Steam Locomotives

lthough steam locomotives existed elsewhere in the world, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) originally relied on horses to pull its passenger and freight trains. In 1830, inventor and businessman Peter Cooper developed and built a small coal-burning steam locomotive that was suitable for the B&O's planned right of way and track. This demonstration locomotive featured an upright boiler, short wheelbase, and geared drive. On August 28, 1830, Peter Cooper's locomotive carried the B&O directors in a passenger car to Ellicott's Mills. To the amazement of the passengers, the locomotive traveled at the impressive speed of 10-14 miles per hour.

The locomotive was later given the name "Tom Thumb" because of its small size and weight of less than one ton. The "Tom Thumb" has been known as the first successful American steam locomotive. It hauled passengers until at least March 1831, but was never placed into regular service. The "Tom Thumb" was salvaged for parts in 1834. If Peter Cooper produced any drawings, they were never found, and no longer exist.

According to legend, the "Tom Thumb" entered a famous race with a horse-drawn car while returning from a trip from Ellicott's Mills in August 1830. The locomotive was well ahead of the horse-drawn car when the blower belt came off the pulley, causing the engine to lose its steam. Peter Cooper tried to fix the engine belt, but it was too late to overtake the horse. Although the legend is a staple of American folklore, it was never substantiated through documentation.

Peter Cooper was not recognized for his accomplishment until 1875 when he described and sketched a drawing of the locomotive. The Museum's replica was constructed for the B&O Railroad's 1927 Fair of the Iron Horse. This operating replica follows the general description given by Peter Cooper, but was built for performance in the 1927 fair, rather than historical accuracy.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

ollowing the success of the demonstration locomotive "Tom Thumb," the B&O Railroad decided to hold a contest for additional locomotive designs. Between January and June of 1831 five locomotives were entered into the contest. The Grand Prize of $4,000 would ultimately go contest winner Phineas Davis, a watch maker and entrepreneur.

The "York" was designed to burn anthracite coal, and with a few adjustments, was ready for service on the B&O Railroad. Its initial use saw passenger service between Baltimore and Ellicott City, Maryland. It was capable of hauling 15 tons at 15 mph, improving on the 4mph offered by Peter Cooper's "Tom Thumb." Grasshopper engines like the "York," though primitive and experimental, would see continued use as yard switchers well into the 1890s.

The "York" was scrapped sometime in the 1880s-1890s. In 1927, the B&O Railroad commemorated its 100th Anniversary in a celebration known as the "Fair of the Iron Horse." The B&O built three operating reproductions of early steam locomotives, including the "York," at Baltimore's Mt. Clare Shops. Following its demonstration at the celebration in Baltimore it was sent to Chicago for the "Century of Progress Fair" in 1933-1934. At the conclusion of the fair, the "York" was donated by the B&O Railroad to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

In 1966, the "York" was loaned to the city of York, Pennsylvania, where it remained until 1978. That same year, the locomotive was loaned to the B&O Railroad Museum for the 150th Anniversary of the B&O Railroad. Museum officials wished to keep the "York" in its place of origin but were unsuccessful. The "York" returned to Chicago for a railroad-themed exhibit where it resided until 2015.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

n 1832, Phineas Davis and Israel Gartner developed their first "Grasshopper" type locomotive, the No. 2 "Atlantic," in the Mt. Clare shops. These locomotives were called "Grasshoppers" because the long vertical rods resembled enlarged mechanical insect legs when in motion. They comprised the B&O's first operational fleet of steam locomotives. Although the "Grasshopper" design was short lived, a number of these locomotives were used well into the second half of the 19th century. The original "Atlantic" was scrapped in 1835. Andrew Jackson, the first sitting president to use a railroad, rode behind the "Atlantic" in 1833.

