Chesapeake & Ohio No. 1309

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad No. 1309, also known as 'Maryland Thunder', is an H-6 class 2-6-6-2 "Mallet" type articulated steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA in 1949, originally for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. It was originally placed on static display at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD before being acquired by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) in 2014 and eventually restored to operating condition on December 31, 2020. It later made its official debut in excursion service at the WMSR on December 17, 2021, following heavy modifications and maintenance.
==History==
In the aftermath of WWII, the Chesapeake & Ohio needed extra motive power, turning to a trial and true design to provided it. Originally developed by the United States Railroad Administration after World War I, the 2-6-6-2 wheel arrangement was a popular choice for Eastern railroads that needed large motive power to get up the many hills and mountains of the East Coast. In 1949, the C&O improved the design and called it a 'H-6'. 1309 served the road for 7 years before a eventual retirement while its sibling locomotive in the class, No. 1308, was saved and shuttled on display at Huntington, West Virginia. 1309 has the distinction of being the last steam locomotive produced by Baldwin for domestic rails. 1309 sat dormant in a local roundhouse from 1956 to 1975, more than twice the length of time that it served the C&O. The B&O Railroad Museum bought 1309 for static display in 1975 until 2014 when the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) announced that they had acquired the locomotive for restoration to operating condition.
CSX Transportation donated the move from the museum to the WMSR and 1309 was moved to the WMSR's locomotive shops in Ridgeley, WV, where the restoration started immediately. The WMSR planned to have 1309 operational by mid 2016, pending the completion of some needed boiler work; however, because of the problems surrounding the boiler, lack of funds, regulations, and many other issues, work on 1309 is expected to be completed until later rather than 2016. To make matters worse, another setback had occurred: in February 2018, some small components belonging to 1309 were stolen, perhaps by a disgruntled former volunteer. Fortunately, though, there is hope on the horizon for the "Beast of the East": In June and October the same year, it had passed its respective hydraulic and out-of-frames boiler tests. In other news, the overhaul of the tender has also been finished. Some thousands of dollars are still needed to finish the locomotive's restoration, but it won't be long before 1309 can stretch her wheels again. On Thursday, December 31, 2020, 1309 moved under its own power for the first time in 65 years, as part of testing to get it into excursion service. On November 19, 2021, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) granted approval for the WMSR to begin operations of 1309. On that day, 1309 was fired up for the first time since being restored to operation in January 2021 for test runs in preparation for its official debut in excursion service for the WMSR, which later occurred on December 17, 2021 for the WMSR’s Polar Express trains, following heavy modifications and maintenance. As of today, 1309 is the official replacement for WMSR 734, nicknamed Mountain Thunder, although the WMSR is currently accepting funding for a possible return to operation for 734 in the not-too-distant future.
On August 18, 2022, the WMSR announced they will be operating 1309 on a fundraiser excursion to benefit the restoration of Pennsylvania Railroad K4 class No. 1361, which is currently undergoing restoration back to operating condition at the Railroaders' Memorial Museum in Altoona, PA. For this excursion, 1309 was equipped with 1361's PRR 3-chime whistle and the excursion occurred on October 14, 2022. In February 2023, 1309 is equipped with a Longbell Hancock 3-chime whistle and temporarily painted in its original C&O livery. It was taken out of service temporarily afterwards for some extensive running gear work, but returned to service in October 2023, this time being equipped with a Southern Ps-4 3-chime whistle that is believed to have been previously used on Southern Railway Ps-4 class No. 1401, which currently resides at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. and is sitting on indoor static display.
On January 9, 2024, the WMSR launched a fundraiser for both 1309 and 734, with 1309 in need of some new pistons and rods and 734 in need of a complete overhaul. Both locomotives will eventually run again on the WMSR very soon once the work is complete.
== Trivia ==
* The locomotive can be seen on display in the Trains Unlimited: When Giants Roamed VHS / DVD.
==Gallery==
*Images
Category:C&O locomotives
Category:2-6-6-2 steam locomotives
Category:Baldwin locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:2-6-6-2 locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Six-coupled locomotives
Category:Built in 1949
Category:Articulated locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:Excursion locomotives
Category:Restored locomotives
Category:Western Maryland locomotives
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge
Category:Chesapeake & Ohio locomotives