Built by the Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in April of 1924, No.1 worked for the Marble Cliff Quarry Co. of San Margherita, Ohio. It is a “saddle” tank engine, equipped with a saddle-shaped tank sitting on top of its boiler to carry its water. Locomotives like No.1 were a common sight at factories, mines, docks, and other areas of industry, where their small size helped them navigate tight curves and clearances.
No.1 was one of several tank engines owned by the Marble Cliff Quarry Co., which operated what was once the largest contiguous quarry in the United States. The company excavated millions of tons of limestone annually from the “Columbus” and “Delaware” rock formations west of Columbus, Ohio for use in construction and iron ore purification. The job of pulling this limestone out from the quarry fell to No. 1 and its sister engines, which took it to the surface to be processed and crushed into stone, gravel, and/or powder.
Diesel locomotives, simpler to operate and cheaper to maintain, eventually forced the company’s tank engines into retirement during the 1950s. No.1, however, would avoid scrapping, being cosmetically restored at the New York Central Railroad’s West Columbus roundhouse and donated in 1955 to the Ohio Railway Museum. The first steam locomotive in the museum’s collection, No. 1 would operate along the museum’s line, also towing Norfolk and Western Railway 578 onto the property upon its arrival in 1959, until the late 1960s.
Like 578, No.1 needs extensive work for either a cosmetic or operational restoration, with the latter appraised at roughly $250,000. No.1 is one of many locally significant pieces in our collection that awaits a return to the spotlight, and steam will yet return to ORM in 2027. With your support, both can become a reality. Ask one of our volunteers about the many ways you can help keep the past alive at the Ohio Railway Museum today.
| Builder | Vulcan Iron Works |
|---|---|
| Year Built | 1924 |
| Type | Switcher |
| Gauge | Standard (4 ft 8½ in) |
| Fuel | Coal |
| Fuel capacity | 1/2 ton |
| Water Capacity | 1000 gal |
| Length | 20 ft |
| Driver diameter | 33 in |
| Locomotive weight | 40,000 lbs |
| Museum Accession | 1955 |