Old War Horse

The "Memnon," a Class L 0-8-0 "eight-wheeler" was built in 1843 by the Newcastle Manufacturing Company in Delaware for the B&O Railroad. When the B&O expanded its track to the Cumberland coal mines in 1842, demand for coal skyrocketed in the East. To meet the challenge of hauling heavy coal loads from the mountains of Western Maryland, the designers built the B&O's first 0-8-0 locomotives. The design spread its weight evenly over eight wheels and allowed the powerful engines to handle the B&O's sharp curves. In 1848 the B&O purchased six 0-8-0s from outside manufacturers, one of which was the No. 57 "Memnon." During the Civil War, the "Memnon" was used as a freight engine to haul troops and supplies for the Union army. Since the Civil War, it has been given the nickname "Old War Horse." The "Memnon" is one of only a handful of surviving original locomotives from the 1840s. It is also the sole surviving Newcastle locomotive. The "Memnon" was withdrawn from service in 1892 and restored for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. It is on display in the B&O Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

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