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New York Central Railroad, "The Water Level Route"

Last revised: October 16, 2024

By: Adam Burns

The storied history of the New York Central Railroad can trace its heritage back to one of our country's earliest railroads while its rise into one of the nation's largest lines is credited to a legendary tycoon and industrialist.  

The NYC always remembered its roots and named a prominent passenger train after the "Commodore" while its flagship 20th Century Limited is still regarded as arguably the finest passenger train ever operated.  

For history’s sake you cannot really speak of the NYC without also mentioning rival Pennsylvania Railroad (and vice versa).  

Both lines competed in many of the same markets stretching from New York City, across Ohio, through Indiana, and terminating at the Midwestern gateways of St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Cincinnati.

The PRR and NYC were institutions of their industry and today, many of the Central's main lines remain in service under CSX Transportation.

288671220886923809007.jpgAn American Locomotive photo featuring freshly out-shopped New York Central PA-2 #4210, circa 1950. Warren Calloway collection.

History

The modern New York Central was a collection of predecessor properties which merged or were acquired over many years.  The earliest component was one of the industry's pioneers, the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad.  

The M&H was incorporated on April 17, 1826, although as early as December 28, 1825 the local public was given word it was soon to be built thanks to a newspaper article (the Schenectady Cabinet) by George Featherstonhaugh.  

The M&H holds historical significance as one of the earliest railroads ever chartered and built, opening 16 miles between Albany and Schenectady on August 9, 1831.  At first, it primarily handled only passenger traffic since New York had recently opened the Erie Canal. 

In an effort to pay for this public works project, the state restricted railroads from handling the more lucrative freight movements or do so by paying a toll.  The other early predecessors of the NYC dealt with similar issues, finding it difficult moving freight in the face of state opposition.

At A Glance

Headquarters
New York City (230 Park Avenue, 466 Lexington Avenue)
States Served
New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky (Louisville), Illinois, Missouri (St. Louis)
Canadian Provinces Served
Quebec (Montreal) and Ontario
Genesis
Mohawk & Hudson Railroad (April 17, 1826)
Dates Of Operation
August 9, 1831 - January 31, 1968
Track Gauge
4 Feet, 8 ½ Inches
Founder
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Formation Date (New York Central)
May 17, 1853
Route Miles
11,934.11 (1930)
Subsidiaries (1930)

West Shore Railroad

Boston & Albany

Toledo & Ohio Central Railway

Zanesville & Western Railway

Kanawha & Michigan Railway

Michigan Central Railroad

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway (Big Four Route)

Cincinnati Northern Railroad

Peoria & Eastern Railway

Evansville, Indianapolis & Terre Haute Railway

Pittsburgh & Lake Erie

Indiana Harbor Belt

Chicago River & Indiana Railroad

Chicago Junction Railway

Locomotives Owned (1963)

Diesels: 1,965

Electric: 65

Rolling Stock (1963)

Freight Cars: 94,115

Passenger Cars: 2,905

Most Notable President
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Slogan
The Water Level Route
Reporting Mark
NYC
Successor
Penn Central Transportation Company

Despite transporting predominantly only passengers early on the Mohawk & Hudson did relatively well and is even credited with operating the first covered freight car, the boxcar, in 1833 (essentially a covered gondola) while it also placed the first steam locomotive into service when the DeWitt Clinton, an American-built 0-4-0 model, entered service on the M&H's first day of operation.  

16301631885019384000494.jpgNew York Central F3A's #1630 and #1631 in a publicity photo for the "Pacemaker" high-speed freight service (also the name of a passenger consist serving the New York - Cleveland - Chicago market) taken at Indianapolis, Indiana in November of 1949.

Six other small roads comprised what later became the NYC's main line between Albany and Buffalo.  These systems included the Utica & Schenectady, Syracuse & Utica, Auburn & Syracuse, Auburn & Rochester, Tonawanda Railroad, and Attica & Buffalo.  

The U&S was chartered on April 29, 1833 and opened 78 miles between its namesake cities in 1836.  It proved how successful railroads could become, moving many passengers, despite the state regulations placed upon it.  

