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 No. 97 hauling an excursion train at the Beverly Valley Rail Road on February 4, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Canadian National 97 is a 2-6-0 "Mogul" type steam locomotive originally built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in December 1910 for the Canadian National Railway. It is now owned and operated by the Beverly Valley Rail Road outside of Beverly, Massachusetts, where it resides today for use on excursion trains.
No. 89 was originally built in February 1910 by the Canadian Locomotive Company in Kingston, Ontario, for the Grand Trunk Railway as No. 1009. [1] It has a wheel arrangement of 2-6-0. [2] In 1919, it was renumbered to No. 911. [2] In 1923, the Grand Trunk was merged into the Canadian National Railway (CN) with No. 911 being one of the thousands of locomotives working for this new railroad. In 1951, No. 911 was renumbered to No. 89. Most of 89's career on the CN is unknown; it appears that it spent the latter part of its working life in Quebec before being retired in late 1958 and being stored in a deadline of locomotives in Montreal. [2] [3]
In 1961, No. 89 was purchased by New England seafood magnate and steam locomotive collector F. Nelson Blount and moved to North Walpole, New Hampshire, in the United States. No. 89 found a home in the former Boston & Maine North Walpole roundhouse and starting in 1965, would begin operating on the Green Mountain Railroad and would be moved to across the Connecticut River to Bellows Falls, Vermont. No. 89 quickly became Blount's favorite locomotive and he would often be found at the throttle until his death in 1967. [1]
In June 1972, the Green Mountain Railroad sold No. 89 to the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. [1] This is a linear village along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road. The population was 2,809 at the 2010 census. The move from Bellows Falls to Strasburg was overseen by Strasburg employee Linn Moedinger. During a stopover in Penn Central's Buttonwood Yard in Wilkes-Barre, No. 89 was stranded when Hurricane Agnes caused the Susquehanna River to flood much of the area. No. 89 spent several days submerged in the rail yard but emerged with little to no damage. [4] [5]
Upon arrival at Strasburg in July 1972, No. 89 underwent an overhaul and made its first official run for Strasburg Rail Road on March 17, 1973. [6] When No. 89 first arrived, it originally faced East when hauling excursion trains, it would remain that way until the turntable at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania was installed in late 1973. No. 89 frequently operated in tandem with Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-0 No. 1223 on Strasburg's half-hour trains until it was taken out of service in the early 1980s for major repairs. During these repairs which lasted the majority of the decade, No. 89 was completely rebuilt from the ground up including major boiler and running gear work. Emerging from its rebuild in November 1988, No. 89 returned to pulling the half-hour trains, being joined by former Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 No. 475 in 1993. In October 2003, No. 89 was modified and repainted to its 1950s Canadian National appearance with the tilted monogram logo. In 2008, No. 89's tender logo was re-lettered to read "Strasburg Rail Road," in keeping with Strasburg's policy of historical authenticity.
Steamtown National Historic Site (NHS) is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on 62.48 acres (25.3 ha) in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). The museum is built around a working turntable and a roundhouse that are largely replications of the original DL&W facilities; the roundhouse, for example, was reconstructed from remnants of a 1932 structure. The site also features several original outbuildings dated between 1899 and 1902. All the buildings on the site are listed with the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Yard-Dickson Manufacturing Co. Site.
Francis Nelson Blount was an American businessman, railroad enthusiast and president and founder of Blount Seafood Corporation and the founder of Steamtown, USA, the Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern Railroad, and the Green Mountain Railroad. A millionaire and a railroad enthusiast, Blount's collection of vintage steam locomotives and rail cars—originally based in New England—was one of the largest ever assembled and still remains the cornerstone of the modern-day Steamtown National Historic Site.
The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi (6.47 km) of track in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad's headquarters are outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania.
The Green Mountain Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Vermont. GMRC operates on tracks that had been owned by the Rutland Railroad and Boston and Maine Railroad. The railroad operates on a rail line between North Walpole, New Hampshire, and Rutland, Vermont. GMRC's corporate colors are green and yellow.
Norfolk and Western 475 is a 4-8-0 "Mastodon" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in June 1906 as part of the Norfolk and Western Railway's (N&W) first order of M class numbered 375–499. It was first assigned to haul freight trains on the N&W mainline before being reassigned to branch line duties on the Blacksburg Branch in the 1920s.
Great Western 90 is a class "12-42-F" 2-10-0 type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road (SRC) outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in June 1924, No. 90 originally pulled sugar beet trains for the Great Western Railway of Colorado. In April 1967, No. 90 was sold to the Strasburg Rail Road where it now resides and operates today for use in pulling excursion trains.
The Canadian National 47 is a preserved class "X-10-a"4-6-4T type tank locomotive located at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. It is one of only three preserved CN 4-6-4Ts and is the only Baltic-type suburban tank locomotive remaining in the United States.
