A Burlington Route 05-B class 4-8-4, #5629, has been sitting on the grounds of the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden for a good many years. And I sometimes wonder if ANYONE out there has ever done a mechanical study of her to determine if #5629 could ever be restored to operating condition. The Burlington had condemned her before the Colorado Railroad Museum had acquired her in the early 1960’s.
I dream of seeing #5629 restored to operating condition, but I just wonder if she is too-far gone for that to ever happen. Are there any other CB&Q fans out there who would share my dream and would be asking the same questions??
I saw that engine a couple of weeks ago on a trip down there. The engine did look pretty far gone. All of the moving parts look like they have been painted over about ten times, but I’m not sure what state the actual mechanics of the engine is in. I’m sure that with unlimited funds anything can run again, but it might be too high to make it worth while. But I would love to see it run again!
Also I might be able to get some pictures posted, I would just need to scan some slides that I took of it.
The engine just got into the museum grounds. It sat for years with another snowblower and steam engine on the opposite side of 44th on the Coors/BNSF property until could be moved. It slid more than it rolled during the moving process. The museum is justifyably spending its limited funds on other projects.
#5629 is one of those engines I would love to see run again, but probably never will. There were lots of bigger, more powerful, sleeker 4-8-4’s out there, but the O5a/b’s were just the quintessential steam locomotive to me. It’s the locomotive I picture in my mind when I don’t have a better description.
As the others have said, chances are really slim she’ll ever run again. Probably about the same as me winning Powerball. Come to think of it, if I win Powerball, maybe I could finance her return to steam! It’s always nice to dream a little, isn’t it!
May she rest in peace. [:(] Like Overmod said, it’s pretty sad. I can spill the details, but its best you remember her in her excursion service, and while she was the world’s biggest brass engine (remember the gold paint job? I don’t…but I’ve seen pictures). Wish I could’ve known you 5632. [:(][sigh]
What happened to #5632? She was sold for scrap over a dispute involving the cost of her storage. At least that is the word that I got several years ago. While I don’t have tabs on what steamers from the Burlington, and Colorado & Southern were preserved, I know that a large number of them were sold for scrap, including virtually all of the Q’s M-4 class 2-10-4’s…and that was a crime!!! I first got interested in the Burlington Route in 1982 when I purchased an HO scale CB&Q 2-10-4, #6315, imported by Nickel Plate Products, from a local hobby dealer. I still have it today and I still occasionally run it out on our club’s layout in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Guess I’m the lucky one. I remember standing in an open dutch door vestibule with stop watch in hand to measure the time between mile posts. It was one of the Burlington fantrips out of Chicago. She was cruising at 90 per! And for photo run bys she was the loudesat engine I ever heard. I’m a Milwaukee Road fan but the 5632 was a mighty impressive engine.
Gordon Smith
I know in the 80’s the BN was considering using 5629, the Pacific in Childress, or another Burlington engine for excursion duty. I looked at two of them. If I remember right, the 29 was the first choice, but was nixed by the Golden people. That stopped that.
I remember 5632 pulling fan-trips as well and might have seen 5629 on the Christmas mail & express trains, but was too young to remember engine numbers. Aside from major things like the boiler, If 5629 was vandalized while stored, replacing missing appliances and cab fittings can be a major headache. The Illinois Railway Museum has a Q 4-6-4, a 2-8-2, and a 4-6-0. Of the 3 the Hudson is probably in the worst shape.
Was that the 5632 at the end of the day when they doubled with 6315? The ride I remember sure was fast and in the dark. I was in another dutch door savoring the sounds.
IIRC, 5629 belongs to the NRHS chapter in Denver and is NOT owned by the CRRM.
I took pictures of the cab interior several years ago and everything is in good shape (just a little dusty). Everything is where it should be. The cab is kept locked and not opened to the general public.
That said, I can’t speak for the condition of the boiler/firebox. I seem to remember somebody telling me that it was used as a stationary boiler at one time and as a result, the boiler/firebox is not in the best of shape. I could be (and probably am) wrong.
5629 is an oil burner, so if I ever win the lottery …
Regards & Everywhere West,
Burlington John
PS - I have a CD of the 6315/5632 on a doubleheader excursion run to Galesburg. The sound is incredible … the 6315 went lame and the 5632 ended up pushing the disabled engine the rest of the way, as well as pulling a considerable excursion consist!
The Colorado Railroad Museum now owns #5629. The NRHS donated her to the museum last year. I read this in the November 2004 issue of the museum’s Iron Horse News.