At Utica, the Syracuse & Utica was chartered on May 11, 1836 to extend rail service westward to Syracuse, opening a 53-mile route in August of 1839.

A New York Central T-motor (T-3a) handles a coach and two baggage cars at High Bridge, New York in the Bronx, circa 1952. Meyer Pearlman photo. American-Rails.com collection.

The next component was the Auburn & Syracuse, chartered on May 1, 1834 it opened between both cities in January of 1838.  The road was initially horse powered but introduced steam power a little more than a year later when the locomotive Syracuse entered service on June 14, 1839.  

The A&S merged with the Auburn & Rochester in August of 1850 to form the Rochester and Syracuse Railroad.  The A&R was chartered on May 13, 1836 and extended west as far as Rochester by late 1842.  

At the latter city the system connected with the Tonawanda Railroad, interestingly the earliest chartered system of the bunch except for the Mohawk & Hudson.  It had been formed on April 24, 1832, opening to Batavia in 1837.  The final push into Buffalo came by way of the Attica & Buffalo Railroad, chartered in 1836.  

Following a few years of construction it opened on November 24, 1842 between Buffalo and Attica, thus completing direct rail service from the state capital to Lake Erie.

The New York Central Railroad logo/herald. Author's work.

According to Mike Schafer and Brian Solomon's book, "New York Central Railroad," the state discontinued canal tolls on these railroads during December of 1851.  The results were nearly instantaneous as profits soared.  

A few years prior to this event, merger talks had already been launched between the group as they understood the benefits of a unified line offering through service.  

The consolidation was officially carried out on May 17, 1853 when they formally joined to form the original New York Central Railroad.  

The first NYC expanded slightly over the next decade but essentially remained the same system linking the aforementioned endpoints until after the Civil War when Cornelius Vanderbilt acquired control of the property.  

It was under the Commodore's guidance that the modern New York Central was born as he pieced together several large railroads into a network under common management stretching from New York to Chicago.

 "Commodore" Vanderbilt

Enter Cornelius Vanderbilt, whose name remains synonymous with the New York Central Railroad.  He was born in 1794 and at the age of 16 began his own ferry service between Staten Island and New York City.  

Business savvy, Vanderbilt established a successful steamship operation and earned the title of Commodore by operating the largest schooner on the Hudson River.  

He was worth a half-million dollars by 1834 and remained in the shipping industry for another three decades before realizing the future of transportation lay in the railroad.  

In 1863 he acquired control of the New York & Harlem and a year later owned controlling interest in the Hudson River Railroad.  These two roads provided the later NYC with a coveted entry into downtown Manhattan, an advantage the railroad maintained until the Pennsylvania Railroad opened Pennsylvania Station in 1910.   

89000234662672727y27889639878.jpgNew York Central's westbound "Knickerbocker," led by E8A #4087, backs into St. Louis Union Station on June 23, 1957. American-Rails.com collection.

Expansion

The NY&H, originally operated as a horse-drawn system, had been incorporated on April 25, 1831 to open service on the east side of New York's Manhattan Island from the downtown region to the uptown community of Harlem.  

It reached as far as Fordham, in the Bronx, in 1841 and then pushed far beyond the city over the next few years when it opened to Chatham, New York (129 miles away) during 1852 where a connection was established with the Western Railroad (later Boston & Albany).  

The nearby Hudson River Railroad (HRRR) was a future competitor to the NY&H.  It was chartered on May 12, 1846 to extend from Rensselaer, New York (a connection here was made with the Troy & Greenbush Railroad, later leased by the HRRR) down the eastern shore of the Hudson River until terminating along the western side of Manhattan, opening on October 3, 1851.  

This became part of the NYC's future "Water Level Route" high-speed main line. Through shrewd business practices the Commodore gained control of the original New York Central Railroad in 1867.  

He then formed a new company, the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad in 1869; the HRRR and NYC were merged into the new operation while the Harlem was leased.

The Commodore's acquisition could not have arrived at a better time as the New York region's population was exploding and the railroad now boasted a through route to Buffalo.  He expanded its presence across the city and then eyed a western extension.  

