Cumberland Valley Railroad's No. 13 "Pioneer"The Pioneer was built in 1851, by the Union Works in South Boston, Massachusetts. It was purchased by the Cumberland Valley Rail Road and used to pull short passenger trains, consisting of one to three cars, between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Hagerstown, Maryland. Amazingly, the Pioneer remained in service with the CVRR until 1901, at which point it began its second career as an operating relic, appearing in venues such as the B&O Railroad’s 100th anniversary Fair of the Iron Horse; the Chicago World's Fair of 1933; and the Chicago Railroad Fair of 1948-49.
In 1961, the Pennsylvania Railroad, which had absorbed the CVRR many years before, donated Pioneer to the Smithsonian, where it was displayed in the Arts & Industries Building. In 1963, the little engine came to the National Museum of American History, in time for the museum's grand opening the following year. In 2010, the Pioneer arrived on loan to the B&O Railroad Museum and sits on display inside the round house.
