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New Haven Railroad Steam Locomotives

The classifications given by railroads to their steam locomotive fleets were as varied as the machines themselves with several different designations within a particular class! The New Haven steam locomotives were likewise characterized by a wide range of classes. In any event, the information here is most certainly not a complete, all-time listing of NYNH&H's steam fleet and also is merely meant to list the general types of steam locomotives operated by the railroad. The New Haven Railroad, its complete name the New York New Haven and Hartford, was a mid-sized Northeastern carrier that is best remembered for moving more people than freight (interestingly it derived a good portion of its revenues from commuter services).

At its peak the New Haven Railroad stretched across most of New England (even owning the Maine Central and Boston & Maine) and served its largest cities from Boston and Providence to New York City. In the end, however, poor management would cost the railroad by the mid-20th century and forced it into bankruptcy by the 1960s. In an interesting twist as a condition of the merger the NH was forced into the ill-fated Penn Central Corporation and disappeared into Conrail in 1976 after PC and the entire Northeastern rail market collapsed.

While the New Haven was largely an electrified operation it still had a sizable fleet of steam locomotives prior to dieselization. While the railroad did own some large steamers today, sadly, no New Haven steam locomotives (large or small) are known to exist in any form of preservation.

Class I

The NYNH&H's Class I designated its fleet of 2-6-4 Pacifics ranging from Class I-1 to I-4.

Class I-5

The NYNH&H's Class I-5 designated its fleet of ten 4-6-4 Hudsons.

Class J

The NYNH&H's Class J designated its fleet of 2-8-2 Mikados.

Class R

The NYNH&H's Class R designated its fleet of 4-8-2 Mountains.

For much more information about New Haven Railroad steam locomotives please click here.

For more reading on the New Haven Railroad consider New Haven Railroad from Peter Lynch. The book gives you a great overview and history of the New Haven (and it is filled with many, excellent, historical and colorful photographs). If you have an interest in the New Haven or Northeastern railroading in general, I'm sure you will enjoy the book.

Also consider Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the name implies the book details the earliest history of steam engine technology, even before it was used in railroad applications. His book later explores the development of steam locomotive technology in the United States from the 19th through the 20th centuries, covering not only the most popular steam locomotive designs but also the most successful manufactures to build them. The book has received excellent reviews and is a great resource on steam locomotives and a fine reference tool; you should find it very useful. 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.

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