4-4-0 NYC 999 NYC&H Profile and Models

New York Central and Hudson River Railroad No. 999 is a 4-4-0 “American” type steam locomotive built for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad in 1893, which was intended to haul the road's Empire State Express train service. It is claimed that in 1893 No. 999 was the first locomotive in the world to travel over 100 mph, although some dispute the accuracy of this record. In the early 1890s, the competition between the New York Central and the Pennsylvania Railroad was growing fiercely. Both roads aimed to provide the most swift service to the Chicago World's Fair. The railroad's PR officer, George Henry Daniels, proposed a new locomotive design capable of exceeding the "magical" 100-mph speed barrier. This was a daring undertaking, as the engines at the time typically traveled at one-half of that speed. New York Central's Chief Superintendent of Motive Power & Rolling Stock, William Buchanan, had designed a class of 4-4-0 locomotives known as the Class "I", which were already capable of reaching high speeds, so it was simply a matter of making some modifications to an existing design. In 1893, locomotive #999 rolled out of the New York Central's West Albany Shops. No. 999 entered service in 1893, making the trip from Syracuse, New York. The Express was recorded travelling at 102.8 miles per hour (165.4 km/h) on May 9 and at 112.5 miles per hour (181.1 km/h) on May 10, between Batavia and Buffalo. However this is disputed by some sourced, with the speed recorder clocking a top speed of 86mph in April 1893.

(Information provided via Wikipedia)

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