Steaming the Last Baldwin

Join Trains Editor Jim Wrinn “inside the frigid, cramped, single-track carshop where a volunteer crew tirelessly works to bring back to life the last Baldwin-made steam locomotive for domestic service.” In this special issue, you’ll get exclusive coverage of the world’s largest operating Mallet and the largest articulated steam locomotive in the eastern U.S. upon its winter 2020 debut. Steaming the Last Baldwin covers the railroad upon which it runs, Western Maryland Scenic based in Cumberland, Md., and expands to cover the history and production of one of the big three American locomotive builders: Philadelphia-based Baldwin, which produced 1309 as its last domestic product in 1949. Stories include:

• The invention, the struggle, and success of the Mallet
• How 1309 became the biggest operating articulated in the world on a 17-mile mountain railroad
• Go inside the shop to see how to rewheel a 2-6-6-2
• See it steam again in late 2020
• Learn how the Western Maryland Scenic endured nearly every challenge known to railroad preservation
• Let us take you to iconic Helmstetter’s Curve
• Discover how Baldwin Locomotive Works revolutionized railroading
• See the three big builders battle it out: Alco, Baldwin, and Lima
• Crack open Baldwin history and its diesel struggle
• Plus a beautiful gallery and more!