• Was there much "foreign" power on the Maybrook?

  • Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
  by Amtrak700
 
During the late 60's up til '74 does anyone remember seeing any foreign power on the Maybrook going east towards NH from the west? Excluding the EL runthru power? Thanks for your help.
  by TomNelligan
 
I don't ever remember non-NH power on the Maybrook line in late 1960s New Haven days... it was generally NH U25Bs and C425s. Penn Central brought in some neat ex-PRR U25Cs along with assorted other locomotives of PRR and NYC heritage, but aside from the EL runthoughs from Port Jervis I don't remember any non-PC locomotives. Of course something odd might have shown up once or twice; it just wasn't a regular thing.
  by Noel Weaver
 
I have copies of most of the New Haven Railroad Locomotive Mileage records from June, 1961 to March, 1965. The
following came from these records:
GE 51 to 54, U-25b demos., March, 1963, these ran both to Maybrook and Bay Ridge. Not so sure about Springfield and
Boston as they were not equipped with cab signals. I had two of them one day for a round trip out of Bay Ridge.
EMD 5652 and 5654, demos, April and May, 1964. These also ran at least to Maybrook, I believe they were GP-35's.
Lehigh and Hudson River RS-3's 5, 9, 11 and 13, June, 1964 ran one round trip Maybrook to Cedar Hill and return.
September, 1964 reports show Lehigh and Hudson River locomotives ran 5080 miles during this month but there is no detail
as to what engines were involved. Most likely all between Maybrook and Cedar Hill.
October, 1964 the following Lehigh and Hudson River locomotives operated on the NHRR, again probably between Maybrook
and Cedar Hill: 1,2,3,4,5,7,9,10 and 12 - all RS-3's.
December, 1964 Long Island 207 and 208 most likely on the New York end of the railroad.
Previous to the above period I seem to recall both Erie Lackawanna and Boston and Maine locomotives have made trips to
or from Maybrook but I do not have records to back this up.
Noel Weaver
  by Phil12string
 
I remember reading that EL had assigned some U25B's as pool power on the Maybrook-Cedar Hill runs. The EL had stipulated that their units were to be used ONLY on these trains, and ended the practice when they found out that the power short NH was running their equipment as far as Boston during their supposed layover at New Haven.
  by TomNelligan
 
Phil12string wrote:I remember reading that EL had assigned some U25B's as pool power on the Maybrook-Cedar Hill runs.
I don't remember EL power running into Cedar Hill in New Haven days. The Port Jervis-Cedar Hill runthough arrangement that I remember was under Penn Central.
  by Noel Weaver
 
Phil12string wrote:I remember reading that EL had assigned some U25B's as pool power on the Maybrook-Cedar Hill runs. The EL had stipulated that their units were to be used ONLY on these trains, and ended the practice when they found out that the power short NH was running their equipment as far as Boston during their supposed layover at New Haven.
They did not go to Boston because the Shore Line to Boston was cab signal territory and EL engines did not have cab signals.
Noel Weaver
  by Allen Hazen
 
Noel Weaver--
If the EL U25B didn't have cab signals, they couldn't LEAD to Boston, but could they in principle have been used as trailing units? (Curiosity question: I don't know what the rules were for using cab-signal-equipped units. Operationally, I can see benefit to requiring that ALL units be cab-signal equipped (allows for reshuffling locomotive consists as needed), but since the New Haven still had FB units they were used to operating locomotive consists not all units of which were capable of leading.)
  by Statkowski
 
From what I was told, what killed the EL/NH run-through was an EL official seeing some EL units running northward through Springfield, Mass. on a freight.
  by Noel Weaver
 
FB units with the hostler controls were used for simple moves light around the engine house facility. They were rarely used
especially in later years.
As for the Springfield Line, that was also cab signal territory and engines used as lead units had to be equipped with
Hartford Line cab signals. In the later years of the New Haven Railroad, most locomotives used in road service had dual
cab signals that could be used on the Shore Line or Hartford Line with a simple switch in the cab.
Noel Weaver
  by Phil12string
 
I got the original info from a old copy of TRAINS magazine. The EL units were used as trailing/mid lash up units and, as far as I know, only involved the EL U25B's. I do not know how long the pool arrangement was in effect.
  by Tom Curtin
 
Noel Weaver wrote:Previous to the above period I seem to recall both Erie Lackawanna and Boston and Maine locomotives have made trips to
or from Maybrook but I do not have records to back this up.
Nor do I have any records; however I did see said units going through Danbury, would have been around 61 or 62 or so. I suppose my eyes may qualify as "records" of a sort.
  by Bernard Rudberg
 
I am working on the guide book for the next CNE historical tour. We will cover the Maybrook line from Hopewell Junction to Danbury. Two of the photos that will be in the book are from J. Swanberg and are EL units and B&M units pulling freight through Danbury. These locomotives were leased buy the NH. The EL photo is dated 12 Feb 1961 and the B&M photo is 21 June 1959.

Bernie Rudberg
  by gawlikfj
 
Did the New York Central ever run into Maybrook yard for repairs to anyone of their engines ?