The "Andrew Jackson" was completed at the Mt. Clare shops in 1836 by Ross Winans and George Gillingham. The "Andrew Jackson" operated until 1892 when it was altered to resemble the original No. 2 for an exhibition at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The "Andrew Jackson" has been known as the "Atlantic" ever since the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The cab and side rods were removed to represent the Atlantic of 1832 and it was renumbered as the "No.2" in January of 1884.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

y 1837, B&O President Louis McLane took interest in the Norris Locomotive Works in Pennsylvania. Their locomotives could travel faster because of the flexible 4-2-0 wheel arrangement and fuel efficient and higher capacity horizontal boiler. These locomotives were named for the single connecting rod to the drivers and the builder, William Norris, and were coined as "One Armed Billy." The "One Armed Billy" was the first generation of American passenger locomotive power.

The B&O purchased its first of eight 4-2-0s locomotives, the "Lafayette," in 1837. It was the B&O's first locomotive with a conventional horizontal boiler. The 4-2-0 locomotive on the B&O were used for passenger service and pulled small closed coaches with end platforms and center aisles on the newly opened Washington Branch between Baltimore and Washington. In the fall of 1839, the B&O received its first 4-4-0 locomotives. Shortly after, the 4-2-0s were regulated to light local trains. Though this locomotive's design was popular at its inception, it was short lived; most were gone by the 1860s. In 1927, a replica of the "Lafayette" was built for the Fair of the Iron Horse. The "Lafayette" was named after one of the B&O's first engineers, William Galloway.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

n 1844, the B&O began using 0-8-0 type locomotive. One of the B&O's primary locomotive builders, Ross Winans used this wheel arrangement because it produced maximum tractive effort by evenly distributing all of the locomotive's weight on its drivers. In 1848, the B&O purchased six 0-8-0 locomotives from outside manufacturers for its freight service. The "Memnon" was built by the Newcastle Manufacturing Company in Delaware. During the Civil War, the "Memnon" was used as a freight engine to haul troops and supplies for the Union army. Since the Civil War, it has been given the nickname "Old War Horse."

The "Memnon" is one of only a handful of surviving original locomotives from the 1840s. It is also the sole surviving Newcastle locomotive. The coal-burning "Memnon" is one of the least altered locomotives in the B&O Railroad Museum's collection. It has blind (flangeless) center drivers. In 1853, the "Memnon" was rebuilt and in 1884, it was renumbered as the No. 13, The "Memnon" was withdrawn from service in 1892 and restored for the World's Columbian Exposition.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

n 1853, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad built its first "Ten Wheeler" locomotives to tackle the tough mountain grades in what is now West Virginia. A decade later, this locomotive type was needed to meet the demand caused by the Civil War and increased passenger traffic on the B&O. The No. 147 was part of the first series of "Ten Wheelers" designed by Master of Machinery, Thatcher Perkins, in 1863. After moving Union troops during the war, the versatile No. 147 continued to pull both passenger and freight trains.

Originally built as No. 147 and later renumbered as No. 282, the engine was preserved by the railroad in 1892 for public relations and exhibition purposes. At this time, the railroad renumbered the engine to represent another Perkins "Ten Wheeler" built in 1863, the No. 117. The railroad applied the name "Thatcher Perkins" to the engine during the B&O's 1927 Fair of the Iron Horse centennial celebration.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

he "Camel" locomotives, which were named for their unique shape and cab location, became a trademark of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) during the mid-19th century. The "Camel" became one of the first coal-burning locomotives produced in large quantities. Eccentric builder, Ross Winans, created the original design of the locomotive in 1848. Challenged to design a locomotive that would burn coal more efficiently, Winans' solution was to construct a large firebox behind the locomotive's mainframe, forcing the engineer's cab to be positioned above the boiler. The "Camel" was designed for productivity rather than for crew comfort. The engineer was often too hot as he sat above the boiler, and faced slim survival chances during a derailment. The fireman was also uncomfortable, as there was little shelter to protect him from the weather. A more critical problem the crew faced was a lack of communication resulting from their separated positions.

During the 1850s, Master of Machinery, Samuel Hayes, adapted features of the 0-8-0 "Camel" design for a fleet of "Ten Wheelers." His locomotives needed to move passenger trains over the mountains of western Virginia. Successor Master of Machinery, J.C. Davis, also combined the 4-6-0 wheel arrangement with the "Camel" design. Over a ten-year period, Davis turned out over 100 heavier versions of the "Camel."

