Chesapeake & Ohio No. 1309

On February 11, 2023 - Railroad Photography

Long before I started photographing wildlife, I started tracking down our working steam locomotives. Since the 1970s, I’ve traveled throughout the US, Canada and even to Inner Mongolia to photograph locomotives under steam.

This last week, I took a trip to Cumberland, Maryland, to visit the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to photograph restored Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 no. 1309. Pete Lerro, of Lerro Productions, organized the charter. Pete always does a great job on the charters and the Western Maryland Scenic is a great place to visit.

The star of the show is no. 1309, the largest operating steam locomotive east of the Mississippi. She was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in November 1949 and was the last steam locomotive for domestic use produced by Baldwin. She was designed to haul the railroad’s coal trains through Kentucky and West Virginia. She worked for the C&O until retired in 1956. No. 1309 and sister no. 1308 were preserved as static displays. The Western Maryland Scenic acquired her and gave her a complete overhaul. She moved under her own power – for the first time in 64 years – on December 31, 2020. These days, she regularly hauls the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s excursion trains out of Cumberland.

I have a PowerPoint slideshow of steam locomotives across the US. I’ll be giving the show at the Howe Library in Hanover, NH on Wednesday March 8, at 6:30 p.m. The show is free and everyone is welcome. I’ll have an exhibit of railroad images hanging upstairs at the Howe Library in March and another exhibit of railroad images at the New Hampshire Art Association’s Gallery in Portsmouth, NH in March.

We’re just west of Cumberland, Maryland, in the Cumberland Narrows. The Narrows is
where Wills Creek cuts between Wills Mountain and Haystack Mountain.
Another sunrise shot in The Narrows.
In La Vale, MD, the railroad makes a sweeping horseshoe-shaped curve around the valley. Inside the curve is a farm originally owned by the Helmstetter Family. This curve has long been a favorite of photographers.
Another shot at Helmstetter’s Curve.
We’re a little further up the line at a location known as Coal Tipple, where
Western Maryland Railroad trains used to stop for coal.
Another shot at Coal Tipple.
Crossing C&P Bridge 2, where the Western Maryland used to cross
the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad.
No. 1309 coming out of the west end of Brush Tunnel.
Out of Brush Tunnel from the other side of the tracks.
We stopped at Helmstetter’s curve again heading back into Cumberland.
Pete set up some lights for night shots in Cumberland Station
Across the C&O Canal from the Cumberland station is the Emmanuel Parish of the Episcopal Church.
One last shot in the Cumberland Station.

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One Comment

  1. Reply
    Margot February 12, 2023

    These photos bring back memories of the many steam trains I was introduced to by my late husband. We lived in Maryland. This is one of the trains we took several times. Our favorite was the Cass Railroad. My husband taught backpacking to novice folk in the DC area and this is where he took them. We would ride the train all the way to the top, then after it started back, we would lead the backpackers down the tracks to a point where we had found a good area for pitching tents. This was next to the river and the freight line at Shavers Fork and letting the folks experience their first night outside.
    I will share these photos with my brother who also loved to join us on these excursions and a friend in England who helped us ride the rails there.

    I hope the loon family is doing well.

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