Thanks to you - our donors - the two locomotives are safe at their new home in Danbury… BUT we still need your help to restore them!
*We are proud to announce that the NRHS has issued us a $5,000 Heritage Grant toward the restoration of these two historic locomotives, read about it here.*
In June of 2013, our museum took ownership of two early American electric locomotives landlocked on Beacon Island in upstate New York. At the time they had been landlocked for 20 years. Over the next ten years, volunteers would work to move these locomotives off the property, to safe haven in Danbury Railyard. In November of 2023 they were moved off the property, and in January of 2024, delivered back to live rails in Danbury.
The two locomotives are as follows:
New York Central S-1 No. 6000/100, built by ALCo/GE in 1904
New York Central T-3a No. 1178/278, built by ALCo/GE in 1926 (John Bollentin photo)
Why these Locomotives were commissioned:
The story starts with the worst train accident in New York City History. On January 8th, 1902 at 8:20 am in the smoke filled Park Avenue Tunnels, a southbound train from White Plains collided with a standing train that had originated from Danbury, oddly enough.
The engineer of the train responsible for the crash (John Wischo) stated that while he was trying to make up for lost time, he was not able to see a signal in the smoke filled tunnel. The crash killed 15 people and injured 30 more when the locomotive pushed and telescoped the rear cars of the standing train into one another. The momentum had pushed the engine of the rear train so far into the last coach of the standing train that a space of only nine feet remained between its headlight and platform of the second car. The smoke, fire, and fumes added to the difficulty of rescuing those trapped inside.
The crash directly resulted in the planning and construction of Grand Central Terminal, complete with underground platforms, a feat only achievable with smoke-free locomotives. A week after the crash, New York Central Railroad President William H. Newman announced that all of the railroads suburban lines into Grand Central would be electrified. The New York state legislature subsequently passed a law to ban all steam trains in Manhattan effective July 1st, 1908. Early railroad electrification had been limited to streetcars, and subways. The B&O was the first railroad in the United States to electrify a section of mainline, just four miles in 1895. The New York Central electrified 33 miles of mainline track from Grand Central Terminal to Croton (now Croton-Harmon) trains were also expected to run at mainline speeds, unlike the modest speeds observed on the B&O’s electrified territory.
The Development of the New York Central Electrics:
With the vow to electrify, and a deadline set, New York Central tasked ALCo and GE to design the next generation electric locomotive. ALCo built the frame and car body, and GE supplied the electrical components. Our No. 6000 was genesis for this new series of engine. The Tesla of its day, it was smaller and lighter than a steam engine but had more power, handled starts on incline better than steam, was capable of rapid acceleration and deceleration, and didn’t require a turn table and could be reversed for service in the opposite direction in seconds. Between October 1904 and July 1906 No. 6000 clocked over 50,000 miles of testing in Schenectady, New York on a track by the ALCo and GE plants. It served in mainline service for some time before being replaced by more modern units, and would go on to serve as a shop switcher. In total there were 47 S series locomotives built. This is the only S-1 ever built, and only one of three surviving S series electric locomotives.
Following the success of the S series locomotives, New York Central turned to ALCo and GE once again to design and build the successor, the T Motors. Our No. 278 is the sole survivor of the 36 built between 1913 and 1926. Compared to the S Motors, the T Motors had more power, and with no unpowered wheels, all of the locomotive’s weight could be transferred into tractive effort. They were faster, and hauled everything from commuter trains to the flagship 20th Century Limited. Both locomotives were restored in the 1980s and returned to Grand Central together for a brief cameo in the 1988 film, “The House on Carroll Street” starring Kelly McGillis and Jeff Daniels. After the shoot they were moved upstate.
Where they were landlocked:
For 35 years, the locomotives had been situated on an 80-acre plot of land called Beacon Island, While no longer a real island, it's situated just South of Albany, in Glenmont, right along the Hudson River. It’s home to a PSEG Natural Gas Power Plant, and neighbors The Port Of Albany, the port is just on the other side of Normans Kill. The property was purchased by the Port of Albany in the early 2020's.
