Chesapeake & Ohio No. 490

Chesapeake & Ohio No. 490 is an L-1 class 4-6-4 "Hudson" type steam locomotive. It was originally built by Alco (American Locomotive Company) in 1926 as an F-19 class Pacific type.
The locomotive was used for passenger service on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad for much of its career.
Following WWII, the C&O was determined to revive falling passenger numbers and the four locomotives were designed to handle connecting services to the Chessie, a proposed new luxury service between Washington, DC, and Cincinnati, OH, to replace the George Washington.
490 was one of five rebuilt as L1 class Hudson (4-6-4) types at the C&O's Huntington, WV, workshops in 1946. Four (#490-#493) were fitted with the streamlining originally painted in orange. Following the acquisition of the Pere Marquette Railway, they were repainted yellow in 1948, which earned the rebuilt locomotives the somewhat unendearing nickname of "Yellowbellies"; but these were major rebuilds and only the outer boiler shell was retained from the older locomotives.
The first two L1s were retired in 1953, and the second two followed in 1955. Three of the four streamlined locomotives were then scrapped, leaving #490 the sole survivor and the only surviving streamlined Hudson type. It was one of the last two of the class to retire.
It can still be seen today on static display at the B&O Railroad Museum. The locomotive has been on display since 1971 after it was given to the museum by the C&O, who found a new home for its Historical Collection.
==Trivia==
*This is the only surviving streamlined Hudson and an example of a yellow steam locomotive.
*490 was the leader of the L1 class Hudsons.
*Dos, a character from Robot Trains, is based on Chesapeake & Ohio 490.
*The locomotive used to be painted Orange from 1946-1947 until repainted Yellow since 1948.
*The locomotive is nicknamed "Yellowbelly".
*While its unknown if the engine had any steam era footage, one of the sister engines did make an appearance in Herron Rail Video's B&O and C&O Steam with Live Sound DVD. 
==Gallery==
*Full Gallery
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Category:4-6-4 steam locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Six-coupled locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:Chesapeake & Ohio locomotives
Category:4-6-4 locomotives
Category:Streamlined locomotives
Category:Built in 1926
Category:Passenger locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:B&O Railroad Museum Engines
Category:Sole survivor
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:Locomotives featured in media
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge
Category:Prototype locomotives