Third Time A Charm - NYO&W # 101 Gets Another Chance

Special Thanks to Patrick Stapleton

    The following was sent me me from O&WRHS member Patrick Stapleton. By way of e-mail he was able to find out what the status of ex-NYO&W 44 tonner No. 105 that spent many years on the SLG&W. On behalf of the O&WRHS I want to thank him for taking the time to research this. The following is the e-mail correspondence that  took place. 

Ron:

    Thought you might like to add some of these pictures to our website.  I came across the current location of the NYOW 105 * (Editor's Note: We are not almost certain this is NYO&W #101 - See Doug Ellison's e-mail at the bottom of this page) while talking to this group about parts to restore another 44 tonner that they had acquired at the same time.  I will include excerpts from the correspondence that will tell of it's current condition and plans for the future.


Patrick R. Stapleton
Claremont Concord Railroad
prstapleton@theccrr.com

Hi Patrick -


    Here are some photos of the locomotive as it recently arrived.  The first shows our three 44-tonners together.  Leading is Visalia Electric 502, black with orange stripes.  Next is Sacramento Northern 146 on the flatcar, in the red and white paint of its last owner, Northern Oklahoma.  Last is the DS-2, also on a flatcar.  Location is Dozier, California, the midpoint of our railroad, May 9 2005. 

    The next two photos show the locomotive in storage at our museum.  As you can see, it is rather rusty (remember, this was called the "Saltair Route" ). None the less, you can see that it would be quite a striking paint job if it were fresh.

    The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association (BAERA) has acquired Salt Lake, Garfield and Western DS-2 for preservation.  This 44-tonner, originally built for the New York, Ontario and Western, spent many years hauling freight and passengers for the Utah interurban line after the original electrification system of the railroad was removed.  The Saltair Route, as it was known, was affiliated with the Saltair Pavilion, an amusment park on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, and operated passenger trains to this site from Salt Lake City.  BAERA acquired the locomotive to be a part of its permanent collection, for display and possible future operation at its Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction, California.  At the present time, the locomotive is in poor condition due to many years of outdoor
storage in the climate around the Great Salt Lake, as well as the fact that it was used as a parts source at the end of its life.

The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association is a non-profit 501-c(3) public benefit corporation, dedicated to preservation of the regional heritage of
electric railway transportation of Northern California and the West.

    SLG&W DS-2 is in pretty rough shape.  One of the engines was partially dismantled, and it looks like whatever they found inside caused them to  abandon ship and use it as a parts source instead.  So it is missing all the brake system components (including cylinders and brake rigging), various electrical components, door hardware, one radiator, and so on.  It apparently sat in Salt Lake for quite a while in this state.  The paint is has nice stripes, probably copied from the NYO&W scheme, but it is very rusty.  It would look very striking if we were to paint it again.  Our focus for now is to get the Sacramento Northern 146 running to MU with our operational Visalia Electric 502.  At any rate, that one is closer to being complete.  But someday, we could conceivably work on the DS-2, though
that's in the future at this point.  That would be really odd, to have three 44 tonners MU'd in a train.  At any rate, we don't want to use it as a parts source, but instead try to acquire the parts to put it back together at some future time.  See the message thread below for more information about the
locomotive.

    Ken Peterson, Secretary of the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association, forwarded your inquiry in to the status of the NYO&W 44 tonner at the Western Railway Museum to me. WRM just acquired, in a trade with the Feather River Railway Society, Salt Lake Garfield and Western 44 tonner number DS 2. It had been acquired by FRRS to strip for parts and scrap.  However, due to its interurban heritage, WRM decided to save the locomotive and included it in a large equipment trade. SLG and W DS-2 was built by General Electric in August 1942, builder number 15032, as New York, Ontario and Western number 105.  It was sold to the Salt Lake Garfield and Western in 1951.  The locomotive has had many parts stripped off of it.  It is WRM's plans to preserve the locomotive, although not restore it to operation in the near future.  It will be preserved as SLG&W DS-2.

If you have additional information about the locomotive, I would be interested in learning it.

David Johnston
Chairman, Collection Committee.
Bay Area Electric Railroad Association (www.wrm.org)

More e-mail correspondence on the 101:

Ron
 
I believe that the DS-2 is actually the 101. While I was on the Adirondack Scenic we received the 105, verified through the stamped frame number. We actually thought we were getting the 101, even after receiving it and had our publicity as such until we found we were wrong.
 
The 105 left Utica several weeks ago and is in NJ now....I think.
 
So I believe that this loco is the 101.
 
Regards,
 
Doug Ellison 

Jeff Otto checked over the engine in Rio Vista Jct. for traces of its O&W heritage but couldn't find any signs.  He did copy down the motor and generator numbers in case they could be referenced back.  I'm not sure that he knew where to look for the frame number.  The new photos show the MU plug which Earl Churchill installed at Middletown on 3 of the 44 tonners.  Earl helped out on the MNJ for many years when they needed electrical help and had all of the GE and EMD meters and tools from the O&W shops.  The tools and meters unfortunately got tossed when Earl died years ago.  Dan Myers

Dan;

DS-2 (105) is on display, but it is on the north side of some trees, so the light may not be the best.  I have attached a photo of the 105 on its way to the Museum.  It is the red and black, not red and white loco on the flat car. The Union Pacific would not let them travel on their own wheels for the 300 mile trip from Portola.  The other 44 tonner on the flat car is Sacramento Northern 146.  The loco pulling the train is 44 tonner Visalia Electric 502.  All three locos are equipped for MU.  The Museum owns 22 miles of track.  This photo was taken in the middle of the northern end on the line.  The photo caption has to do with the Track Department's concern about the wooden trestle they are crossing.  If you would like more photos, let me know and I am sure I can find someone to take them and sent them to you.

Dave Johnston

UPDATE - 07/04/05
 

I promised some support data from the files of the Adirondack Scenic regarding the mystery of the 105 and 101. Chuck Rowlee the Trainmaster of Adirondack Scenic graciously kept the mechanical file and checked it out for details, sending me faxed copies of some of the information.  
 
From our records and those of SLGW, here goes
 
O&W 105 became SLGW DS-1 and O&W 101 became SLGW DS-2
 
Data from NYO&W Purchasing Dept. Middletown, NY March 14, 1944
 
 
NYO&W 101
 
Date Rec'd - 12/41
Loco # - 101
Make: GE
Description: 44 ton switcher
Loco s/n: 15028
Engine Numbers: 9J5564SP, 9J 5566SP
 
NYO&W 105
 
Date Rec'd: 8/42
Loco# 105
Make: GE
Description: 44 ton switcher
Loco s/n: 15032
Engine Numbers 9J5836SP, 9J5937SP
 
Blue Card dated 1992 from SLGW RR
 
Loco # DS-1
 
Model: 15032 (matches s/n of NYO&W 105)
 
I still can't recall the exact location of the pysical verification of the numbers on the locomotive itself....sorry, but am pretty positive that indeed NYO&W 105 became SLGW DS-1, which was the unit that was just moved to New Jersey. Perhaps the new owner can comment further. I simply can't recreate that trail of 7-8 years ago.
 
Doug Ellison
former GM - Adirondack Scenic RR