In another move that could be described as somewhat manipulative, Vanderbilt gained control of what would prove perhaps the Central's greatest addition, the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway.  This very large Midwestern line had a history tracing as far back as the 1830s and grew through a combination of takeovers and mergers.  

At its peak the LS&MS connected Buffalo with Chicago via Toledo, Cleveland, and Elkhart.  It also reached Detroit, southern parts of Michigan, and Oil City, Pennsylvania.  In 1877 Vanderbilt finally acquired stock control of the road and the company's name later disappeared when the modern NYC was created.

The next major addition was the Michigan Central Railroad.  This system began as the Detroit & St. Joseph of 1831 to connect its namesake cities.  As monetary troubles mounted it was renamed as the Michigan Central in 1846 and slowly expanded during the next several decades.  

By the late 19th century it connected Chicago, Detroit, Jackson, Mackinaw, and Toledo.  Perhaps its most important artery was the route through southern Ontario known as the Canadian Southern (CASO) which linked Detroit with Buffalo.  

At its peak the MC owned a system stretching over 1,800 miles.  The Commodore had difficulty securing ownership of the property and it was not within the NYC's grasp until 1878, a year after he passed away.  

The MC's addition offered the Central the best route from New England to the Midwest, cutting across the northern shore of Lake Erie, instead of going around it to the south.  The CASO proved a very important corridor and remained so throughout the NYC's years.

The last piece added to Vanderbilt's empire during his lifetime was the Boston & Albany Railroad.  Technically, this system was not actually under his control before he passed but the two had worked together for many years during his involvement.  

The B&A can trace its roots back to the Boston & Worcester chartered on June 23, 1831 to connect those two cities, opening on July 3, 1835.  The B&W was a quick success and had soon expanded further westward by incorporating the Western Railroad during March of 1833.  

This well-engineered route was the work of Major George Whistler who designed a low-grade line through the rugged central and western mountains of Massachusetts.  The WRR opened to Springfield in 1839 and was finished to the state line in 1841.  

On September 4, 1867 the WRR and B&W merged to form the Boston & Albany as a double-tracked route running across Massachusetts.  At its peak the B&A main line ran between its namesake cities while short branches reached such locations as Winchendon, North Adams, Webster, Milford, and Saxsonville.

After Vanderbilt

The Commodore's death did not slow the Central's expansion as it attempted to keep up with a system proving itself a noteworthy competitor, the Pennsylvania Railroad.  Its last great addition was the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway, better known as simply the "Big Four."  

The history of this system could fill a book by itself but in short it was created on June 30, 1889 when the NYC&HR merged three predecessors into one.  Interestingly, the Vanderbilt system did not actually lease the property, thereby acquiring direct control, until 1930.  

These smaller railroads included the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis (the "Bee Line"); Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago (the first given the nickname "Big Four"); and the Indianapolis & St. Louis.  

The heritage of the Big Four traces back to the 1830s while at its largest the system boasted an impressive network of nearly 2,400 route miles.

It constituted almost the entirety of the Central's network across Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois reaching such cities as Indianapolis, St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, and another link to Chicago.  

There were several other takeovers and acquisitions throughout the years but the above-mentioned properties formed the bulk of the modern-day New York Central Railroad.  One of the most important smaller systems was the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, which provided the Central access to the Steel City.  

While it never served Pittsburgh via a through route, like the Pennsy, the P&LE nevertheless proved itself a money-maker and coveted subsidiary.  It was formed on May 11, 1875 and largely funded by steel tycoon, Andrew Carnegie.  In addition, it later saw extensions to Brownsville and Connellsville, Pennsylvania.  

Downtown Manhattan Map (1848)

The P&LE opened for service in 1879 to Youngstown, Ohio and was quickly eyed by the LS&MS.  At around the same time the NYC&HR pushed into the coalfields of central Pennsylvania via the Beech Creek Railroad and ownership of the the Fall Brook Coal Company.  

