[4K] Chesapeake & Ohio 1309 Debut - Western Maryland Scenic Polar Express Steam Trains

Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 1309 debuts on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. The last Baldwin steam locomotive finally returns to service to operate on the former Western Maryland Railway out of Cumberland, MD. Chesapeake & Ohio 1309 was built in November 1949, notably the last steam engine built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for a Class I American railroad. This 2-6-6-2 H-6 Mallet operated primarily on coal trains in West Virginia and Kentucky until its retirement in 1956. It was moved to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD in 1975 and remained there on display until 2014. Western Maryland Scenic Railroad acquired the 1309 as a more powerful addition to their tourist train operations, expanding on their steam operations with 2-8-0 734. Following a lengthy restoration, the 1309 debuted in December 2021 on a series of Polar Express trips to Helmstetters Curve. These trips are merely a teaser for a more regular schedule in the following season.