# 2843-47 - 1994 29c Locomotives

US #2843-47
1994 Locomotives

• Set of five picturing American locomotives
• Similar in design to 1987 Locomotive stamps

Category of Stamp:  Commemorative
Value:  29¢, First-Class Mail rate
First Day of Issue:  July 28, 1994
First Day City:  Chama, New Mexico
Quantity Issued:  159,200,000
Printed by:  Stamp Venturers
Printing Method/Format:  Photogravure.  Four panes of five stamps, from printing cylinders of 200 (10 across, 20 down)
Perforations:  11

Reason the stamp was issued:  Locomotives are a popular topic with stamp collectors.  These stamps appealed to them, as well as train enthusiasts.

About the stamp design:  The five stamps picture locomotives produced in America in the last half of the 19^th century.  Each locomotive was built in a different decade.  Richard Leech, who had designed the first set of Locomotive stamps (US 2363-66), worked with his son Kent on the illustrations for these stamps.  Richard sketched each locomotive facing left.  Kent outlined the work in pen, then Richard finished the artwork with watercolor and airbrush.

First Day City:  The Locomotive stamps were dedicated in Chama, New Mexico, the site of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.  This route runs from Cumbres Pass to Antonito, Colorado.

History the stamp represents: 

Hudson’s General

Railroads played a major role during the Civil War, transporting troops to battlefields and keeping them supplied. Although both sides used railroads, the South was at a distinct disadvantage because it had less track and far fewer locomotives.
Designed by William Hudson, and built in 1855 for Western and Atlantic Railroad, the Confederate locomotive General became famous during the Civil War when it was highjacked by a group of Union soldiers.  Under the command of Captain Andrews, Union troops captured the train at Big Shanty, Georgia on April 12, 1862 while the passengers and crew were having breakfast in the depot’s eating house.
Their intention was to disrupt communications behind enemy lines by cutting telegraph wires and destroying the rails behind them.  The conductor of the train chased the stolen locomotive, first on a handcart and then with a small, private engine called the Yonah.  Eventually he took over another full-size locomotive, the Texas.  After an 87-mile chase that lasted nearly eight hours, the General ran out of fuel, and Andrews and his men were captured.  Immortalized in several films, the General survived and is on display in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

McQueen’s Jupiter

The Civil War had just begun when Theodore Judah approached the United States government with his dream of building a railroad that would extend from coast to coast.  Eager to link the Western states to the Union, Congress agreed to his plan and in 1862 passed the Pacific Railroad Act, authorizing the building of a transcontinental railroad.  Two companies were chosen to do the job.
In 1863 the Union Pacific Railroad began laying tracks westward from Omaha, Nebraska, while the Central Pacific laid tracks eastward from Sacramento, California.  On May 10, 1869, the two railroads met at Promontory, Utah, becoming the world’s first transcontinental railroad.  In a jubilant celebration, officials from both railroads drove ceremonial golden spikes to hold down the last rail - the 2,000-mile-long line spanning the West had at long last been completed.
Designed by Walter McQueen, the Jupiter found its way into history books quite by accident.  Operating for a mere six weeks, it was called into service when the locomotive scheduled to be on hand for the driving of the golden spike struck a log lying next to the track and was disabled.  Pressed into action, the Jupiter arrived at Promontory on May 7^th and was part of the history-making celebration a few days later.

Eddy’s #242

The No. 242 was built in 1874 for the Western Railroad of Massachusetts.  Wilson Eddy was considered a master designer and mechanic for locomotives.  He produced about 100 locomotives which ran with such smooth-running precision, they earned the title of “Eddy’s Clocks.”  Eddy’s #242 was completed in 1874.

Ely’s No. 10

Theodore Ely (1846-1916) was an executive with the Pennsylvania Railroad when it was one of the largest railroads in the US.  He developed steam locomotives.  His innovative designs allowed steam locomotives to become more powerful.
A remarkably advanced design at the time of its introduction, Ely’s No. 10 became the model on which later locomotives were based.  Designed and built by Ely in 1881, it was among the fastest express locomotives in this country during the 1800s.  While previous locomotives had their fire box and boiler within their frames, Ely placed them above the wheels.  This allowed for more room to increase the size of the boiler and fire box leading to greater power.  When Ely’s first locomotives were seen, sceptics believed they were top-heavy and would topple over.  They were proved wrong.  The new designs rode smoother than previous locomotives, were more stable, and the fire box was easier to tend.  Ely’s No. 10’s remarkable design became the standard for more powerful locomotives that followed.

Buchanan’s #999

Built in 1893 for the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, William Buchanan’s No. 999 was the first engine in the world to exceed 100 miles per hour. Hauling the Empire State Express at 112 mph from Batavia, New York to Buffalo, the No. 999 set not only a world record for steam locomotives, but for any kind of transportation at that time.
During the 1893 Columbian Exposition, the Empire State Express ran between New York and Chicago, completing the 960-mile journey in just under 20 hours - an unprecedented time for any journey of similar length.  Of the 62 locomotives shown at the exposition, the No. 999 was by far the most popular.  The combination of speed and luxury resulted in one of the most famous trains in the world, and after the exposition it continued to run year-round, making daily trips from Chicago to New York.
So popular was the Empire State Express, it even appeared on the 1901 2¢ Pan-American stamp.  Wanting to show the superiority of American technology, postal officials decided this well-known train was the ideal subject for the 2¢ stamp that featured a “Fast Express.”  Today the No. 999 stands on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.