The winner of a locomotive naming contest conducted by Steamtown National Historic Site is Rover.
That name will be applied to a Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-6-0 switcher that the museum uses to pull its Scranton Limited excursion train on short trips on select days.
The winning entry was submitted by 3-year-old Gracee Straut, of Old Forge, Pennsylvania.
The contest was limited to contestant age 6 and younger.
The Rover name will be used through the 2020 railroad operating season.
In a news release, Steamtown said several dozen youngsters offered names during Railfest 2019, the park’s annual celebration of railroads.
This year’s themes commemorated the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad and the 60th anniversary of the first Reading Company’s Iron Horse Rambles that operated in eastern and central Pennsylvania.
The winner was chosen by a panel of three Steamtown employees with the longest park tenure: Preservation Specialist John Melliand, Supervisory Park Ranger John Mucha, and Trainmaster Willard Sturdevant.
Steamtown said the judges thought Rover best fit the personality of BLW No. 26.
Gracee received a certificate, tickets for her family to ride behind Rover on the Scranton Limited, and several of the site’s collectable trading cards showcasing some of the park’s locomotives and rolling stock.
No. 26 was built in 1929 at Baldwin’s assembly plant south of Philadelphia and was used by the builder in its own railroad yard.
It can carry nearly seven tons of coal and 1,750 gallons of water. It is capable of producing 29,375 pounds of tractive effort.
Tags: Baldwin Locomotive Works, Baldwin locomotives, Railroad museums, railroad museums in Pennsylvania, Steamtown National Historic Site, Steamtown No. 26
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