SOUDERTON, Pa. — Norfolk Southern has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society Inc. for its restoration of the last intact diesel from the Lehigh & New England Railroad.
The funds will be used to rehabilitate the traction motors of Alco S2 No. 611, built in September 1948 and operated by the L&NE until the railroad shut down in 1961. Plans call for the locomotive to be restored to its as-built condition to serve as an interpretive artifact for special occasions and community events. The locomotive is currently being overhauled in Topton, Pa.
“The grant allows us to take a major step forward in returning one of the most important artifacts of eastern Pennsylvania railroading’s past to operation,” David Organek, the society’s president, said in a press release. “We are grateful to Norfolk Southern for supporting our mission and investing in a project that has drawn interest and volunteers from across the local community.”
The grant is part of two programs launched by Norfolk Southern in 2023: the Safety First Grant Program, which seeks to advance safety organizations and initiatives, and the Thriving Communities Grant Program, which aims to promote economic opportunity, support vibrant community life, and provide equal access to basic necessities.
“Norfolk Southern is the perfect partner for No. 611,” said Organek, an NS engineer based in Allentown, Pa. “The company’s Cement Secondary line from Bethlehem to Stockertown is original Lehigh & New England trackage, so there’s a real corporate-history connection.” Topton, where the restoration is taking place at the Allentown & Auburn Railroad, is on the main line of NS’ Keystone Division.
More on the non-profit Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society and the L&NE No. 611 project is available at the organization’s website.
— Editor’s note: The society had set this news for release on Jan. 9, but News Wire is running it today after that embargo was broken by a Pennsylvania TV station.
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