The locomotives were owned by the Mohawk & Hudson Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and stored within the gates of the power plant. The plant was sold to PSEG and when renovations began, the power company pushed the equipment out of their gates and onto the old spur that led north to The Port. The equipment would change hands and in 2003 when the plant built a state Department of Environmental Conservation-mandated wetlands remediation pond, the dirt from this project was dumped on the tracks leading back to the plant property. In the mid-2010s, the bridge over Normans Kill collapsed, making it so they could not leave their present location on rail.
Over the years, nature had reclaimed the land and the location had become a popular spot for vandals, copper thieves, and opportunistic collectors alike. The locomotives had been heavily vandalized and stripped of parts, but not too far gone especially considering their value in interpreting America’s railroad history.
How we were finally able to move them:
The Port of Albany purchased the land with plans to develop it and build a $350 million facility, comprising four buildings to manufacture towers for offshore wind farms off the coast of Long Island and New York City. Access to the site was limited and heavy machinery was very difficult to move onto or off of the property when development began. Given the scale of the development, and the time frame the state had announced they wanted to have a functioning facility built, new ways to better access the property were researched and constructed. Also, given the anticipated project timeline, we were working in conjunction with The Port to make this move off the island happen in a timely manner.
Over the first two years of ownership, automobile access to the site had drastically improved with The Port’s development and survey of the property. Volunteers have conducted work days on-site re-securing the locomotives and bringing back potentially steal-able parts. In December of 2022 the locomotives needed to be moved 200 yards South-East out of the way of the new access road from RT-144 This new access road would also be how the locomotives would be moved off the property. Given the limitations of the working space and proximity to high-tension power lines we were limited to how we could move the locomotives. In the end Hulcher Services was contracted to come in and move the electrics with four side-boom cranes. Given the age of the locomotives and lack of pick-points some damage was encumbered, mainly to the steel pilot castings and coupler of the S-1. No major damage was inflicted on the units, and they were out of harm's way again.
Over the course of 2023,Volunteers would routinely make trips to Beacon Island to prep the two engines for disassembly and bring back loose parts. In November of 2023 The locomotives were ready to be rescued from the island! On November 2nd, 2023, Flach Crane & Rigging of Selkirk, New York and Dagen Trucking of Castleton-on-Hudson, New York successfully disassembled and loaded the locomotives onto 5 tractor trailers, and removed them from where they had been abandoned for 35 years. Each locomotive car body on its own trailer, the 87-ton "super load" S-1 chassis on its own and the T3-a wheel chassis separated on two additional trailers.
On January 2nd, 2024 Flach and Dagen made the delivery in Danbury. This process took over two days. A tight turn into the railyard access road makes it so tractor trailers can't directly access the museum facility. Because of this, all 5 components had to be transloaded from road trailers to a Self-Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT) With each wheel able to steer on the SPMT, the tight turn could be negotiated. Tractor trailers would back up under a 200-ton portable gantry crane, the load would be raised off the truck, and the truck pulled out. The SPMT would move in, and the load lowered and secured to the articulated crawler. The SMPT would bring the locomotive components into the railyard to an awaiting 210-ton crane, picked again, and set down on museum rails.
How You Can Help:
The move from Beacon Island to Danbury cost around $300,000 The move alone depleted Now Safe at home, it's time to get to work on restoring these icons of Industrial America. Right now, restoration costs are estimated to be around $40,000. As of May 2024, we have been awarded one $5,000 Heritage Grant from the National Railway Historical Society.
The technology pioneered by these locomotives is reminiscent of what’s happening in our country now. We ask for your donation to help preserve America's industrial heritage, help us understand the past better so that we may look forward, and help close the circle of life of the train that left Danbury and was rear ended 120 years ago in New York City.
Or, mail a check to us at
Danbury Railway Museum, 120 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810