| Not long after it was rebuilt by the B&O Shops, this new 2-8-8-0 #7314 sits in the Cumberland yard in Maryland with its other rebuilt sisters. Originally built by Alco-Richmond in January of 1918 as Seaboard Air Line 2-8-8-2 #514, it proved to be a poor match for the needs of the SAL and too costly to maintain both loco and damaged trackage. The SAL sold all of its 2-8-8-2's to B&O in 1920. It was renumbered BO #7314. In 1923, the B&O Shops undertook to simplify the compound Mallet into a simple-articulated one, removed the trailing truck and reclassified BO 2-8-8-0 #7314 as EL-6a. With the advent of diesel, this massive machine was sold for scrap in July of 1950 after nearly 32 years of service. Simplified EL-6a specs - 63" drivers, 210 psi boiler pressure, four 25x32" cylinders, engine wt of 492,000 lb and impressive tractive effort of 108,000 lb. This is a Ralph G. Dunn photo. |