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Once the United States Railroad Administration returned American railroads to their corporate managers in March 1920, the Chesapeake & Ohio lost no time in ordering additional locomotives for heavy freight service. Besides the proven H-4 design, the C&O also owned a group of USRA 2-6-6-2 locomotives to compare them against and in the comparison the USRA design was found lacking. The new locomotives were based on the H-4 design.

The new locomotives, also 2-6-6-2 compounds, were numbered 895-914 and placed in Class H-6. While similar to the H-4's the new engines which were built by Alco in late 1920 and early 1921 were equipped with piston valves on all cylinders and Laird type crossheads. While not liking the USRA 2-6-6-2's, the C&O did like their tender designs, and the H-6's were equipped with tenders modeled after those on the USRA engines, capable of carrying 15 tons of coal and 12,000 gallons of water. Twenty-five more 2-6-6-2's were purchased in 1923 that were similar to the first batch but trailed a slightly larger tender. Numbers 915-939 were built by Alco at the Schenectady Works.

Shortly after delivery of the second batch of H-6's, the C&O underwent a system renumbering and the Class was changed to numbers 1476-1520. Further adjustments in 1925 changed the series to 1475-1519, the numbers they carried until retirement. The H-6's were the ultimate development of the compound 2-6-6-2's on the C&O, and like all the earlier engines of that wheel arrangement, were used in coal service, heavy freight trains, local freights, mine runs, hump and yard switching and work train service. With the delivery of the H-7 2-8-8-2's and H-8 2-6-6-6's the compound engines saw less and less service as mainline freight power and were concentrated on local freight, mine run and switching assignments.

Over the years the H-6's were changed somewhat in appearance with the air pumps being moved to the front of the smokebox. Ten of the engines received huge tenders capable of carrying 21,000 gallons of water. The engines with these tenders took on a massive appearance and improved their looks. The 2-6-6-2's proved to be ideal mine run engines as their power and flexibility plus low weight on drivers made them ideal for the curving and heavily graded branches in the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia.

As the Road emerged from the Depression, the demand for steam coal increased, a condition that was to remain until the late 1940's. By 1948 it was felt that additional locomotives for branch line and mine run service were necessary, and as little improvement in the performance of the H-6's had been made in the intervening years, an order was placed with Baldwin for 25 more compound 2-6-6-2's.

Shortly after the order was placed a series of coal miner strikes lowered coal production considerably. About this time a noticeable trend became obvious when natural gas and oil replaced the need for coal in heating homes, and coal haulage by the Road decreased still further. The C&O attempted to cancel the order with Baldwin, but in the end was forced to take delivery of ten H-6's, numbers 1300-1309 which arrived on the property in September 1949. Not only were these the last new steam locomotives that the C&O was to receive, but the 2-6-6-2's were also the last production by Baldwin of a steam locomotive for domestic use.

The new H-6's, which were similar to, but not exactly the same as the older H-6's as they incorporated many of the last advancements in steam design, joined them in servicing coal traffic. All ten Baldwin's were sent to the Logan, West Virginia District, but used out of the Peach Creek Terminal. In the meantime, the C&O became committed to a policy of dieselization which affected the steam locomotives used in the most demanding service, such as passenger, fast freight and heavy tonnage on the mainline. Modern 4-6-4's, 2-8-4's, 4-8-4's, 2-6-6-6's and other large power were set aside, retired or scrapped, but the 2-6-6-2's continued in their coal district assignments. The delivery of EMD Geeps and traffic declines enabled the C&O to finally replace the Mallets, the last of which were retired in 1957. Most engines were scrapped, but numbers 1308 and 1309 have been retained by the Chessie System as examples of their steam heritage.

The C&O was a prime example of the everyday workhorse locomotive that was largely unsung and unheralded throughout their lifetime. A certain degree of notoriety developed with the last ten engines delivered in 1949, but even they were assigned to remote areas and were not often photographed.

Drivers: 56.25"                                         Weight On Drivers: 376,500 Lbs.

Cylinders: 22" & 35" X 32"                       Boiler Pressure: 210 Lbs.

Total Engine Weight: 449,000 Lbs.           Tractive Effort: 77,900 Lbs.