The Central would eventually operate an "inside gateway" through this region; branching from Lyons, New York these lines passed southward through Geneva and extended to Williamsport, Pennsylvania before turning westward to Curwensville and finally terminating back at Ashtabula, Ohio.

The Central controlled two other notable coal roads, one in Ohio and the other in Illinois.  According to Donald Mills, Jr.'s book, "The Kanawha & Michigan Railroad: Bridge Line To The Lakes," the Toledo & Ohio Central began as the Atlantic & Lake Erie incorporated on June 12, 1869 to tap the coal fields of southern Ohio running from Pomeroy along the Ohio River to Toledo.  

Like most such projects it struggled financially and went through several name changes but by the early 1890s had largely been completed as intended.  The T&OC even reached into the heart of West Virginia by acquiring the Kanawha & Michigan which extended from Point Pleasant to Dickinson (southeast of Charleston).  

These lines, collectively, moved a great deal of coal under Central's ownership but also blossomed into a hearty petrochemical business as numerous plants sprang up within the Mountain State's Kanawha Valley (this business remains here even today).

An illustration from a 1953 travel guide released by the railroad.

The Cairo & Vincennes Railroad (C&V) was an Illinois system organized on March 6, 1867.  It was completed between its namesake cities, 157 miles, on December 26, 1872 and contained one tunnel of about 800 feet located at the small community of Tunnel Hill.  

The C&V would come under the control of the newly created Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St Louis in 1890. Soon after it opened the C&V route offered lucrative volumes of black diamonds as rich veins of high-sulfur, bituminous coal were located in the southern region of Illinois.  

According to Joseph Schwieterman’s, "When The Railroad Leaves Town:  Eastern United States," short branches were also constructed from the main line to serve numerous mines owned by Big Creek Coal, Harrisburg Coal, O’Gara Coal and other companies.  

Coal remained the dominant source of freight throughout the years and the route grew in importance when the CCC&StL pushed its tracks north of Danville, Illinois to East Chicago through subsidiary Chicago, Indiana & Southern.  

The new line opened on January 21, 1906 and provided direct service between Chicago and Cairo earning it the nickname, the "Egyptian Line," since its southern terminus was spelled like the ancient capital of Egypt.


Electrified Lines

While NYC's electrification projects were not nearly as prolific as rival Pennsylvania’s, the railroad did have expansive operations in and around the New York City region as well as short segments in Cleveland and Detroit.

Also, all of the Central’s electrified lines were built to satisfy particular city ordinances, most notably in New York, and the railroad did not bother electrifying large portions of its main lines like the Pennsy.

However, despite this, the Central used its electrified operations very effectively and efficiently, particularly through the use of under-running third-rail, an application that uses an additional (and slightly elevated) rail where “shoes” on locomotives pick up electricity. Third-rail also allows for a “cleaner” right-of-way and less maintenance than traditional overhead catenary.

It's the early Penn Central/Amtrak era as a New York Central "P Motor" hustles northbound at Hastings-on-Hudson, New York with Amtrak's train #75 in May, 1971. Henry Butz photo.

The railroad's inner-city electrified lines initially began as an idea in the late 19th century to solve the ever-growing congestion issue of passenger traffic using its main line into downtown Manhattan to reach the railroad’s Grand Central Depot.

To solve this increasing problem the NYC decided to construct a series of underground and reach Manhattan via a much larger, and brand new terminal. Due to the length of the tunnels the NYC realized that the only practical type of motive power to use was electrics. 

However, the development of this project was swiftly expedited after a New York Central passenger train collided with a New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad suburban train in January of 1902 in New York City (because of a smoke-obscured signal), many cities began passing ordinances banning steam from their city limits due to their inherent health and safety risks.

Soon after this tragedy the Central began electrifying its lines in and around New York, which first began operations on September 20, 1906 (the railroad was required by the new city ordinance to discontinue use of steam locomotives by July 1, 1908).

In total, the New York Central Railroad would go on to electrify its Hudson Division between the later built Grand Central Terminal and Harmon (now Croton-Harmon) as well as its Harlem Division. 

