Chicago and North Western 1385

Chicago and North Western 1385 is a standard gauge class "R-1" 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type steam railway locomotive built in March 1907 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW), which was also known as the North Western. It was one of 325 similar locomotives purchased by the railroad from 1901 to 1908 and designated the R-1 class. C&NW owned more R-1s than any other steam locomotive class.[2]

Chicago & North Western 1385
The boiler, frame and running gear of 1385 during restoration in February 2010
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder American Locomotive Company (ALCO) Serial number 42187 Build date March 1907
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-0  • UIC 2′C h2 Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 63 in (1.600 m) Loco weight 179,500 pounds (81.4 t) Tender weight 139,500 pounds (63.3 t) Total weight 266,200 pounds (120.7 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 10 short tons (9.1 tonnes) Water cap 7,500 US gal (28,000 l; 6,200 imp gal) Boiler pressure 200 lbf/in^2 (1.38 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 21 in × 26 in (533 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Stephenson, inside Valve type Piston valves
Performance figures Maximum speed 60–70 mph (97–113 km/h) Power output 1,588 hp (1,184 kW) Tractive effort 30,940 lbf (137.6 kN) Factor of adh. 4.38
Career Operators Chicago and North Western Railway Class R-1 Numbers C&NW 1385 Retired 1956 (revenue service) 1998 (excursion service) Restored 1983 (1st restoration) Ongoing (2nd restoration) Current owner Mid-Continent Railway Museum Disposition Under restoration to operating condition, based in North Freedom, Wisconsin
Steam Locomotive #1385
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	E8948 Diamond Hill Rd., North Freedom, Wisconsin
Coordinates	43°27′31″N 89°52′29″W
Area	less than one acre
NRHP reference No.	00000524 [1]
Added to NRHP	May 18, 2000

Although principally used for fast freight, the R-1 class also was used for slower passenger service and occasional switching over the North Western's extensive system, which at its peak extended through nine states from Illinois to Wyoming. When new, it was large, modern power, and required strengthening and enlarging turntables, engine houses, and bridges wherever used.[2]

#1385 was retired in 1956 and was used to thaw out ore cars during severe winters. The locomotive was then purchased by the Historical Society of Milwaukee in 1961 for $2600. The society purchased an abandoned line in North Freedom, Wisconsin, from the C&NW in 1963, moved #1385 there and the society changed its name to Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

The locomotive was in service for most of the 1980s and 1990s, doing multiple excursions, over large parts of the C&NW system, including the Circus World Museum train between Baraboo and Milwaukee, but was shopped for major boiler work in 1998. That work is not yet complete, and it's currently unknown if it will be.[2]

#1385 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 as Steam Locomotive #1385.[1]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "Chicago & North Western #1385". Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2010.