Cumberland Valley Railroad Locomotive #13 - "Pioneer." On display in the roundhouse gallery of Baltimore's B&O Railroad Museum, at least as of 2018, is this rare, 2-2-2T tank engine, which was built in 1851 by the Union Works in South Boston, MA, for the Cumberland Valley Railroad (CVRR), a small, regional line that served Southern Pennsylvania and Western Maryland. Named "Pioneer", she was built of wrought and cast iron, with copper boiler tubes and many engines of her day, she burned wood for fuel. She weighs in at just about 12.5 tons This engine was apparently used in passenger service between Harrisburg, PA and Hagerstown, MD, obviously pulling short trains of just a few cars, back when railroad cars were pretty lightweight.
During the US Civil War, she was used extensively to transport troops and material. In October of 1862, she survived a very close call when Confederate Cavalry under the command of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart raided Chambersburg, PA and burned the engine house there to destroy Union rail equipment. Pioneer was in the house that day, but unlike some of her stablemates, she survived the fire and soldiered on. Amazingly, this little engine continued her service until her retirement in 1901, at which time she must of been one of the lightest standard gauge steam engines in the country. Like many classic steam survivors, she enjoyed a second career as a touring exhibit, which lasted the next half century. During that time, she visited numerous major rail events and world's fairs. Over the years, the Pennsylvania Railroad absorbed the CVRR, and in 1961, they donated Pioneer to the Smithsonian Institution, where she went on display in the National Museum of American History. In 2010, the B&O Railroad Museum collaborated with the Smithsonian in an extensive restoration that left her looking like you see her here. As of 2018, when this photo was taken, she was on long-term loan to the B&O Museum, displayed right next to the B&O #25.
