| Woodstown Central 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 No. 9 at New Hope Railroad, located in New Hope, Pennsylvania in 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Woodstown Central 9 is a 0-6-0 "Switcher" type steam locomotive, built in August 1942 by the American Locomotive Company's (ALCO) Schenectady Works. It is currently operated by the Woodstown Central Railroad (WCR) in New Jersey. [1] The engine has had a history career spanning military service, freight hauling, and passenger excursions. [2]
The locomotive was built in October 1942 at the American Locomotive Company's Schenectady Works in Schenectady, New York as U.S. Army No. 4023. [3] [4] It was part of a wartime order of standardized steam locomotives designed to provide reliable service for domestic military bases and for training soldiers in railway operations. [4] No. 4023 was first assigned to Fort Dix, New Jersey, where it handled freight and training duties. [4] It was later transferred to Fort Eustis, Virginia, the Army's principal railway training facility, and was renumbered to No. 616. [3] [5] At Fort Eustis, the locomotive was used extensively for instructional purposes, preparing U.S. Army railway units for service overseas during and after World War II until 1958, when it was retired from revenue service. [4]
That same year, the locomotive was sold to the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway (VBR), it arrived on property on August 15, 1958 and was renumbered to No. 9. [4] [5] It was placed into service on March 23, 1961 and operated in freight service until August 1, 1963, when it hauled the last scheduled steam-powered train on the railroad prior to its complete dieselization. [4] Following this trip, the engine was stored in serviceable condition until it was sold in 1966. [4] [1] [5]
The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad (NHRR) in Pennsylvania acquired the locomotive in 1966 for excursion use No. 9 operated sporadically between the late 1960s and 1970, and later returned to service between August 1976 and 1981. [6] [7] [8] After its retirement from excursions, the locomotive was stored and later disassembled during an incomplete restoration attempt in 1992. [4] The engine was replaced by New Hope Railroad No. 40, a 2-8-0 steam locomotive. [6]
In 2009, the disassembled locomotive was acquired by SMS Rail Lines, a short-line railroad based in New Jersey known for its historic fleet of Baldwin diesel locomotives. [1] Restoration work was carried out at the company's Bridgeport, New Jersey shops. [3] The project lasted 14 years and included the fabrication of replacement parts and upgrades to meet Federal Railroad Administration standards. [4]
The locomotive was first test-fired in 2021 and officially certified for operation by the FRA on November 16, 2023, marking its return to active service after four decades. [6] [9]
The locomotive is currently used by the Woodstown Central Railroad (WCR), the passenger excursion division of SMS Rail Lines. [2] [7] The engine made its debut on November 30, 2023 and now pulls passenger trains on the historic Salem Branch Line in southern New Jersey, operating between South Woodstown and Salem. [2] [9] On April 18, 2025, No. 9 suffered an overheated bearing while on an excursion run, resulting it to be taken out of service to undergo repairs. [10] It returned to service on September 20, 2025. [11]