As with many of the B&O Railroad Museum's early locomotives, the No. 305 has been displayed at various fairs and exhibitions under various guises. Most likely the previous number, No. 217, that most recognize, was never applied to the current locomotive during its actual operation while in service.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

hortly after the Civil War, the United States experienced an industrial boom and the railroad industry established itself as the country's first big business. Unregulated business practices allowed investors and businessmen to acquire unheard of wealth. Paralleling the industry's success, locomotive technology continued to develop. In 1875, J.C. Davis, the Master of Machinery for the B&O, created the 2-6-0 freight locomotive. Due to the power and success of the railroad industry, these locomotives were known as "Moguls." Originally the 2-6-0s were designed for freight service; however Davis also decided to use the powerful and versatile locomotives for passenger service.

During the nation's centennial in Philadelphia, exhibits honored the nation's industrial progress. The B&O featured the No. 600 as a state of the art steam locomotive. There it won first prize for its attractive design and color scheme. In 1884, during a renumbering system, the No. 600 was stripped of its original number and became the No. 918. In 1893, the No. 918 officially retired from service. During the Fair of the Iron Horse in 1927, the No. 918 was restored to its original number and given the name of its creator, J.C. Davis.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

he No. 5300, "President Washington" was the first of 20 class P-7 Pacific-type locomotives built for the B&O by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1927 and first unveiled at the B&O's centennial celebration, also known as the Fair of the Iron Horse. These locomotives were named after the first 21 U.S. Presidents with only one President Adams to represent both John and John Quincy Adams. These locomotives were designed for the B&O's premier Royal Blue Line passenger route between New York and Washington and considered one of the most handsome of the 4-6-2 type locomotive designs. The locomotive tenders were designed with water scoops to allow for refilling without stopping. The locomotives were also equipped with automatic train control for safety of operation. This feature insured that a train missing a signal was stopped immediately.

The locomotives known as the "President Class" were displayed for marketing and public relations promotions. During the 1920s, the B&O was in fierce competition with the Pennsylvania Railroad and these locomotives were a way for the B&O to set itself apart. Most locomotives at this time were not adorned with names and were simply painted black. The "President Washington" and other locomotives were given names to honor U.S. Presidents and painted olive green with a gold and maroon trim. These locomotives were the backbone of the Royal Blue Line for over two decades. Over the course of service, many of the P-7 Pacific-type locomotives had been modified and improved mechanically; however the "President Washington" remained true to the original. In 1944, the "President Washington" olive green paint scheme was replaced with a solid blue and soon after the name was removed. The No. 5300 was renumbered as the No. 100 in 1956.

The "President Washington" was officially retired from service in 1957. The No. 100 was supposed to be scrapped, but by order from B&O President Howard Simpson, the locomotive was saved and soon restored to its original form. The No. 5300 was the only locomotive of the "President Class" to be saved from scrapping.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

Western Maryland Scenic #1309 has a special place in railroad history. At a time when other railroad companies were shifting from steam locomotives to diesel-powered engines, one railroad company stuck with what had worked for decades. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) stuck with the steam engine longer than their competitors; and in 1949, they received the Chesapeake & Ohio #1309, now known as Western Maryland Scenic #1309, from Baldwin Locomotive Works which would be the last steam locomotive built by Baldwin!

Steam Giants

Called the "Mallet" (pronounced Mallay), #1309 was one of the last types of steam locomotives retired when diesel-electric engines came into the picture. The Mallet is a compound locomotive that was created by Swiss mechanical engineer Anatole Mallet in 1885 for the Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz Railway in France. The locomotive is called "compound" because it uses the steam twice, first for the rear set of high pressure cylinders and second for the low pressure front cylinders. On the locomotive there are two cross compound air compressors mounted on the smoke box door to supply enough air for frequent heavy braking for use in heavy mountain railroading. This mounting of compressors on the front of the smokebox gave the locomotive a more "massive" appearance and became known as the "C&O look". This look can be seen on the center locomotive in the steamlocomotive.com header image. The "mallet" design made its debut in the United States when the American Locomotive Company "ALCO" constructed an 0-6-6-0 compound Mallet for the B&O in 1904. In 1910 the C&O changed to their version of the 2-6-6-2 compound locomotive that helped drag coal through even more mountainous areas and tighter curves in West Virginia and Kentucky.