When the New York Central electrification project began the railroad decided on a 660-volt, direct current (DC) system employing third-rail, similar in nature to what the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad had used for its Baltimore Belt Railroad project a decade earlier (the NYC looked to the B&O’s project for guidance when constructing its own electrified lines).

For power the Central began with a 1-D-1 electric locomotive design built by General Electric; originally classified as Class L it was eventually changed to an S-1  class and the only one ever rostered by the railroad.

A rather short and stubby locomotive what it lacked in length it more than made up for in power featuring a constant rating of 2,200 hp with short bursts for acceleration as high as 3,000 hp.

Numbered 6000 the locomotive was later renumbered to 100 and was still used in daily operation through the 1960s, mostly for yard work (the locomotive has also been preserved but is not on public display).

A view of New York Central's electric maintenance facility at Harmon, New York as seen in December, 1949. In the foreground is S Motors #131 and #120; next is T Motor #259 followed by tri-power unit #539. Tucked away behind the S Motors is likely another tri-power unit. William Rinn photo.

In all the NYC would own three classes of S electrics, the aforementioned S-1 and later models, S-2 and S-3. The railroad would roster a total of 34 S-2s, and 12 S-3s, all purchased during the first decade of the 20th century.

Of note, these locomotives gained their designation as S-motors when they were rebuilt with a 2-D-2 wheel arrangement after another serious accident killed 23 people involving S-2s with a 1-D-1 arrangement (the added axle to the front and rear helped the locomotives steer better into curves, which was the cause of the second deadly accident, a locomotive jumping the track).

Rather simple designs, NYC’s S locomotives featured gearless traction motors and were eventually all relegated to yard work since their small number of axles put more weight on the rails, thus causing increased wear.

The Central’s first purchase of upgraded motors occurred in 1913 when it began taking delivery of an end-cab design with a B-B+B-B wheel arrangement. Designated as T-motors, their all-powered axles allowed for increased horsepower yet with more axles on the rails, less wear on the infrastructure.

Because of this the Ts were often used in regular passenger train service and hauling the NYC’s premier named trains to and from Grand Central Terminal.

Thus, T-motors were probably the most often seen New York Central Railroad electrics by the public as they could typically be spotted out on the open main lines in and around New York City.

The T-motors remained in operation all of the way until the Penn Central merger when they were bumped from service first by the railroad's Class P electrics and later all of the the New York Central's motors were retired in favor of New Haven Railroad’s FL9s.

Other NYC electric locomotives included Class Qs, Class Rs and Class Ps (as mentioned above). The Qs and Rs were of GE’s steeple-cab design and featured a B-B wheel arrangement (similar in nature to those used by the B&O).

Purchased in the 1920s they were predominantly used on the electrified lines of the Detroit River Tunnel. The Class Ps were used around Cleveland Union Terminal and were originally designated as Class P-1a.

They featured a 2-C+C-2 wheel arrangement and after CUT electrified operations were discontinued in the 1950s were transferred to GCT, reequipped for third-rail operation and dubbed P-2a and P-2b.

One of the final electric locomotive types purchased by the New York Central was the R-2 class. They featured the now-common C-C wheel arrangement used and diesel locomotives, and nose-suspended traction motors, far more advanced than any other type of electric the railroad had previously purchased.

Interestingly, however, they lived out most of their lives on the NYC in secluded isolation, being used in freight service on the railroad’s West Side electrified lines.  Today, while several of the S class motors have been preserved none are on public display.

However, while this is the case, both Amtrak and Metro North continue to use many of the railroad’s electrified lines today for commuter and intercity services, including service to Grand Central Terminal (although the station itself only serves local commuters).

Thanks to Joe Klapkowski for help with this information.


During the last few decades of the 19th century the New York Central was expanding in virtually every direction; many projects, extensions, and maneuverings were happening all at the same time.  Such was the case with the road's reach into northern New York.  

Between these additions and its Boston & Albany subsidiary the Central was the only major trunk line to also serve the heart of New England.  

