Skip to main content

I stopped by the Oregon Rail Heritage center on Friday. I was hoping to get one last look Doyle's Nickel Plate RR PA before it went to its new owners. I was too late, it left Wednesday morning.  They thought it was in Pasco, WA on Friday.  So anyone along the BNSF (I assume) in the north, keep an eye out for it.

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

@cbojanower posted:

I stopped by the Oregon Rail Heritage center on Friday. I was hoping to get one last look Doyle's Nickel Plate RR PA before it went to its new owners. I was too late, it left Wednesday morning.  They thought it was in Pasco, WA on Friday.  So anyone along the BNSF (I assume) in the north, keep an eye out for it.

She is still in the BNSF freight yard in Vancouver Wash., and might depart tomorrow, the 23, for Pasco, Wash.

The Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad's motive power roster is almost entirely Alco. They have the know-how and expertise to get it running and keep it running. That will be a good home for it.

Since it's painted in NKP livery, it would have been nice if it went to the Fort Wayne RR Historical Society, owners of Nickel Plate Road steamer 765, but it didn't happen that way. 

@SantaFeJim posted:

If I am not mistaken one is being worked on at the RR Museum in Frisco Tx.  This will be Santa Fe scheme.

Jim;

Apparently, this PA will be worked on by Genesee Valley Transportation in Scranton. I found the article below online. Should be an interesting project. While I’d love to see it in D&H (a personal favorite), I could see the original Santa Fe, and could understand leaving the current NKP livery - from a photo in the article, it looks like Mr. McCormack did a beautiful cosmetic restoration of the shell. Hopefully the local media covers when the engine arrives in Scranton.

https://dieselera.com/genesee-...es-historic-alco-pa/

@Apples55 posted:

Wow!!! As a resident of NE Pennsylvania, I look forward to seeing the restored engine on a run in the neighborhood. Would it be heresy to hope it’s redone to it’s D&H paint scheme???

Yes.

Doyle McCormick (who was formerly a Nickel Plate Engineer and comes from a Nickel Plate family) put his money and his sweat into restoring the PA and he decided to paint it to memorialize that fine railroad of years past.  We are thankful to him, because, due to his knowledge and hard work, there is an Alco PA unit that will run on a main line railroad again before long.

I'm in my 77th year, and the last time I saw an active PA was in 1968.  I was 22 then, and I never thought I would see another one run during my lifetime.  Nickel Plate will be just fine.

Last edited by Number 90

Anybody remember this D&H PA operation... And the D&H PA's also ran on the EL in commuter service to Hoboken, NJ in early 1970's...and I actually saw this 1 passenger train at West End tower, Jersey City, NJ as I passed it while riding an ex-DL&W MU train west!

From Railfan & Railroad magazine... The Albany–Montreal route was not included in the initial Amtrak system, and so the Laurentian and Montreal Limited made their last runs in April 1971, and the PAs were stored. By this time, D&H and Erie Lackawanna were under common ownership of Dereco, a Norfolk & Western holding company. A set of PAs was sent to EL in Hoboken to test out in commuter service, but the set made only one trip before being returned to Colonie.

Walter

I was in Scranton to visit Steamtown 4 years ago and the Delaware Lackawanna had a lot more than one engine in the area.    The  yard was packed with Alcos in that paint scheme in the morning and they all left on trains shortly after we went into the museum.    There must have been 4-5 sets of at least 2 units each.   

One of the prototype magazines has been reporting that D-L is building or has built a new engine house in the Scranton area.

@breezinup posted:

Maybe this was already posted and I didn't see it, but this tells the full story. From the Genesse Valley Transportation site:

https://www.gvtrail.com/alco-pa-locomotive/

And if you’re on Facebook, there is a link toward the bottom of the article to GVT’s Facebook page where you can find some great pics of the engines cross country move.

Norton.  Pete GVT corp offices are in Batavia , mechanical base is in Scranton . scranton is the DL (Delaware Lackawanna )    Batavia and Depew are the DLW ( Depew Lancaster and Western.     Lockport is the FRR ( falls Road Railroad).  Utica and Carthage  Is the MAN ( Mohawk Adirondack and northern and at one time they also had the Loweville and beaver River. the PA is going to a good home and as I understand is mostly Functional. it will look great in Scranton on the company OCS.

