Morristown & Erie RS-1

Can someone tell me what happen to the RS-1 Morristown & Erie #15 that was at the Valley railroad years ago .
I believe something was wrong with it and it went to legal action but,am not sure. Any info would help. Thank You.

This unit got parted out and cut up. I believe the long hood is sitting out
behind the Corn Products plant in Scantic, Ct. on the CNZR. While I don't have my notes in front of me, I was told the cab became a hot dog stand
somewhere in CT. But who knows...

Dave

Unfortunately the unit was scrapped along with an ex-NYSW RS-1 (240?) that was on the property. The units were improperly drained when shut down for the winter and were damaged beyond reasonable repair by the affects of the water freezing inside the blocks. A shame that they added insult to the injury by then scrapping two first generation units which could have been at least placed on display.

The 240 was NOT scrapped. It was sold to George Hockaday, along with a replacement block purchased by the VRR but never installed.

Eventually, Mr. Hockaday and his associates restored the thing to operation. It may still live today.

The 15 was also sold to aprivate party who owned other RS-1's and int turn, salvaged it for parts and scrapped it.

The M&E #15 became property of the Connecticut Central RR and was subsequently sold to A.J. Beliveau (of the Central New England RR). While sitting on a siding in Essex, south of the main yard) it was stripped of it's prime mover.....which was moved to Cromwell to replace the one which was removed from the Cape Cod RS-1 #30, also owned by Belliveau. The block was never frozen by being poorly drained. NEw pistons and rings were installed. To my knowledge, it has never been fired up.

At a later date, the remaining usable parts of the #15 were removed and stored for the Central New England RR. I am quite confident in this, as I was one of the people who did this.

BTW....it was an ex-US NAVY locomotive. Navy nomenclature and writing was seen all over the electrical cabinet, short hood and engine compartment.

With all due respect, the 15's block WAS cracked; I saw it myself. The crack was longitudnal between two or three of the cylinder holes, in the bottom "floor" or web of the block casting. The 240 had a similar crack, in the same place, except that one ran from the rear of #1 jug to the front of #6 jug.

15's engine had been rebuilt by M&E with a load of very nice new parts, shortly before it went to VRR. It had terrible wheels (thin tread and flanges) in roller bearing trucks. It also had been rebuilt by M&E with26 brake and an EMD roller switch throttle. Was built in 1944 as US Navy #6 for Dahlgren Proving Ground, complete with steam generator (later removed).

VRR owed AJB some bucks for a track job, and #15 was part of the settlement.

There was legal action (or the threat thereof) between 240's private owner and the VRR, which was settled in some way; the replacement 539 block referred to above went with that settlement. 240's owner sold the unit to Hockaday, along with the block.

There was no legal action re: the 15.

As far as I know George Hockaday never owned the NYSW 240. The RS-1 he owned, and later sold, was Washington Terminal 59.

GWH later bought two Connecticut Central switchers - 1 S2 and 1 S4 I believe - one of which is now Ontario Midland RR #3, the other sits on the OMID waiting heavy repair.

M&E #15 = I have to side with the cracked block thoery as I was told this
directly.

NYSW #240 = Eventually she moved to the Tioga Central Railroad thru
whatever transactions. TC also has former Washington
Terminal RS1s 47 and 62. Of the three, I believe the last
one that was serviceable was the 62.

The 240 was sold for scrap to the late George Hockaday, who later sold the unit to Tioga Central. The replacement block was never a part of the legal action (actual, not threatened, very lengthy and successful). TC bought the block later. To my knowledge, the block has yet to be installed. I last saw it sitting on blocks in Owego, before TC moved west. Mr Hockaday later sold ex-Washington Terminal 59 to the former owner of the 240.

At any rate, here's what's left of M&E #15:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1905822

I'm pretty sure 15's rb trucks were rejuvenated at the MMA and wound up under the former Washington Terminal unit. The WT fb trucks are in Griffins.