Through yet more business savvy tactics the railroad leased the much-sought Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg in 1891, a system that dated back to an 1861 merger between the Watertown & Rome and Potsdam & Watertown Railroads.  

The RW&O ran from Rome to Norwood via Watertown and later extended branches to Ogdensburg, along the St. Lawrence River, and Oswego situated on the shores of Lake Ontario.  

The RW&O had reached as far as Massena, via Norwood, before the NYC&HR gained controlled.  An extension to Montreal, Quebec came by way of another small road, the Mohawk & Malone, leased to the NYC in 1902 

No other railroad dominated the New York City region like the Central.  At the end of the 19th century it had further cemented its power here by acquiring two additional properties, the New York & Northern and the New York, Buffalo & West Shore.  

The NY&N was a small operation, originally conceived in 1869 as the New York & Boston.  It eventually opened 52 miles from 155th Street/Sedgwick Avenue in New York City to Brewster during the spring of 1881.  

The road was not particularly profitable and fell into receivership, acquired by J.P. Morgan and renamed as the New York & Putnam Railroad in 1894 upon which time it came under the Central's control.  

The NYC&HR's interest was largely to keep potential rivals at bay as the line wasn't even terribly successful under its oversight.  The Putnam Division (or "The Put"), as it was known, served largely as a commuter route and was slowly abandoned after the 1960s.

The NYB&WS, however, was a much more robust operation and for many years was not under the Central's control.  It proved a serious threat to the Vanderbilt-road, eventually opening a competitive route along the west shore of the Hudson River from Weehawken/Jersey City to Buffalo via Albany by 1884.  

The line had been heavily funded by Central's arch-rival, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and it appeared the NYC&HR would lose hold of its near-monopoly on New York City.  

In the cutthroat nature of railroading during this era the NYC&HR began building its famous South Pennsylvania Railroad to offer a better routing over the PRR's superb Philadelphia - Pittsburgh main line.  

With Morgan as an intermediary the two sides eventually settled the dispute with each acquiring the other's holdings in these systems.  

The Central took over the NYB&WS in 1885, renaming it as the West Shore Railroad.  Interestingly, the old South Pennsylvania was eventually sold to the state with sections becoming part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. 

20th Century Operations

By the turn of the 20th century the NYC&HR was largely in place.  To streamline the organization, all of the properties except for the Boston & Albany, Michigan Central, and Big Four were merged on December 22, 1914 into the second New York Central Railroad.  

Although not quite as large as rival Pennsylvania the NYC was a formidable competitor and recognized as one of the country's elite railroads.  It operated a network of more than 10,000 miles and served nine states as well as southern Ontario and Montreal, Quebec.  

It upgraded most of its lines around New York with third-rail, electrification for safer and more efficient operations (it also utilized electrification around Cleveland and Buffalo/Niagara Falls), expanded its "Water Level Route" to four tracks from New York to Buffalo, utilized double-tracking on most key routes, and maintained a robust passenger/commuter fleet.  

The NYC weathered the onslaught of traffic during World War I and the government's mismanagement under the United States Railway Association (USRA) at that time.  It also managed to escape the Great Depression without falling into bankruptcy although the system had fallen onto hard times.  

System Map (1940)

While the Central had a large and exquisite passenger fleet its flagship was without doubt the New York-Chicago 20th Century Limited. Arguably the most regal passenger train ever created the Limited was adorned in grays, silvers, and whites while ushering in the Art Deco era of interior design.  

It was streamlined in 1938 (and one could only hope to find a seat on the Limited, let alone afford a ticket!) and powered by handsome 4-6-4 (J-3a) Hudsons, stylized by Henry Dreyfuss.  

The New York Central System is remembered for many things but perhaps the railroad’s crowning achievement was its Grand Central Terminal located in downtown New York City.

Opened in 1913, three years after the Pennsy opened Penn Station, GCT replaced the earlier Grand Central Station.  The new terminal held an impressive 48-track yard below ground to accommodate both commuter and long-distance services.  It was beautifully adorned inside and out (as only the Vanderbilt family would allow), and served NYC trains until the end.

