Silently standing outside the Mt. Clare Shops of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, the William Mason is readied for its first public operation in 37
years. With a two car train in tow, the historic locomotive is once
again among the oldest operational steam locomotives in the world. Built
in 1856 by William Mason of Taunton, Massachusetts, the American class
4-4-0 is a prime example of Civil War era steam engines. The engine was
the first of almost two dozen Mason engines ordered by the Baltimore and
Ohio. After 37 years of operation the locomotive was set aside by the
railroad as an exhibition engine, being first displayed at the 1893
Colombian Exposition in Chicago. In the following years the locomotive
made appearances at numerous railfairs and other events including the 1939
World's Fair in New York and the Chicago Rail Fair in the late 1940’s.
The most significant event however, was the 1927 Fair of the Iron Horse.
Put on by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the fair celebrated that lines
centennial. In 1926 the William Mason was completely rebuilt and fitted
for operation at the fair. In the process, it received a new boiler. An
interesting and unique characteristic of the boiler is that it was
intentionally designed to operate at a low pressure. Rated at 85 p.s.i.,
the boiler guaranteed that the engine served only exhibition purposes,
limiting its pulling power to several coaches. During the
restoration the locomotive received a completely new tender to replace the
original which had been gone for decades. As the fair approached, the
rebuilt locomotive was received the name William Mason in honor of its
builder. Prior to the fair it was known only by its number.
As the decades passed, the locomotive was used in various railroad fairs,
pageants, and several movies. In 1955 the locomotive was cast to star as
the General in the Great Locomotive Chase. The production also starred
several other historic and replicated engines to re create the April 1862
raid along the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Several years later the
locomotive was again loaned and used in the movie, Raintree County.
Following production, the locomotive was returned to its stall in the Mt. Clare Roundhouse in the B & O Museum, leaving it in 1962 for a Civil War
Centennial. Since then the locomotive remained as a static display until
1998 when it was removed and restored for use in the upcoming film Wild
Wild West.
Sent to the repair shops of the Strasburg Rail Road in February of 1998,
the locomotive was completely gone over and meticulously restored. The
William Mason received new flues along with a new metal cowcatcher to
replace the deteriorating wood pilot. One pair of tires were replaced on
the driving wheels while the smokestack and cab were rebuilt. Air brakes
were installed on the tender along with an air tank in the toolbox at the
rear of the tender. There is no air compressor on the locomotive; instead,
the air reservoir is filled from an outside source. Internally, the
firebox was converted to burn wood. In previous years, the engine burned
coal and carried a false load of wood above the bunker. The most
noticeable changes, however, are the abundant brasswork and new paint
scheme.
Leaving Strasburg on truck, the engine and tender traveled to the western
U.S. for use in the movie where it will play the, “WANDERER.” The William
Mason will bear this name temporarily, along with the number 5. In the
movie, the locomotive will pull a private train of two cars carrying
government agents James West and Artemus Gordon played by Will Smith and
Kevin Klein. In its role, the engine wears a green paint scheme with gold
lettering, striping, and stenciling. To further emphasize its part, a
large gold colored W is placed within decorative ornamentation between the
drive wheels.
After filming was completed, the William Mason, now painted as the
Wanderer, was returned to the museum and operated for the public during the
museums Live Steam Days in April of 1999. Still wearing its movie
colors pending a sequel, the locomotive pulled a two car train of a flat
car with benches and a bobber caboose along the first mile of track out of
the museum. Stopping at a field near the Mt. Clare Mansion, passengers
had the choice of getting off and visiting Civil War re-enactors or staying
on board. At this time two other steam locomotives and trains, the
replicas of the Tom Thumb and Lafayette, joined in on a siding to greet
guests. The trio of locomotives then proceeded down the line and back,
creating a remarkable experience for everyone in the vicinity.
Thanks to over a century of preservation efforts and a small fortune from
Warner Brothers, the William Mason is once again a living piece of history.
It is due to these circumstances that not only does the engine exist today
as a tangible artifact, but as one that can be experienced in person and
seen on screen in the present while keeping its roots in the past.
Updated Information
The William Mason is currently stored in the Mt. Clare Shops at the B&O Railroad Museum. It was moved from the roundhouse to the shops in December of 2002 in preparation for operation at the now cancelled Fair of the Iron Horse. The locomotive's wedge in the roundhouse was taken by St. Elizabeth's hospital 0-4-0T #4. It was this engine, not the Mason, that suffered damage during the partial roof collapse of the roundhouse in February. Click here to see the museum's illustrated damage report of #4.
I last saw the locomotive in May of 2002. In contrast to its Wild
Wild West appearance, it is now lettered as B&O RR #25 and the "W"
ornamentation between the drivers has been removed. The brass plating
around the running board and most of the ornate, stylized, paint has been
similarly taken off. The dome bases have been painted black and the space
for a name on the cab is void of lettering. The round number plate that
once graced the smoke box door is gone and a brass handle has replaced it
Lists
Movie Roles:
"The Great Locomotive Chase" 1956. A documentary about the film hosted by Fess Parker also features the locomotive and includes footage of it aboard a flat car in Baltimore, its arrival in Georgia, the re-attachment of its smokestack there, and shots of Walt Disney himself around the engine.
"Raintree County" 1957. The locomotive was used on location briefly in this film. A short behind the scenes film about the movie occasionally airs on TCM and shows the arrival of the locomotive aboard a flat car as well as a run by.
"Wild, Wild West" 1998
"Tuck Everlasting" 2002. The locomotive is featured briefly in night time shots outside of the Mt. Clare Shops.
"Gods and Generals" 2003. Filmed on the first mile of track outside of the B&O Railroad Museum, the locomotive is seen briefly lettered for the V&T (Virginia and Tennessee?) RR. Earlier in the movie is a film clip of the locomotive as it appeared in the Great Locomotive Chase. This scene was evidently modified and used to show a Western and Atlantic freight train.
Public Relations Appearances
After the original Fair of the Iron Horse, the William Mason was used in various celebrations, fairs, etc.
Milwaukee Road Centennial, lettered for the M&M.
1933-34 Chicago World's Fair "A Century of Progress."
1936 Great Lakes Expo, Cleveland, Ohio.
1937 National Antietam Commemoration for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.
1939 New York World's Fair.
1947 Monon Railroad Centennial.
1948-49 Chicago Railroad Fair. The William Mason pulled an abbreviated two car version of Lincoln's funeral train in the pageant. As the emotional highlight of the show, it brought tears to the eyes of viewers.
1951, May 14, Erie Railroad Centennial. The locomotive was steamed alongside a then modern Erie diesel and later hauled aboard a flat car in a special train.
1959, May, Pittsburgh Bicentennial Railroad Fair.1962 Annapolis Civil War reenactment.
Pictures
Pictures of the The William Mason under steam on April 24, 1999
