Grand Trunk Western 4070

Grand Trunk Western 4070 was built in December 1918 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York and assigned to Grand Trunk Railway (GTR), which initially numbered it as 474. Sometime in the 1930s, a Coffin feedwater heater was installed, and with other improvements, the number was changed by the GTR's successor, the Grand Trunk Western (GTW), to 3734. The locomotive's career on the GTW consisted of pulling freight and passenger services in Michigan. The No. 4070 was also selected to be the backup power for President Harry Truman’s 1948 re-election train that ran through Michigan. [1] After falling into a turntable in June 1955, the locomotive was shopped and given a larger tender, and the locomotive's number was changed to 4070.[2] The 4070 continued to pull revenue freight trains until March 29, 1960, when it pulled its final revenue train, from Pontiac to Durand, Michigan, and then was retired from the GTW. After retirement from the GTW, the locomotive was stored in Durand, Michigan, and sold for a proposed museum, but this idea never came to fruition. The locomotive ended up not being moved. [3]

In 1961, Lou Keller, a member of the National Railway Historical Society's (NRHS) Iowa Chapter, purchased No. 4070.[4] In 1966, the Midwest Railway Historical Foundation (now the Midwest Railway Preservation Society (MRPS)) acquired the locomotive on a five-year lease, and it was moved into storage under the Cleveland Union Terminal.[5][4] The following year, it was moved to the Chicago and Western Indiana’s (C&WI) 47th Street Roundhouse, where the MRPS entrusted Richard “Dick” Jensen and his crew to help restore and operate the locomotive within the midwest.[6][7][8]

No. 4070 operated for the first time in over eight years on November 3, 1968, when it pulled a passenger excursion from Dearborn Station in Chicago to South Bend, Indiana. commemorating the 50th anniversary of No. 4070's 1918 construction date.[9] An additional excursion was also made from these two points on March 23, 1969.[10] On August 31, 1969, 4070 pulled a passenger fan trip from Erie to Greenville, Pennsylvania on the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad.[11] The No. 4070 was also used at Conneaut Lake Park in PA. In 1971, MRHF bought out the lease.

No. 4070 crossing the Cuyahoga River, 1975

In 1975 it was selected to be used on the newly created Cuyahoga Valley Line - now known as the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR). In 1977, the 4070 performed a doubleheader along the famed Horseshoe Curve with Reading T-1 4-8-4 "Northern" 2102.[12] However, that trip was plagued with mechanical issues; while on the curve, the 4070 threw an eccentric rod, and the busy Conrail line where their train sat had to be shut down for several hours. After the incident, Conrail banned steam operations for the next several years. The 4070 had its rods repaired and was brought back to pull passenger trains on the CVSR. In 1982, the locomotive pulled an excursion train on the Cuyahoga Valley Line Railroad wearing a headboard saying “The American Flyer”. Additionally, in 1983, the locomotive was painted as Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4070, and it moved to South Dayton, New York, for filming in the movie The Natural, starring Robert Redford, and released in 1984. After filming, the locomotive continued service on the CVSR until encountering mechanical difficulties in 1990. Upon inspection, 4070 was found to be in need of repairs. Seeing that the cost of the repairs would be prohibitive, 4070 was once again retired from service.[13] Dissembly of the locomotive was started and continued throughout at a painful pace during the 90’s. Financial difficulties within the MRPS at the time and a stall collapse of the roundhouse, forced work on the No. 4070 altogether to come to a stop. [14]

In 2011, the process started of restoring the locomotive to operational condition at the Midwest Railway Preservation Society[15] in Cleveland, Ohio. The locomotive boiler and tender have both been tested using ultrasound. The locomotive must have its drypipe, and front and rear tube sheets replaced. In addition, the smokebox, firebox, frame, running gear, driving boxes, tender and many assorted parts all need major work before 4070 can be operational. The estimated cost of 4070's restoration is $1,290,000.[16] As of 2023, the MRPS has re-organized their portion of the roundhouse for more suitable space to work on No. 4070, and they have seamed the crack the locomotive's frame has had from its 1955 incident. It will likely be a few more years before the locomotive would be ready to steam up again.[17]