive force — the raw pull she could put to the rails — was ninety-three thousand pounds.
Boiler pressure ran at three hundred pounds per square inch. Prior to diesels, she was the greatest of Santa Fe's locomotives. The greatest.
And she ran. Lord, did she run. Gallant, faithful, swift, and strong — Madam Queen covered more than one million, seven hundred and fifty thousand miles.
That's not a number you rush past. That is a life's work measured in steel and fire and miles of Texas plain rolling beneath iron wheels. She was retired from service in November of 1953.
And then, on April 19th, 1957 — after a reign like that — Madam Queen was given to the City of Amarillo. A star of the age of steam, the marker calls her. I'd say that's about right.
Some things earn their crown.
What the marker says
A star of the age of steam transportation. Pride of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, which came into Texas in 1886, has its Panhandle and Santa Fe General Offices in Amarillo, and served much of this area. Manufactured at the cost of $133,902.80 by world-famed Baldwin Locomotive Works, according to designs made by Santa Fe engineers. "Pilot" locomotive of its type, a model and champion in power and speed. When this locomotive went into service in December 1930, Santa Fe (like other American railways) had ceased to name engines for officers or celebrities, but called them by number. This was No. 5000. But one of the first engineers to steer it over the rails affectionately called it "Madam Queen", for a character in radio's popular "Amos and Andy" show. Gallant, faithful, swift, and strong, "Madam Queen" ran for more than 1,750,000 miles. Prior to diesels, this was the greatest of Santa Fe's locomotives. Its tender held 20,000 gallons of water and 7,107 gallons of fuel. Locomotive and tender weighed 662,500 pounds. Tractive force was 93,000 pounds. Boiler pressure, 300 pounds per square inch. Retired from service, November 1953, the "Queen" was given to City of Amarillo on April 19, 1957. (1965)