ABOUT THE PROTOTYPE

The C&O’s F-19 class of Pacifics proved that beauty could take many forms. While USRA Pacifics are highly regarded for their simplicity, the F-19 was anything but! With a front end cluttered with air pumps and a feedwater heater, the C&O shop forces had to improvise when it came to adorning the class for special premier assignments. But they did! Wearing eagles or silhouettes on the water heaters, polished compressor and cylinder head covers with stars and kept in high polish, the F-19s made a spectacular appearance worthy of Chessie’s finest trains. The class left a lasting impression despite being only 5 locomotives large and lasting in service from only 1926-1946 when they were rebuilt as 4-6-4s.

The F-19s helped to inaugurate the Sportsman in 1930 and the new premier George Washington in 1932. Ironically, their most adorned and memorable years coincided with the Great Depression – a testimony to the strength of pride kept in the C&O shops and commitment to first-class passenger service by management even in the worst of times.