Pennsylvania Railroad 7002 is a class "E7s" 4-4-2 "Atlantic" type steam locomotive built for the Pennsylvania Railroad by their own Altoona Works in August 1902. Today, it is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. Originally No. 8063, the PRR renumbered it to No. 7002 after the original, claimed to be a land-speed-record-setter, was scrapped. It is the only survivor of its class and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Steamtown, U.S.A., was a steam locomotive museum that ran steam excursions out of North Walpole, New Hampshire, and Bellows Falls, Vermont, from the 1960s to 1983. The museum was founded by millionaire seafood industrialist F. Nelson Blount. The non-profit Steamtown Foundation took over operations following his death in 1967. Because of Vermont's air quality regulations restricting steam excursions, declining visitor attendance, and disputes over the use of track, some pieces of the collection were relocated to Scranton, Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s and the rest were auctioned off. After the move, Steamtown continued to operate in Scranton but failed to attract the expected 200,000–400,000 visitors. Within two years the tourist attraction was facing bankruptcy, and more pieces of the collection were sold to pay off debt.
Canadian Pacific 1293 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in June 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Built for passenger service, 1293 served an eight-year career until being replaced by diesel locomotives where it was then retired in 1959. Purchased in 1964 by F. Nelson Blount for use at his Steamtown site in Bellows Falls, Vermont, 1293 was easily restored to operation for hauling fan trips for the general public. 1293 was later sold to the Ohio Central Railroad in 1996 for tourist train service. Today, the locomotive is out on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Canadian Pacific 1278 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. After being retired from revenue service, the locomotive was purchased in 1965 by F. Nelson Blount for excursion trains at his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection. The locomotive was sold to Gettysburg Railroad in 1987, and it pulled excursion trains between Gettysburg and Biglerville, but it was subject to shoddy maintenance by inexperienced crews. The locomotive was retired from excursion service in 1995, after suffering a firebox explosion in June. As of 2024, the locomotive is on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Canadian Pacific 1246 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. In 1965, it became one of three G5 locomotives to be purchased by Steamtown, U.S.A. for excursion service. After operating in Scranton for a few years in the 1980s, No. 1246 was sold at an October 1988 auction to the Railroad Museum of New England with plans to restore and operate it, and it was initially put on static display. As of 2023, No. 1246 is stored at the Railroad Museum of New England.
Nickel Plate Road 759 is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in 1944 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio as a member of the S-2 class for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road". Built as a fast freight locomotive, No. 759 served the Nickel Plate until being retired in 1959 and placed into storage. In 1965, No. 759 was purchased by F. Nelson Blount for display in his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection in North Walpole, New Hampshire. The locomotive was restored to operating condition in 1967 by New York commodity broker Ross Rowland for use in hauling his Golden Spike Centennial Limited, a special commemorative train that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1969. Afterwards, No. 759 pulled numerous excursions for Ross Rowland and Steamtown until being retired once more and placed back on display in 1977. As of 2023, the locomotive remains on static display at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and sibling engine No. 765 continues to operate in mainline excursion service.
Boston and Maine 3713, also known as the "Constitution", is the sole survivor of the "P-4a" class 4-6-2 "Heavy Pacific" type steam locomotives. It was built in December 1934 by the Lima Locomotive Works for the Boston and Maine Railroad, hauling passenger trains around the New England region. In 1956, No. 3713 was given the duty to haul B&M's Farewell to Steam excursion between Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine, marking the end of steam operations on the B&M.
Canadian Pacific 2317 is a class "G-3c" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Canadian National 7312 is an 0-6-0 "Switcher" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in August 1908 for the Canadian National Railway. It is owned and in active restoration by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania.
Grand Trunk Western No. 6039 is a preserved class "U-1-c" 4-8-2 "Mountain type" steam locomotive built in June 1925 by Baldwin. It served the Grand Trunk Western Railroad by pulling fast passenger and freight trains throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, until the railroad decided to dieselize their locomotive fleet. During that time, it was leased to the Central Vermont Railway for freight service, only to become one of the very last steam locomotives to regularly operate in the state of Vermont. After being retired in the late 1950s, No. 6039 became one of the very first steam locomotives to be owned by F. Nelson Blount, and it subsequently became part of his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection for static display. In 1984, the locomotive was moved along with every other locomotive in the Steamtown collection from Bellows Falls to Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the name would late be changed to Steamtown National Historic Site under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. As of 2023, No. 6039 remains on static display at Scranton with very meticulous cosmetic care.
Reading 1187 is a camelback 0-4-0 switcher locomotive built in 1903 by Baldwin for the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. It was primarily used for yard switching services, until 1946, when it was sold to the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company's E&G Brooke Plant as No. 4. In 1962, it made its way to the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania to be used in hauling tourist trains, but due to its small size, it was reassigned to switching passenger cars. After being removed from service in 1967, 1187 sat on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, before sitting idle at the Strasburg yard. In 2020, it was acquired by the Age of Steam Roundhouse, who is currently giving the locomotive a cosmetic stabilization at their location in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15 is a 0-6-0ST "Switcher" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania.
Canadian Pacific 972 is a preserved D-10j class 4-6-0 "Ten-wheeler" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1912. It was used for pulling branchline and mainline freight trains for the Canadian Pacific Railway, until it was removed from service in 1959. It eventually became famous for pulling multiple mainline excursion trains throughout the state of Pennsylvania under the ownership of George Hart. It was sold to the Strasburg Rail Road in 1995, who had an initial plan to rebuild it to pull their own tourist trains. As of 2024, No. 972 is stored outdoors and disassembled in the Strasburg Rail Road's yard.
