GLENMONT, N.Y. — Two historic New York Central electric locomotives, saved last year after long facing a threat of scrapping, have been moved from their site on an Island in the Hudson River after more than three decades, the Danbury Railway Museum has announced. The museum released a photo today of the locomotives on flatbed trucks, as well as a statement saying that after 36 years on Beacon Island, the Class S-1 and Class T-3a locomotives “have been moved off the site and are currently sitting on private property. They will be shipped to The Danbury Railway Museum soon, where upon arrival work will continue on returning them to an appearance that would make the New York Central Railroad proud. Thank you to everyone involved. Please consider making a donation to this project at DanburyRail.org/Donate. To learn more about the history of these locomotives visit DanburyRail.org/electrics.”
The lengthy effort to save the locomotives, which at one time had been restored but were heavily vandalized during their time on the island, finally saw their future secured last December when they were moved out of the way of a construction project [see “Two NYC electrics are safe …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 30, 2022]. Watch Trains News Wire for further details as they become available.
— Updated at 1:15 p.m. CDT to include photo credit omitted by source.
A grab bag of comments. 4800 (RRMPA), 4859 (Harrisburg Station) and 4935 (RRMPA) have had the Asbestos and PCB’s removed. The transformers were removed also. It was VERY expensive.
The PRR AC electrification is 11 kV (now 12 kV) 25 Hz AC. 25 Hz allows for big AC commutator motors. Central Europe RR’s use 16 2/3 Hz for the same reason. Modern technology allows for 60 Hz power here and 50 Hz in Europe. Amtrak hasn’t changed the ex-PRR because they can’t see why they should. They would have to change the signals, ACSES etc. as well and that will co$t $$$$$$$$$.
Most of the roads South of Weehawken NJ used the Poughkeepsie Bridge. The Erie was the last. Penn Central decided to route New England freight via Selkirk NY, near Albany, then the B&A and PC downgraded NH service. The non-PC roads used the LV (free of PC control in the bankruptcy) and D&H to the B&M at Mechanicville. The Poughkeepie Bridge was already in bad shape (15 mph speed limit) when a convenient fire took it permanently out of RR service.
What is happening to the black Alco RS-? unit behind the two NYC units in the pictures. Does it still run or is it also museum bound somewhere?
IIRC, it was deemed non salvageable and was scrapped.
According to the Museum website, they still have another ALCO RS-1 (New Haven #0673) in good condition.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
I’m like in ecstasy over the museum’s logo, a NYNH&H FL9. The New Haven lives!!!! Having spent my formative years on the Providence Local and my college years on the Shore Line to New York City. Who cares that the railroad was in a state of collapse and half the windows were broken with rain water sloshing between the panes. It was MY railroad and I loved it.
Even I am not old enough to remember some of the New Haven’s many diesel paint schemes, all of them unique and exciting. Seeing these in books sends me to the moon even though I don’t recall them!
One recent morning, I woke up realizing, sadly, that some people reading these pages know little about the New Haven or maybe nothing at all. Some of you may not have heard of it.
I’m pretty confident that there aren’t more than three or four New Haven fans commenting on these pages. Maybe not even that many. Count me in.
My Wisconsin-born wife and I spend our lives on United Airlines now. But my great memory of our marriage was one round trip on MBTA’s Providence Line, Mansfield to South Station and back.
If my memory serves me well, the great United Airlines, founding member of the Star Alliance, is the third-largest airline in the world (measured by fleet size and the number of routes).
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
New Haven with colors red, white and black; it is truly hard to forget!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
And other, earlier colors, Dr. Ustun — orange with silver pinstripes, dark green with silver pinstripes — that I don’t remember but I’ve seen in books. I can’t think of a single New Haven diesel livery that could be confused with any other railroad. Or any New Haven livery that I dislike, such as The Rock’s last one, which was an eyesore pretending to be hip.
United Airlines owes much to Continental, which it absorbed — the hubs at Houston and Newark.
I agree with you on these.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
What little I’m aware of, of the NHRR, is that they tragically lost their connection across the Hudson River to their Maybrook, NY interchange with the L&HR and E-L Rwys, (and historically a few other RRs), when the Hudson River, Poughkeepsie River Bridge was suspiciously burned and condemned around the time of the Conrail takeover. That two track bridge still stands today as a tourist rail-trail, “thanks” to then Rep Chuck Schumer, D-NY, who could have made an effort to restore it for railroad use…what a shame.
I too have fond memories of the old New York, New Haven and Hartford RR with one of the classiest script logos ever devised in my opinion. I grew up near the railroad in Westchester NY and spent summers at our summer home at Lake Candlewood near Danbury Conn. During the summer my dad commuted to New York from Danbury and I used to drive him to the station and hang out there for a few hours watching the action. While I often rode on portions of the line as far back as the early 1950’s. I have tried over the years to log as many miles on former New Haven lines thru excursions such as those sponsored the Massachusetts Bay RRE.
Let’s remember that the Danbury Railway Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers. The Museum’s ongoing preservation efforts are funded by memberships, donations, grants, and museum admissions.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
These fine old warriors and workhorses of the rails are getting a new lease on life and beginning their 2nd career as museum locomotives and possibly being restored to operating status. It would be nice if they can get one of the old Pennsy GG1s restored back into operating status as an operating museum locomotives with some fan trips
Joseph C. Markfelder
The beloved New York Central S-1 No. 6000/100 is 119 years old and the beloved New York Central T-3a No. 1178/278 is 97 years old.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Given what it took to make 4935 safely movable when it went to Washington under tow, I shudder at the co$t of restoring a GG1 to service as a GG1.
As nice as it would be to see, an operating GG1 is unlikely. The least of the problems are electrical. The GG1’s used PCB-laden oil to cool their transformers. Unfortunately, there aren’t non-PCB oils available for every application. That is, for those G’s that still have their transformers. It would’ve been wise to scrap the transformers at retirement. Next, you have asbestos. Like so much else from the 30’s and 40’s, Baldwin and P.R.R. made heavy use of asbestos in the construction of the G’s. Mitigation, disposal, and replacement would be a financial nightmare. Finally, let’s talk deterioration. What accelerated retirement and scrapping of the G’s was cracking of the frames. The locomotives were their own worst enemies.
It would be nice to see one run, but even back in 1981, when we had 3 S-1 locos at Croton Harmon we had to find someone to custom manufacture any part we needed. It cost a fortune 40 years ago, I can imagine what it would cost now.
I think if one could be restored it could only run on the NEC because of the power it used. I be leave they ran on a 50 cycle catenary system. I know NJT has a phase gap between the two system an Loco’s that can run on both so they can get on the NEC
Motivating, great news! Best of good luck to the Danbury Railway Museum!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün