While diesels were being developed before WWII, Baldwin took the stance that "Steam will reign supreme". Unfortunately, by the time Baldwin realized Diesel was a real threat to take over steam's place for locomotive power, they were too far behind other more advanced competitors (notably EMD) to catch up.
@@joepinto509 True that. Seems like ALCO was the only one that was able to stick around. But honestly, I wouldn't have had it either way. I _want_ to remember Baldwin and Lima for their steam, not diesels. And true, ALCO made some really good diesels, _but their steamers were _*_phenomenal_*_ in my book!_
When it passes through the city you hear its heavy labored breathing. Through the country, its terrifying whistle. When slow you hear the chugging of its heart. You'd almost think it was Living.
Loved trains ever since I was a kid, 34 now and still love them. Seems like once you get interested in them, that interest never really goes away, even if you go years without anything train-related. Can easily spend hours on here watching train vids!
There's just something "right" about seeing an old Steam Loco operating solo, without a diesel chaperone. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside to see the locomotive trusted to function on its own.
My guess is this is not a busy track so any mechanical issues or breakdowns would not hold up freight and such. Usually this is what diesels are coupled on for.
If this is on the Western Maryland Scenic Railway it's a tourist track that runs from Cumberland to Frostburg. Once upon a time it was a revenue road that ran to McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
The sound of that whistle rolling around through the hills is one of the most awesome things you can hear. WM 1309 just has some great lines, very nice looking locomotive. Great video, great restoration and great locomotive. Always a cause for celebration when another steamer can be returned to service. Thank you.
Living in Central Kansas we get to see UP 4440. A massive behemoth of an engine and work of art. As all steam engines are. The big engines in the plains get to go flat out full send across the flatlands. But I'd love to see this one with a long set of cars behind chugging up those mountain grades. I'll never get to see it live but thanks to fellas like you I get the pleasure of seeing and hearing it here. Thank you for taking the time and caring enough to share your experiences with the rest of the world. GOD bless you!
Looks fantastic and so much better in motion than in a museum. This is one fitting tribute to the last steam engine Baldwin produced, and Helmstetter's curve in Lavale, MD is possibly the quintessential photo spot for this beauty.
It's amazing how I interpret that whistle. It's like the locomotive expresses it's sadness and anger at the same time, being sad because the golden age of steam is gone long time ago, the cry for all the steam locomotives that are long gone and being angry at the diesel locomotives who pushed steam out of service. Amazing for a single-chime Hooter.
This is so incredible! A steam locomotive that was C&O’s answer to UP’s Challenger is back to life. Now to see an Allegheny class locomotive get restored to running. Either 1601 or 1604
Excellent video. Beautifully done! More like cinema than a video. All of us who love steam locomotives have always known that they are like living, breathing beasts, as evidenced at the 4:40 mark. I'm an operating engineer and I work around very large boilers so I really appreciate this video even more. Wouldn't it be really cool to go back in time and watch these magnificent machines as they were, working hard every day? It was just a different era. My compliments.
Selection of shooting locations, time of year, cleanliness of roadway, audio and lack of distractions from this monster make this my favorite emotional memory of steam as I experienced steam in my youth.
Wonderful to see something like this restored and back in action. Love the sounds and noises it makes. Wish I could take a steam engine pulled passenger sleeper car train trip across the USA.
Another articulated steamer!! This is amazing! I'm really happy to know that these are being restored, maintained, and above all, OPERATED, around the country. I'm jealous that I don't live nearby any main routes that these locomotives might operate on.
Thank you for posting this video! It brought back a lot of fond memories. My grandma and pap lived a few miles down over the hill from Frostburg and I would always spend summers and a lot of weekends there growing up. I walked up the hill to them tracks and walked them up to frostburg just for fun quite a bit. I really thought the train was cool when I was little cause you could see all the smoke from grandma’s house. That was almost 30 years ago and over 700 miles away now. One of these days I might go and ride that train.
6:42 the really flat lighting here really makes it look like a model to my mind, despite already knowing its real and having very real smoke, part of my brain kept insisting it's a toy
The cinematography, location settings (eg, 9:20), lighting, audio - the entire production package gives this video a gorgeous motion picture quality rarely achieved in typical railroad videos. If you can suggest a rail video that has comparable quality, gimme a link. I wanna see it. This is NOT a typical video. It’s art!
2022 is gonna be a good year, 1309 is up and going and hopefully 2102 and 2926 will join her in their new lives as excursion stars soon! And yes, I know 2102 has already had a previous excursion career.
