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U.S. Military R.R. 0-4-0 Locomotives
Palmer has a question for anyone interested in military trains and scenery and asks:
“I am an HO model railroader and a Civil War re-enactor. I want to add a Civil War tv show battle scene to my layout (the siege of Petersburg). My problem is that I can’t find the color scheme used by the U.S. Military R.R. on 0-4-0 locomotives and rolling stock. Can anyone help me please?”
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The US (and for that matter, CS) military did not actually own any of the 4-4-0 locomotives it commandeered, so any road name from the time and location would be appropriate. The B&O unwillingly donated many a piece of locomotion, track and rolling stock to the cause of both sides.
An addition, since I just noticed you were specifically looking at the Siege of Petersburg, there were at the time seventeen railroads that ran in or near the vicinity, most of the east-west roads ran on five foot gauge and the north-south roads ran on standard 4ft 8 1/2 inches.
Stonewall Jackson “accepted” the first contribution from the B&O when he seized 50 locomotives (4-4-0 woodburners) and 350 pieces of rolling stock at Harper’s Ferry on May 22, 1861.
Some of the railroads that were players in the conflict were the Petersburg Railroad, the Orange & Alexandria, and the Virginia & Tennessee.
There is a book, probably long out of print, named “Yonder Comes the Train” by Lance Phillips that has a full chapter dedicated to the wartime roads, with plenty of pictures. You might be able to find it in the library.