Today, it thankfully still stands and not only continues to haul commuters but is also a National Historic Landmark and one of New York’s popular tourist attractions.

The Central rebounded well during World War II and felt so good about its future prospects that it ordered 420 new lightweight, streamlined cars in 1945 to overhaul its passenger fleet.  This was in addition to 300 cars it had already ordered only a year earlier.  

Mr. Schafer and Mr. Solomon point out in their book that the combined purchase (720 cars) was the largest single order, ever, for any American railroad.  Alas, as the industry soon realized the wartime traffic boon was but a mirage.  By the early 1950s, as traffic sank the Central was nearly bankrupt and its rival was in far worse shape.  

In a poignant sign of the times, the PRR lost money for the first time ever in 1946 and continued to spiral through the following decade.  

The NYC's fortunes soon turned when Alfred Perlman was elected president. Under his guidance the railroad began an aggressive campaign to upgrade the property, modernize the network, and cut costs as effectively as possible. 

In doing so, he completely dieselized the locomotive fleet, built new classification yards, and introduced new innovative marketing schemes such as Flexi-Van service (the trains themselves were known as Super Vans), an idea far ahead of its time, which was the first successful application of Container-On-Flat-Car service (or COFC).  

Penn Central

According to Rush Loving, Jr.'s book, "The Men Who Loved Trains," Perlman and the railroad's culture was laid back where ideas and open discussion freely flowed to solve problems, which greatly aided in getting the company back onto its feet.  

Still, despite Perlman's efforts the NYC's future remained uncertain as an independent carrier.  The merger movement was stirring as systems attempted to cut costs and streamline operations in the face of declining traffic and strict government regulations.  

The Norfolk & Western had acquired rival Virginian in 1959, the Erie/Delaware, Lackawanna & Western merged in 1960 to form Erie Lackawanna, and Chesapeake & Ohio was eyeing the Baltimore & Ohio.

It was during this time that the longtime rivals began exploring the idea of merger, despite Perlman’s protests to find a more logical partner.

The NYC looked long and hard but could find no serious interests and it lost out on a bid for the B&O to the C&O in the early 1960s (perhaps the best fit for the NYC, this southern road would have provided new marketing opportunities).  

In the end and despite a long search it was eventually decided a merger with the PRR was the only option. Surprisingly the ICC approved the union that virtually gave the ill-fated Penn Central Transportation Company a monopoly in the Northeast.  

The new conglomerate was born on February 1, 1968.  On merger day chaos ensued and the new railroad literally fell apart right from the start.  To make matters worse the NYC and PRR could not have had more opposite corporate cultures.

The NYC and PRR folks did not care for one another, magnified by the latter's arrogance.  The Pennsy had always maintained a militaristic structure.  

Their corporate attitude was one of adherence and knowing one's place in the chain of command; it was extremely strict, new ideas were shunned, and orders came down from higher ups.

Mr. Loving points out in his book that no other railroad within the industry was disliked as much as the PRR.  Naturally, as these two teams failed to work together, pure hell and pandemonium resulted.

Passenger Trains

"20th Century Limited"

"Mercury"

"Lake Shore Limited"

"Empire State Express"

"New England States"

"Commodore Vanderbilt"

"James Whitcomb Riley"

"Cleveland Limited"

"Detroiter"

"Ohio State Limited"

"Southwestern Limited"

"Wolverine"

Chicagoan: (New York - Cleveland - Chicago)

Chicago Mercury: (Chicago - Detroit)

Cincinnati Mercury: (Cleveland - Cincinnati)

Cleveland Mercury: (Detroit - Cleveland)

Detroit Mercury: (Cleveland - Detroit)

Knickerbocker: (New York - St. Louis)

The Michigan: (Chicago - Detroit)

Motor City Special: (Chicago - Detroit)

Twilight Limited: (Chicago - Detroit)

The PC was losing over $1 million a day and trains were becoming lost throughout the system, as personnel were not properly trained on how to dispatch their trains.

In addition, because the merger had been so hastily planned there had never been a true system established to route and monitor movements.  

