Wilmington & Western #58: Highball to Hockessin! 

Summer is a busy time for steam tourist operations, with sold out trains and scores of exciting events planned to give passengers a unique and enjoyable way to beat the sweltering heat, and take a relaxing step back in time! Such is certainly the case for the Wilmington & Western Railroad, located in the beautiful Red Clay Valley of northern Delaware. Operating along the former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's Landenberg Branch, the line stretches 10 miles through the lush forests and stunning rock formations that surround the Red Clay Creek, crossing over several rustic bridges along the way. We visited the W&W in mid-July of 2023, and the star of the show was the railroad’s 0-6-0 #58, which put out a fabulous performance with her three car passenger consist as she made easy work up the winding grades of this scenic branch line. We chased #58 over the entire line between Greenbank and Hockessin, DE, and she provided plenty of great stack talk on Hockessin Hill as well as superb whistle action, appropriately in the form of a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad 3 chime. Sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of #58 as she travels up the Red Clay Valley Line in "Highball to Hockessin!"
#58 was built by Baldwin in 1907 for the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad, later the Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast, where she served as their #27. She served in the U.S. Army for a number of years as well, before being sold once again to the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway. Later she was bought by the Mead Corporation in Lynchburg, VA and was renumbered to #300​ before changing hands again, this time to the Valley Forge Scenic Railway in Pennsylvania. #300​ was finally sold to Brian R. Woodcock in 1973, who moved her to the Wilmington & Western, where she gained her original number back. In 1988, she was moved to Avondale, PA, where she would become the star attraction at Woodcock's Avondale Railroad Center, but sat on display until 1997. That same year, Woodcock donated #58 back to the W&W and restoration soon commenced. She returned to steam in the fall of 1998 and the following year was designated as the "Veteran's Locomotive" out of recognition of her time in the army, bearing that same title on the sides of her cab ever since.
Enjoy!