A.T. & S.F. No. 5000 was a star of the age of steam transportation and the pride of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, which came into Texas in 1886, established its Panhandle and Santa Fe General Offices in Amarillo, and served much of this area. Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works at a cost of $133,902.80 to designs made by Santa Fe engineers, it was the pilot locomotive of its type and a model and champion in power and speed. When it entered service in December 1930, Santa Fe, like other American railways, no longer named engines for officers or celebrities but identified them by number, making this locomotive No. 5000. One of its first engineers affectionately called it "Madam Queen," after a character in the popular radio show "Amos and Andy." Gallant, faithful, swift, and strong, "Madam Queen" ran for more than 1,750,000 miles. Before diesels, it was the greatest of Santa Fe's locomotives. Its tender held 20,000 gallons of water and 7,107 gallons of fuel, the locomotive and tender weighed 662,500 pounds, its tractive force was 93,000 pounds, and its boiler pressure was 300 pounds per square inch. After retiring from service in November 1953, the "Queen" was given to the City of Amarillo on April 19, 1957.