The Baldwin Locomotive Works built #1309 in September of 1949 as its last Class 1 mainline domestic steam locomotive and the last to be commercially built by Baldwin for use by a railroad in the USA. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. became the last railroad to purchase a steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive for use in service in America when they ordered 25 2-6-6-2, mallet type locomotive in 1948. At this time, steam locomotives had been in production for over 100 years and over 70,000 had been built to date. A problem arose when one of the worst labor unrests hit the coal fields in 1949. During that year the mines only worked 170 days. C&O was forced to then cancel the last 15 of the locomotives due to the economic state of the railroad. The locomotives arrived on the C&O in 1949 and were assigned to the H-6 class with the numbers of 1300-1309. The new locomotives built, #1300-1309, were to replace the older ones that were at the end of their serviceable lives and were essentially duplicates of the class H-6 type built in the early 1920’s. They were the last of a series of 2-6-6-2s that the Chesapeake & Ohio began in 1911.

Although the locomotives were stored on the railroad for years before the C&O started scrapping them, some steam locomotives were saved for donation to communities along the railroad. The last H-6 #1309 was saved and stored at Russell, KY for years until it was sent to the Huntington Shops, along with K-4 #2705 and J-3a #614, for cosmetic restoration. After the restoration, the three locomotives were shipped in a special train to the B&O Museum in 1972. C&O #1309 has been preserved and displayed for generations of families to enjoy. On May 6, 2014 at 13:09(1:09pm) the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad announced the transfer of #1309 for restoration and operation.

SteamLocomotive.com

Shay No. 1 -- (Mower Lumber No. 1) -- C/N 1519, 1905; Class 65-3. Built for G.W. Huntley Lumber Co., Ronceverte (Greenbrier Co.) as No. [1]; likely moved contract logs from various cuttings on Anthony’s Creek and ran over the Iron Mountain & Greenbrier to White Sulphur Springs; acquired by West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co., Cass, in 1915 – rostered as the second No. 1; served out of Spruce, camps on Cheat River and then Slaty Fork, Cheat Bridge (for Glade Run) and Beaver Creek; became Mower Lumber No. 1, 6-42; based at Cass after about 1944. Pilots equipped with snowplow blades, [11]-5[0]; one of the two regular daily log train engines until the cutback to one loadout and woods crew. Received notable paint job (Chinese red cab, coal bunker and tender with dark green boiler jacket and domes) sometime in 1957; came "close to blowing up" due to a watchman’s neglect while in service behind the mill as a steam source after heavy snowfall, [2]-59; sold for scrap to Midwest Raleigh, Inc., 9-60; known to have worked briefly during the scrapper’s salvaging operation (moved steel from off the mountain in 12-60). Conveyed by Midwest Steel Corp., 8-62; served when needed as excursion train pusher engine in 6-63 and early 7-63 – otherwise displayed on weekends (on the C&O house track at Cass); filled in as road engine during No. 4’s July axle repair; may have briefly reappeared as weekend pusher, but was soon rendered out-of-service by an ICC inspector (worn flanges, 9-63); received sporadic attention in the shop – including new smokebox; at one point, there was hope to get her out for the 1967 season; moved outside in red lead paint to the upper shop lead track and tarped, 11-69; relegated to the yard dead line track, [5]-7[4]. After the trade deal for B&O Railroad Museum’s WMRy No. 6 was sealed, cosmetic restoration occurred (snowplow blades replaced with conventional footboards and pilot, painted black, lettered Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk); shipped on flatcars (via Durbin), 5-81; placed into the museum’s primary display.

Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association