Constructed in 1949 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Chesapeake & Ohio Railway steam locomotive no. 1309 was built to handle the railroad’s heaviest coal trains throughout Kentucky and West Virginia until it was retired in 1956.

64 years later, no. 1309 is undergoing a meticulous and extensive restoration to service. When complete, the locomotive will become an outstanding tourist attraction operating trains between Cumberland and Frostburg, Maryland, and the largest operating steam locomotive of its type in the world.

This monumental effort has been largely funded by generous grants and private donations which have helped us raise over a million dollars to date.

Your help is needed to complete the 1309 and return the stirring sights and sounds of a steam locomotive to the Cumberland Valley!