BOONTON, N.J. — The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey has begun restoration of the last surviving U34CH locomotive, a project it is undertaking in partnership with contractor and consulting firm FMW Solutions.
The organization has begun the project with a $10,000 matching donation from the Tri-State Railway Historical Society. It will display the locomotive on Sunday, Sept. 25, at its annual “Railroad Museum [For a Day]” event in Boonton, N.J.
“There are so few preserved locomotives that are uniquely-Jersey, and this is one of them,” URHS President Kevin Phalon said in a press release. “There are thousands of people who still remember riding behind, working on, and running these locomotives. 3372 holds a lot of meaning for a whole lot of people, so it was imperative that we start this project off right—with funding and professional experience.”
Erie Lackawanna No. 3372 is one of 32 such locomotives built by General Electric between 1970 and 1973 as part of a commuter modernization effort that also included an order for Comet I coaches from Pullman-Standard. The U34CH fleet was inherited by NJ Transit in 1983 and retired in 1994, with the others scrapped or sold to South America. NJ Transit donated No. 3372 to the URHS.
The locomotive was originally leased to the New York & Greenwood Lake Railway in Passaic, it was moved to the URHS facility in Boonton in 2014. A full mechanical evaluation by FMW Solutions this summer determined there was nothing that precluded the locomotive from being returned to operating condition; it suffered extensive damage to its wiring because of vandalism and weather while in Passaic, but all of it can be repaired, and the prime mover is in good shape other than wear from its in-service career.
“URHS has a great vision for preserving New Jersey’s railroad industry and our diesel- electric experts are looking forward to being a part of it,” said FMW Vice President-Mechanical Shane Meador. “Our inspection of 3372 was promising, and it shows that locomotives from this era can make good candidates for restoration.”
The full mechanical report on the locomotive is available at this page on the URHS website and donations for the project can be made here. More on the “Railroad Museum [For a Day]” event is available here.
