With CSX getting a heritage fleet and several units out on the road could it be possible for it to form a modern Steam Program like the same happened for the Southern in the 70s as the next big step. There are many candidates for restoration, but I think CSX can set theirs apart from others by restoring one of their predecessor road’ engine. The engine in question is Chesapeake & Ohio 4-6-4 L1 Streamlined Hudson No. 490. Out of all the operating steamers in the country there isn’t one working restored 4-6-4 Hudson in service on the US. With all the New York Central J class Hudsons gone thanks to being scrapped in the steam purge of the 50s on the Railroads 490 is the only surviving Hudson from an eastern railroad. Not to mention a surviving streamlined steamer.

The locomotive is kept at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and if CSX and the museum can form an agreement 490 can be restored to running condition and like 611 did for the N&W and later NS would become a public relations ambassador pulling trains on former C&O trackage, but lines that had never seen passenger trains in decades. But she’ll have some major mechanical done from being out of service to make her road worthy again meeting up with today’s standards after being retired from service in the 50s. New boiler tubes, new tires, roller bearings on her tender trucks, restore the appliances on the engine or replace them with newer ones, electrical systems to help it connect with the modern diesel locomotives to help control them while going down grades, give the 490 back its original valve gear when she was a Pacific, Equip Positive Train Control like 4014 does, modern radio system, and other major work to be done. Also inspect the boiler with an ultrasound test to see it can be restored. The B&O Railroad Museum & CSX would have to reach out to groups who are experts in steam locomotive restoration like FW Solutions who are helping in the restoration of Pennsylvania Railroad K4s Pacific 1361 and a locomotive from CSX’s predecessor road the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ACL 1504 a USRA Light-Pacific.

The 490 would have to be be restored somewhere and I think CSX’s former C&O Huntington, West Virginia locomotive shops is the perfect place for her rebirth. After all 490 used to go there for repairs and was streamlined in the very same complex. Just imagine 490 getting restored in a place she’s very familiar with during her original career pulling C&O passenger trains, but also CSX crews will have be trained and learn how to drive a steam locomotive like 490.

Other engines would have to be invited to pull CSX excursion trains like NKP 765 which is very familiar with CSX as it pulled the New River Gorge Excursion trips, Pere Marquete 1225 from the Steam Institute in Owoso, Michigan and she’ll be needed to be modified for mainline trips like have PTC equipped on it, Southern 4501 who traveled on CSX’s predecessor roads during the Southern’s original steam program, N&W 611, C&O 614, NC&STL 576, C&O 2716, Milwaukee Road 261 with chances of UP 3985 returning to the railroad for a steam pulled Santa Claus Special on the old Clinchfeild Mainline, PRR 1361 once it gets restored, Reading Company T-1 2100 and a few others including L&N K class Light-Pacific 152 the state locomotive my home state of Kentucky. Maybe UP and CSX could charter a special excursion trip with Big Boy 4014 on a tour of CSX’s territory ending in Richmond, Virginia and team up with C&O Allegheny 1604 if CSX and the B&O Railroad Museum decide to restore the massive 2-6-6-6 articulated. Now that would be a huge sight as a Big Boy and an Allegheny working together pulling a passenger train.

Fun fact about 1604 in the early 90s before that anti-steam policy came into play CSX had plans of restoring 1604 to running condition for their own Steam Program after the success with UP 3985 and N&W 1218, but the plans fell through and the massive 2-6-6-6 was left on display. Guess CSX wanted to get a bigger engine and show everyone that they had the biggest working articulated steam giant in the world at the time before 4014 was restored. Could you imagine if CSX’s plans went through and created their own steam program? I would be riding on trips with my family behind any steam locomotive that was selected to pull a excursion trip on the old L&N Henderson Subdivision or the Louisville Subdivision between Nashville and Louisville when I was a kid. Not to mention field trips for my elementary school.

I hope my theory is true or it’s just an idea I can put into a Thomas & Friends/MLPFIM crossover story. So post your thoughts in the comments below and what do you think?

7869630

"Anything's possible, even with the impossible."

Easy guess where that quote is from.

7869655
Thanks.

7869717
You're welcome :)