Like nearby competitor Lehigh and Hudson River the little Lehigh and New England Railroad as an all-Alco buyer of diesel locomotives. Since the L&NE only lasted a short time into the diesel era, and was not very big, it's fleet was likewise quite small. For a complete/all-time Lehigh and New England diesel roster please click here. This list of surviving L&NE diesel locomotives will be categorized by original numbers the railroad assigned its units and where they are today, whether in operation, cosmetically restored, or in some state of preservation at railroad museums and tourist railroads. Also, just as something to keep in mind if you are not aware, while some locomotives may be painted/preserved in L&NE colors this does not necessarily mean that they are of L&NE heritage (and likewise, some locomotives may be of L&NE heritage that are not in L&NE colors).
The Lehigh and New England Railroad was likely the least known of the great anthracite coal lines of the Northeast like the Reading Railroad, Lehigh Valley, Erie, Jersey Central, Lehigh & Hudson River and others. The railroad had a very tumultuous history prior to its final organization in 1895 and due to its small size, few markets served, and circuitous main line (which was even slower than the nearby Lehigh & Hudson River Railway); it had a very hard time for much of its life earning healthy profits.
By the late 1950s with anthracite demand quickly drying up and no other significant means of traffic to replace the losses, the L&NE called it quits in 1961 with the Central Railroad of New Jersey picking up most of the remaining pieces of the railroad.
American Locomotive Company (Alco)
· Alco S-2 #611: The only known such unit still in existence it is owned by the Emporia Grain Elevator in Emporia, Indiana but currently is listed as for sale with a weak generator.
· Alco RS2 #653: Last known deposition was ownership to Mexican firm Altos Hornos de Mexico as #128.
· Alco RS2 #660: Last known to be owned by Precision National Corporation.
· Alco RS2 #663: Last known deposition was ownership to Mexican firm Altos Hornos de Mexico as #129.
Thanks to Alex Haines and Roger Hensley for help with the information on this page.
As you can tell, little is currently known about the dispositions of those L&NE locomotives which do remain. If you have any information about whereabouts of the railroad's remaining diesels, if any do indeed exist, please feel free let me know (I would sure appreciate it!).
For more information on the all types of classic diesel locomotives consider Mike Schafer’s Vintage Diesel Locomotives which looks at virtually all of the classic builders and models from Alco PAs to early EMD Geeps. If you’re interested in classic FMs, or diesels in general, this book gives an excellent general history of both.
You may also want to consider the book Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the title implies the book looks at the history and development of the diesel locomotives, covering 200 pages, from its earliest beginnings to the newest designs and models operated today. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.
