New York & Lake Erie Railroad (NY&LE) Discussion

Does anyone have any pictures of the equipment they used? I remember as a kid (late 1980s, early 1990s) riding in a passenger train pulled by what I think was a blue SWXX switcher of some sort. I remember thinking that it was a strange shape for a passenger train engine, having only seen Amtrak ones and the GE centercabs on the A&A.

Benjamin Maggi wrote:Does anyone have any pictures of the equipment they used? I remember as a kid (late 1980s, early 1990s) riding in a passenger train pulled by what I think was a blue SWXX switcher of some sort. I remember thinking that it was a strange shape for a passenger train engine, having only seen Amtrak ones and the GE centercabs on the A&A.

Mr. Maggi,
Is this the locomotive that you remember? http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=655046" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This is the only reference of this locomotive belonging to the NYLE that I know of. On Saturday they used the FPA's for the rides. Here are some pictures:

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g85/m ... g~original" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://s54.photobucket.com/user/marcpis ... 7.jpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://s54.photobucket.com/user/marcpis ... 5.jpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://s54.photobucket.com/user/marcpis ... 1.jpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://s54.photobucket.com/user/marcpis ... 6.jpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

More than likely it was this unit. It fits the criteria of being a blue switcher.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPi ... ?id=127501" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or it could have been one of several other NY&LE S1/2/4 locomotives, they've had about eight over the years.

map193 wrote:

Benjamin Maggi wrote:Does anyone have any pictures of the equipment they used? I remember as a kid (late 1980s, early 1990s) riding in a passenger train pulled by what I think was a blue SWXX switcher of some sort. I remember thinking that it was a strange shape for a passenger train engine, having only seen Amtrak ones and the GE centercabs on the A&A.

Mr. Maggi,
Is this the locomotive that you remember? http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=655046" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This is the only reference of this locomotive belonging to the NYLE that I know of.

The Ford/WAG GE was stored in Gowanda for 22 years (1984 to 2006) but it never operated with the NYLE.

Scot

Was that GE stored indoors while in Gowanda? I don't recall seeing it in the Gowanda yard or at least out by the road ever in the late 90's I to the 2000's. Does anyone have any idea where 1013 is? I didn't see it in the yard last weekend.

I dont believe it was ever stored indoors..
as far as I know, it was always stored in the same spot, at the rear of the line of derelict locomotives in Gowanda..definitely outside.
if you visited the Gowanda yard anytime between 1984 and 2006, it was there!
you had to walk out to the very end of the string of locos, farthest away from the station.
However if you didnt stray far from the station, you might not have noticed it..
and it might not have been visible from the road.

Scot

I was pretty young when it was still there so I never really got the opportunity to tour the yard. Did they have any plans to use it for service or were they storing it for someone else like they often do.

Stored for someone else.

It certainly wasn't the WAG centercab engine. It certainly wasn't the FA either. It might have been the Alco switcher shown in one of the links above, though I don't think so. I think I remember the ends of the engine being more "open" like is typically found on an EMD SW-1. My memory is hazy.

It was certainly in Gowanda, as I remember that name and thinking it was strange. It was a hot day when we rode, and even for a train ride I don't think I enjoyed it as much. Probably because it wasn't steam hauled, which was my entire experience with tourist train rides to that point.

The story of WAG 1700:

http://www.personal.psu.edu/tss109/WAG/ ... rcab1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That page was last updated in 1999, the story since then:

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.ph ... view=print" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Summary:
Built by GE in 1940, for Ford, with some unique Ford-inspired styling.
There were originally 8 of them, 1700 is the only survivor.
Used by Ford 1940 to 1958.

Purchased by the WAG in 1958.
used by them 1958 to the early 70's.

Purchased by the NYLE in 1976, (or perhaps the NYLE *intended* to purchase it)
but it never operated with them, and didnt make it to NYLE rails at that time.
Conrail initially refused to move it.

Returned to the WAG, and purchased by the Lake Shore Railway Historical Society (LSRHS) of North East, Pa, in 1979.
Parked in Ansonia 1980 - 1984.
Towed to Gowanda for some repairs..which never happened.
The unit sat unused in Gowanda 1984 - 2006.

Finally, in 2006, the unit was picked up by its owner, the LSRHS, and it was trucked to North East, PA.
where it resides today.

Scot

scottychaos wrote:The story of WAG 1700:

http://www.personal.psu.edu/tss109/WAG/ ... rcab1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That page was last updated in 1999, the story since then:

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.ph ... view=print" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Summary:
Built by GE in 1940, for Ford, with some unique Ford-inspired styling.
There were originally 8 of them, 1700 is the only survivor.
Used by Ford 1940 to 1958.

Purchased by the WAG in 1958.
used by them 1958 to the early 70's.

Purchased by the NYLE in 1976, (or perhaps the NYLE *intended* to purchase it)
but it never operated with them, and didnt make it to NYLE rails at that time.
Conrail initially refused to move it.

Returned to the WAG, and purchased by the Lake Shore Railway Historical Society (LSRHS) of North East, Pa, in 1979.
Parked in Ansonia 1980 - 1984.
Towed to Gowanda for some repairs..which never happened.
The unit sat unused in Gowanda 1984 - 2006.

Finally, in 2006, the unit was picked up by its owner, the LSRHS, and it was trucked to North East, PA.
where it resides today.

Scot

Hi, Scot.

Thanks for posting my 1999 WAG centercab article.

The last sentence really wasn't true. The Lake Shore had not forgotten about the engine. As stated above, #1700 was moved to Northeast, PA, 7 years later. It has been restored to WAG colors:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3122405" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was also sent to North East on a flat car. It travelled by rail, not by truck.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6TH

TRAIN RIDES: New York & Lake Erie Railroad $6 Adults and $3 Children 3-11 yrs old.
Train Rides 11am--3pm, leave at the top of every hour, Special Guest Appearance by SANTA and Friends. This run will be approx. 30 minutes in length.

Tickets will be made available online at jessestoybox.com (search tickets) and at Jesse's Toy Box call 716-532-3196

From where? Gowanda ? I wonder what the route is going to be.

My guess is short runs around the Gowanda Yard....probably out over the Cattaraugus Creek Bridge and up to the first crossing Hill Street and back. If they put an FA on each end, they may go up the hill a little farther. Given the price and short time frame, I'd bet on the short run.