Cincinnati Scenic Railway To Acquire B&O GP30

Published: February 23, 2026

The Cincinnati Scenic Railway is proud to announce an agreement with the Raritan Central Railway to acquire former B&O GP30 #6923, currently lettered as RCRY #5.
RCRY #5 (originally B&O 6923) is a 2,250 hp EMD GP30, four-axle road switcher diesel electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois in 1962.

RCRY #5 was one of 77 GP30’s ordered by the Baltimore & Ohio Railway. It was later changed to #4241 after the B&O and Chesapeake & Oho merger, which created the famous “Chessie” brand. The Chessie System rebuilt its GP30 units into GP30Ms, adding newer components, new traction motors and reducing their power to 2000 hp. They lasted with CSX into the mid-to-late 1990s.

A new, yet to be numbered B&O GP30, wearing the road's shortlived "Sunburst" livery, sits on display at EMD during the builder's Open House Ceremony at its McCook, Illinois plant to celebrate its 25,000th locomotive on October 6, 1962 . Rick Burn photo.

Upon arrival in Ohio, RCRY #5 will be cosmetically restored into a 250th Anniversary commemorative paint scheme. The goal is to eventually restore it back to it’s as delivered B&O “Sunburst” scheme within the next 5-7 years. This new addition will bring Cincinnati Scenic Railway’s historic fleet to a total of 4 GP30’s, a GP10, GP9 and GP7.

Ray Kammer Jr., President of Cincinnati Scenic Railway, added:

“Cincinnati Scenic Railway is excited for the opportunity return another piece of historic rolling stock to our collection. Thanks to our friends at the Raritan Central Railway, future generations will be able to ride behind this historic locomotive and witness it in operation”

About Cincinnati Scenic Railway

The Cincinnati Scenic Railway (CSR) is a southwest Ohio–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving and operating historic railroad equipment for the education and enjoyment of the public. Rather than existing solely as a “museum in one place,” CSR’s focus is on keeping rail history in motion—maintaining passenger cars and locomotives and using them in active excursion service across the region.

A key part of CSR’s identity is that it serves as the operator behind two well-known Ohio excursion brands: the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad (LM&M Railroad) and the Ohio Rail Experience (ORE). LM&M is the year-round, family-oriented operation based in Lebanon (Warren County), offering scheduled rides from downtown Lebanon using vintage passenger equipment typically hauled by historic diesel power. ORE, meanwhile, is the organization’s “traveling excursion” program—special trips that venture beyond Lebanon onto a variety of routes, often in partnership with local groups and rail-industry partners.

CSR notes that, across its operations, it hauls more than 50,000 passengers annually, a scale that places it among the more active heritage and excursion providers in the Midwest. That ridership reflects a schedule built around both traditional sightseeing runs and a calendar of themed experiences—family outings, seasonal events, and special excursions designed to attract first-time riders as well as repeat visitors. They typically see about 50,000 riders annually.

The Ohio Rail Experience side of CSR is also notable for the way it frames each trip: the group emphasizes that excursions are “unique” and that scenery can range from rural farmland to more urban railroading, depending on the route and event. In recent years, rail-industry media have highlighted ORE’s return to multi-route tour schedules and its cooperative approach—working with partners that can include local historical societies, LM&M, and the Cincinnati Railway Co.

At its core, CSR fits into a long tradition of volunteer- and community-supported rail preservation: keeping older equipment serviceable, meeting modern safety and operational requirements, and using passenger service as a way to fund upkeep while also telling the story of railroading’s role in Ohio and the greater Cincinnati region. Its public-facing message—“we put history into motion”—captures the organization’s purpose well: not just to display railroad heritage, but to let people ride it, hear it, and experience it firsthand.

To learn more about the railroad please click here to visit their website.

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