I caught the 190 crossing over Scranton Rd in Cleveland.  I had been trying to wait for it at various spots on the west side of Cleveland inbetween the day's obligations.  I was trying to wait for it on the better illuminated side of the bridge over Scranton Rd, but felt unsafe at one point. The area is on the fringe of redeveloping Tremont and the blight of Train Ave to the west.  Had the NS310 carrying NKP 190 ran through 10 minutes sooner my pics and video would have been much better, closer and in setting sunlight.   I am glad to have seen it!  I used to dream of seeing it on the NKP rails.  Although I imagined under power with an excursion. This less wonderful scene nonetheless still made my day!  Poor quality pic I know.

Screenshot_20230515_203658_Photos

Attachments

Images (1)
  • Screenshot_20230515_203658_Photos
Last edited by Rich Melvin

Just saw a Facebook post which says “Genesee Valley Transportation President Michael D. Thomas says Steamtown offers a ‘safe, secure, and accessible location’ for the public to view the historic diesel”. Looking forward to seeing it at Steamtown!!!

Update: Here’s a link to the article on Trains.com:

https://www.trains.com/trn/new...jfhI_vf_n10_7YG5tc34

Last edited by Apples55
@Apples55 posted:

Just saw a Facebook post which says “Genesee Valley Transportation President Michael D. Thomas says Steamtown offers a ‘safe, secure, and accessible location’ for the public to view the historic diesel”. Looking forward to seeing it at Steamtown!!!

Wonder when, and for how long, the #190 would be "on display" at Steamtown?

Update: Here’s a link to the article on Trains.com:

https://www.trains.com/trn/new...jfhI_vf_n10_7YG5tc34

@Hot Water posted:
Wonder when, and for how long, the #190 would be "on display" at Steamtown?

While the article doesn’t address the specifics, if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that it will possibly be there (in the center of the roundhouse if not on the turntable) for the “high” season at Steamtown - Memorial Day to Labor Day. It would probably pull in additional visitors.

This is overall GREAT news and we all look forward to the eventual outcome. Not meaning to offend anyone (least of all Mr McCormick) as I understand his reasoning, but as a former art/designer I was sorely disappointed when first seeing his restored PA online. I've never cared for the NKP scheme Doyle chose for his beautiful locomotive solely for aesthetic reasons.  It is arguably the least attractive scheme of any PA ever produced. The design itself is awkward and the lettering on the sides is very poor from a readability standpoint - it just doesn't work!

Seeing her again in the Warbonnet colors or the beautiful D&H scheme as favored by many of you will be a welcome sight!  Hats off to everyone involved.

Last edited by c.sam
@c.sam posted:

This is overall GREAT news and we all look forward to the eventual outcome. Not meaning to offend anyone (least of all Mr McCormick)

His name is spelled McCormack, i.e. the Irish spelling and NOT the Scottish spelling.

as I understand his reasoning, but as a former art/designer I was sorely disappointed when first seeing his restored PA online. I've never cared for the NKP scheme Doyle chose for his beautiful locomotive solely for aesthetic reasons.

No, he did NOT! Doyle was born and raised in an NKP family. His father was a Dispatcher on the NKP, both Doyle and his older brother worked for the NKP, and then the N&W after the NKP/N&W merger.

  It is arguably the least attractive scheme of any PA ever produced. The design itself is awkward and the lettering on the sides is very poor from a readability standpoint - it just doesn't work!

All if this is just your opinion!

Seeing her again in the Warbonnet colors or the beautiful D&H scheme as favored by many of you will be a welcome sight!

Not going to happen, for many, MANY reasons. Besides, the "other" PA that Doyle helped repatriate back the the U.S. from Mexico, is in Texas, and THAT unit will be cosmeticallly restored to the original Santa Fe livery.

Hats off to everyone involved.

Add Reply

Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×