Today’s post shows another old workhorse of the railroad industry.
It’s a C & O ( Chesapeake & Ohio ) locomotive which once hauled coal from the great state of West Virginia. this particular locomotive, # 1309 is the last survivor of the Baldwin Class. The first 8 have been scrapped. This particular design was created by the American Locomotive Company ( ALCO ) in 1914. I misplaced my notes but believe this series of locomotives, numbered 1301 through 1309 were manufactured around 1949 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works out of Philadelphia.
It’s a shame this didn’t receive a little more love, instead, it’s been parked in the rail yard where they built an automobile parking lot around it. At least it was spared the fate of the others, ending up on a scrap heap. This is a true museum piece that should be displayed in the historic roundhouse of the B & O Railroad Museum. Perhaps it will be refurbished and moved indoors some day.
This was a magnificent machine in it’s day. As part of the C & O system, it spent most of it’s service life running the lines from Richmond Virginia to the Ohio River.
This is one of the last steam locomotives built for the American class 1 railroad industry.
Enjoy!
Camera: Nikon D5000 | Lens: Nikkor 18-200mm | Processing: HDR Efex Pro - Color Efex Pro - Photoshop CS5
Great shot!
Looks like a very cool place to shoot some details of this old guy. Like you said, too bad it has been left to rot basically.
Jan Winther recently posted..More skies…
Sort of hard to believe this is just sitting in the elements, being the last one and all. I’m hoping it gets a second life indoors.
Jimi Jones recently posted..Retired to the Rail Yard
Excellent shot Jimi. Really like how the colors convey the age and the disrepair. It is a shame that it is left to deteriorate.
Len Saltiel recently posted..The Houseboat
Thanks, Len.
It’s definitely showing the effects of the outdoors.
Jimi Jones recently posted..Captures from the Caverns
Nice tones in the rust, well done
Mike Criswell recently posted..Centerfold Empress
Thanks for visiting, Mike.
Jimi Jones recently posted..Captures from the Caverns
Love the color and processing on this. Nicely done.
Chris Frailey recently posted..The Granite Dells
Nice stuff man, love this shot!
Thanks, Jason.
Jimi Jones recently posted..Raid on Harpers Ferry
really like the rust, as HDR + rust = a winner every time! nice one Jimi!
Jim Nix recently posted..A Parisian scene at EPCOT
Thanks, Jim.
Jimi Jones recently posted..Covered Wagon
Yeah, I’ll definitely say it’s seen better days. Hopefully some of those better days are still ahead!
Matt Shalvatis recently posted..Emerald Lake, NWT Canada
Thanks for visiting, Matt.
I hope there are better days ahead for this locomotive. I’ll be watching it over time, maybe there will be some good news to report.
Jimi Jones recently posted..Covered Wagon
Awesome image!
Rob recently posted..Bins of Spuds
Thank, Rob. Glad you like it.
Jimi Jones recently posted..Decorative Farm Implement
This is just awesome Jimi, love the gritty details you’ve pulled out of this scene!
Dave DiCello recently posted..Back and on the Boardwalk
[...] Today, C & O 490 can be found in the B & O’s (Baltimore & Ohio) Passenger Car Works shop on the grounds of the museum in Baltimore Maryland. Yes, this is a museum piece now and the fact that it now rest indoors may mean that it’s that much closer to restoration. Just two years ago it was parked out in the elements like C & O 1309. [...]
[...] In this post we return to the historic B & O Railroad Museum yard where we saw the weathered locomotive, and other out of service cars resting on the rails. I recall my excitement at the number of [...]