| Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 734 |
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WMSR No. 734 pulling an excursion on Helmstetter's Curve, on May 31, 2013 |
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| Specifications |
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Configuration:
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| • Whyte | 2-8-0 |
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| • UIC | 1'D'l |
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| Gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
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| Driver dia. | 50 in (1,270 mm) |
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| Loco weight | 270,000 lb (120,000 kg) |
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| Fuel type | Coal |
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| Fuel capacity | New: 12 t (12 long tons; 13 short tons)
Now: 18 t (18 long tons; 20 short tons) |
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| Water cap. | New: 9,500 US gal (36,000 L; 7,900 imp gal)
Now: 18,000 US gal (68,000 L; 15,000 imp gal) |
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Boiler:
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| • Diameter | 88 in (2,200 mm) |
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| Boiler pressure | 200 psi (1,380 kPa) |
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| Cylinders | Two, outside |
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| Cylinder size | 26 in × 30 in (660 mm × 760 mm) |
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| Valve gear | Baker |
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| Performance figures |
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| Tractive effort | New: 55,900 lbf (249 kN)
Now: 60,484 lbf (269.05 kN) |
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| Career |
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| Operators | Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad |
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| Class | SC-1 |
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| Numbers | - LS&I 18
- LS&I 30
- LS&I 34
- WMSR 734
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| Nicknames | Hog (By LS&I crews)
Mountain Thunder (By WMSR crews) |
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| Retired | 1961 (revenue service)
February 2016 (1st excursion service) |
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| Restored | July 1993 (1st restoration) |
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| Current owner | Western Maryland Scenic Railroad |
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| Disposition | Undergoing restoration to operating condition |
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| References: |
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad No. 734, also known as Mountain Thunder, is an SC-1 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive, built in April 1916 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad (LS&I) as No. 18. It was renumbered to 34 in 1925. No. 34 was used to pull heavy iron ore trains for the LS&I, until it was retired in 1961. The locomotive was subsequently sold to the Marquette and Huron Mountain Railroad, where it was stored in a sideline alongside other LS&I steam locomotives. In 1971, No. 34 was sold to the Illinois Railway Museum for static display.
In 1992, No. 34 was acquired by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR), who renumbered it to 734 and cosmetically altered it to resemble a Western Maryland (WM) 2-8-0. For the next twenty-three years, No. 734 pulled the WMSR’s tourist excursion trains and photo charter trains between Cumberland and Frostburg, Maryland. Since 2016, No. 734 has remained out of service for a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)-mandated rebuild, and the WMSR set the restoration of former Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 as a higher priority. As of 2025, the WMSR is raising funds to perform an extensive rebuild on No. 734.
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