I love articulated steam locos. The one I love to see return is the Allegheny class the 2-6-6-6 locos. Mallets are my second favorite locos because of their whistle. Then big boy and challenger.
Only Alleghenys still exist and both are in good museums, so I doubt there will ever be one operating. Plus, they are so huge and heavy that they damage track most of the places they could run on.
Cinematographer is incredible! As a photographer who deals with perspective, lighting etc. … incredible!! Subscribed and liked! Looking forward to many more! Stunning images!
I love Maryland's 1309 which huffs and puffs whilst simultaneously pissing smoke out of every orifice. Unlike UP's 4014 Big Boy which might aswell be an electric engine disguised as a steam loco.
Totally awesome video.. and she still is running on COAL!! great alternative to the fuel oil (diesel and gasoline) issues we are having here right now.. I've been wondering for decades seeing her just sitting and rusting away at the B & O museum, wonder when she'll be breathing fire and steam again.
As someone who grew up about 50 feet from this railroads right-of-way. Watching this video, I know where exactly you set up shop in each shot. 1 of the shots was actually super close to where I lived along the trail. Actually the woods on the other side is apart of the property I lived on in the 1 shot. Also if you go into the tree line on the north facing side of the right of way along the trail. You can actually see remnants of the utility poles used back in the day. Lots of old shielded copper wire also run along the tree line. For me, 1309 is pretty cool but the other loco the WMSR had, 734, is a lot more at home with me. I wish the would put its whistle on 1309. Even though it’s been a long time, if I heard it’s whistle again. I’d be so happy.
Awesome video! Great job in editing very much appreciated. We rode WMSC last year it was great ride but with the old ex Amtrak diesel, will go back when 1309 is pulling. Thank you sir!
I"d love to be standing by an enviro-mental tree hugging nut when this beautiful work of art goes by and listen to them moan and cry about all of the smoke it's putting out like the few of these trains that still exist and ride the rails will cause the end of the earth lol.
Sounds like 1309 could use some adjustments to its valve timing. It sounds like it’s only getting two chuffs per rotation in the first shot of it, and in the second shot it sounds like it’s galloping when that kinda sound is only normal on three cylindered engines. Other then that, I dare say that engine is in the best mechanical shape that it’s been in for a LONG time.
The engine is in time, a few videos exist of it “simpling” and it sounds perfectly in time, but in compound something about the way the the High Pressure cylinders feed the Low Pressure if they’re not synced with eachother quite right makes her sound out of time. Just the way a compound like this sounds it seems.
Word is that the off-beat exhaust is brought on by the piston rings on the low pressure cylinders being of the incorrect size. This issue should be corrected sometime in the near future.
@@maeryk That is likely because the piston packing hasn’t been broken in yet. This is not uncommon to see on newly-restored locomotives - let’s not forget, she hasn’t really been pushed hard until this charter!
The WMSR definitely needs more track to romp around on. The run to Frostburg just doesn't seem like enough. Sadly, it seems like a mere shadow against how big the wild Mary used to be.
My son and I agree completely! My son thinks they should rebuild the other track and the rest of the line from switch #9 to Connellsville PA but he doesn't want that to be wishful thinking he wants it to be a reality! He thinks if they rebuild the rest of the line they will get more passengers than before and maybe haul revenue freight trains over Sand Patch gradient and interchange with the railroads in Connellsville. He also says it makes no sense why the Western Maryland line was abandoned in favor of the parallel Baltimore and Ohio line when the Western Maryland line had an easier gradient of just 1%.
Is this the same locomotive as the C & O #1309 which has a very good restoration video here on you tube. It is also a 6-6....i Would find it hard to believe there are 2 identical restored locomotives with the same designation on 2 different railroads?!
This is C&O No. 1309. It was originally built for that railroad and operated until the very end of steam operations there in 1956. After a period of display in Baltimore, it was acquired for restoration by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, hence the Western Maryland lettering and paint it now has. It was backdated to its C&O appearance for a more recent photo charter.
Great video. thanks. Would sure like to see this loco wander up some hollers of the New River Gorge to the mines! All the current videos seem to be Helmstetter curve. Very good sharp video. My 2nd favorite locomotive after Allegheny. Would like to see it in C&O livery; WM isn't right. Love the freight consist.
It was great to finally see a steam loco not dragging people carriages, but real freight cars and a caboose!!! Like the "Black Pearl" of trains. It even had the perfect ghost whistle and accompanying ghostly sounds of movement. "It's ALIVE, IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!
