William Crooks (locomotive) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Crooks
William Crooks in Chicago en route to the 1939 New York World's Fair.
Power type	Steam
Builder	New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Works
Build date	1861
Rebuild date	1869, after damaged in 1868 fire
Configuration	4-4-0
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel diameter	28 in (0.71 m)
Driver diameter	63 in (1.6 m)
Length	50 ft 8+1⁄4 in (15.45 m)
Axle load	17,975 lb (8,153 kilograms; 8.153 metric tons)
Weight on drivers	35,950 lb (16,310 kg)
Locomotive weight	55,400 lb (25,100 kg)
Tender weight	46,800 lb (21,200 kg)
Locomotive and tender combined weight	102,200 lb (46,400 kg)
Boiler pressure	110 psi (760 kPa)
Cylinders	Two
Cylinder size	12 in × 22 in (305 mm × 559 mm)
Tractive effort	4,700 lbf (20.91 kN)
Factor of adhesion	7.65
First run	June 1862
Retired	September 1897
Current owner	Minnesota Historical Society, loaned to Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Disposition	static display at Lake Superior Railroad Museum

The William Crooks is a famous steam locomotive. It was the very first train to run in the state of Minnesota, starting way back in 1861. This special train was named after William Crooks. He was the main engineer for the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. William Crooks was also a colonel in the American Civil War. He helped build the first 10 miles (16 km) of track between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The William Crooks was the first train to travel on this new line.

The Early Years of the William Crooks

Building and First Journey

The William Crooks locomotive was built in 1861. It was made for the Minnesota and Pacific Railroad. A year later, in 1862, it began service for the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. This company had taken over from the M&P.

After it was built, the locomotive traveled by train to La Crosse, Wisconsin. This was the closest train stop to St. Paul at the time. From there, it was loaded onto a Mississippi River barge. The barge carried the train to St. Paul. The William Crooks arrived in St. Paul on September 9, 1861. However, it couldn't run right away.

The passenger cars and 10 miles (16 km) of track needed to be ready. This took until June 28, 1862. On that day, the William Crooks carried its first passengers. The trip started at 2:30 PM from St. Paul. The train traveled 10 miles (16 km) to St. Anthony (now Minneapolis). It returned to St. Paul at 6 PM. Important people like the governor of Minnesota were on this first trip. The train began its regular service four days later.

How the Locomotive Changed Over Time

The William Crooks first used wood for fuel. Its tender (the car behind the engine) could only hold two cords of wood. Sometimes, the train would run out of wood before reaching a new wood pile. When this happened, the crew had to use wooden fences along the track to keep the train moving! Later, the locomotive was changed to burn coal instead of wood.

When it was first built, the engine had a straight boiler. It also had a large, balloon-shaped smokestack, which was common for wood-burning engines. It had three domes on top. The middle dome was used to drop sand on the rails. This helped the train get better grip when needed. As the engine got older, its look changed. It got a different smokestack for burning coal. Its boiler was replaced with a tapered design. It also ended up with only two domes instead of three.

Fire and Restoration

In 1868, a fire partly damaged the William Crooks. Albion B. Smith was given the job of fixing the locomotive. Once it was repaired, he became its engineer. He became good friends with James J. Hill, a very important railroad owner. This was because of his hard work with the William Crooks.

The old locomotive worked for almost 50 years. It even traveled to places like Montana and Washington. The William Crooks carried passengers until September 30, 1897. After that, it was retired. By the early 1900s, it was just sitting in a corner of the Great Northern rail yard in St. Paul.

In 1908, the locomotive was fixed up to run again. This was for James J. Hill's 70th birthday. Hill had insisted on it. Albion B. Smith would often be called back to run the William Crooks for special events. One time, Smith heard the train might be scrapped (taken apart). He spoke to Hill about it. Hill famously said, "Not as long as I live." After Hill passed away in 1916, the Great Northern Railway still showed the train at special events. They gave the engine a balloon smokestack again. It looked like the original, but it could burn both coal and wood.

The William Crooks in the 20th Century

Exhibition Tours and Famous Stops

In 1924, the locomotive went on a big exhibition tour. It traveled from Chicago to Seattle. For this tour, the railroad rebuilt the engine again. They made it look even more like its original form. It got its three-dome design back, but it kept the tapered boiler.

The William Crooks was shown at several big events. It was at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's "Fair of the Iron Horse" in 1927. Then it went to the 1939 New York World's Fair. Finally, it was at the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948. It traveled to all these events by running on its own power. Even though the locomotive burned coal, its headlight still used kerosene. This meant the William Crooks could only travel during the daytime.

On its way to the 1939 World's Fair, the locomotive stopped in Paterson, New Jersey. This was the city where it had been built 78 years before. The old train made many stops on its way to New York City. Crowds of people came to see it everywhere it went. At that time, it was the oldest locomotive still running on its own power.

Memories from an Old Engineer

John J. Maher, a retired Great Northern engineer, traveled with the William Crooks. Maher started working for the railroad in 1881. He was a fireman for the William Crooks. He became the locomotive's engineer in 1888. He said there were no breakdowns during the trip from St. Paul. He thought the locomotive could probably go up to 60 miles per hour (100 km/h) easily.

Maher remembered his early days as a fireman. This was before the William Crooks burned coal. He said a fireman always carried an axe. This was to chop wood if the train ran out of fuel. He often had to go out and find wood to keep the William Crooks moving. Two old passenger cars from the 1880s also traveled with the William Crooks to the World's Fair. These cars still had their original candle holders for light. They also had their original wood stoves for warmth.

In 1947-48, the locomotive's cylinders, rods, and bearings were rebuilt. This work was done by machinist George A. Halvorsen. It was his last job before he retired.

Final Resting Place

The William Crooks was put on display at the Saint Paul Union Depot in June 1954. In June 1962, the Great Northern gave ownership of the engine to the Minnesota Historical Society. However, the engine stayed displayed in the depot. The St. Paul Union Depot closed to passenger trains in 1971. But the engine wasn't moved until 1975. It was then moved to the new Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, Minnesota. The William Crooks is still on display there today.

The Legacy of the William Crooks

The William Crooks is one of the few locomotives from the time of the Civil War that still exists. For the 150th anniversary of train service in Minnesota, the locomotive's whistle was blown. This was the first time its whistle had been blown since 1948.

In 1959-1960, the Marx Toy Company sold an electric toy train. It used the William Crooks locomotive design. It was part of their "Tales of Wells Fargo" play-set. In 1973, the train was reissued as "The Pioneer Express." This set included the locomotive, a tender, an open lumber car, and a caboose.

Images for kids

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  William Crooks near Elk River, Minnesota in 1864

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  William Crooks being placed on display at the Saint Paul Union Depot

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  This Pullman sleeping car, original to the train, was part of the 1924 exhibition tour

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  The William Crooks on display in the Saint Paul Union Depot in 1962

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  William Crooks being dismantled in preparation for its move to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in 1975

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  Publicity photo of the William Crooks at Union Station, Washington, D.C. on 20 September 1927 while en route to the Fair of the Iron Horse.

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  Postcard photo of the William Crooks with members of the Blackfoot tribe. The photo was taken at the Fair of the Iron Horse in Baltimore, MD., in 1927.

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  The William Crooks In 2015