Chesapeake & Ohio #490

Built in 1926, starting with a 4-6-2 wheel configuration by American Locomotive Company, and was used on premier passenger trains such as the Sportsman, which would serve between Cincinnati, OH, and Washington, DC. It would also pull the George Washington, which served between Washington, DC, and Louisville, KY. In 1947, while this locomotive seemed to be useless with other locomotives becoming more efficient, #490 had some upgrades made. The new wheel configuration was a 4-6-4, which was called a “Hudson” wheel configuration. It got a more streamlined appearance and was used as a backup for the Chessie Line. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad gave the F-19 class locomotives the nickname “Yellowbelly” because of the yellow paint scheme. Unfortunately, due to the cost of the Chessie, the plans were canceled, and the upgrade for #490 was a lost cause. As the last steam locomotive for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, #490 had the privilege of pulling a scheduled passenger train before it was retired in 1953. It was being stored in Huntington for 15 years, just waiting to get scrapped. However, the torch never came. In 1968, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad donated this antique to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, where it would be preserved outside. In 2005, members of the museum decided to properly store Chesapeake & Ohio #490 in a car shop to keep from fading caused by weather conditions, along with other locomotives and rolling stock.