As the red ink became an unstoppable flash flood maintenance was deferred and derailments became the norm with large sections of main line reduced to 10 mph slow orders.  

After only two years of operations and financial assistance completely gone, the destitute Penn Central officially declared bankruptcy on June 21, 1970 shocking the financial world.  

When PC was formed the Pennsylvania had technically acquired the Central and despite its financial problems at the time the PRR maintained a stellar credit rating and view throughout Wall Street.  It was a gold-plated corporation with a long history of success.  Nobody, especially the PRR folks, believed it could fail.  

The result of the bankruptcy was also a ripple effect throughout the entire Northeast as other teetering railroads, which depended on the PC to interchange traffic, struggled to keep their freight moving.  It became so bad by the mid-1970s that the Penn Central was facing total shutdown if financial assistance, any means of help at all, did not arrive.

Diesel Roster

The New York Central operated an eclectic fleet of diesels from all of the major builders including American Locomotive, Baldwin, Electro-Motive, Fairbanks-Morse, General Electric, and even Lima-Hamilton.

One could see everything from PAs and RS3s to Sharknose variants from Baldwin and C-Liners of Fairbanks-Morse lineage.  In addition, the railroad maintained a large fleet of classic EMD power.

The impending Penn Central merger of February, 1968 resulted in NYC acquiring only a single type of second-generation power, EMD's model GP40.  The fleet totaled 105 units (#3000-3104).  The railroad also operated a sizeable fleet of four-axle U-boats including the U25B, U28B, and U30B.

10120938124712671h2u51991869817706.jpgNew York Central FA-1's and FB-1's are seen here in service at Harmon, New York in September, 1954. E.L. Conklin III photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Early Boxcabs

Builder Model Original Number(s) New York Central Class Completion Date Builder Number
Alco/GE/Ingersoll-Rand 129-Ton Switcher (300 HP) 1525 DES-2 2/4/1928 67101 (Alco), 10326 (GE)
Alco/GE/Ingersoll-Rand 151-Ton Road Freight (750 HP) 1550 DEF-Freight 6/12/1928 66704 (Alco), 10088 (GE)
Alco/GE 180-Ton Passenger (900 HP) 1500 DEP-Passenger 7/25/1928 66715 (Alco), 10083 (GE)
Alco/GE 129-Ton Switcher (300 HP) 1526-1560 DES-3 7/1930-12/1930 68359-68393 (Alco), 11111-11145 (GE)
Alco/GE 129-Ton Switcher (300 HP) 1561-1562 DES-3 6/1930 68397-68398 (Alco), 11230-11231 (GE)
Alco/GE 129-Ton Switcher (300 HP) 7530-7533 (Michigan Central) DES-3 5/1930-6/1930 68355-68358 (Alco), 11210-11213 (GE)

American Locomotive (Alco)

Builder Model Original Number(s) Second Renumber(s) Third Renumber(s) New York Central Class Completion Date Builder Number(s)
Alco S1 590 (ex-Alco demonstrator #590) 811 (renumbered 1950) - DES-8A 3/1941 69193
Alco HH600 614-618 800-804 (renumbered 1948) - DES-7 12/1938-3/1939 69127-69131
Alco HH600 679 805 (renumbered 1948) - DES-7A 3/1939 69132
Alco HH600 680-682 (Boston & Albany) 806-808 (renumbered 1948) - DES-7B 3/1939, 5/1939 69133-69135
Alco HH600 683-684 (Boston & Albany) 809-810 (renumbered 1948) - DES-7B 5/1939 69151, 69152
Alco S1 685 900 (renumbered 1948) 950 (renumbered 1950) DES-9A 8/1940 69200
Alco S1 686-690, 692 901-905, 907 (renumbered 1948) 951-955, 957 (renumbered 1950) DES-9B 4/1941-6/1941 69458-69459, 69462-69463, 69466, 69468
Alco S1 691 906 (renumbered 1948) 956 (renumbered 1950) DES-9B 4/1941-6/1941 69467
Alco S1 693-729 812-848 (renumbered 1950) - DES-8B 9/1942-8/1944 69825, 69826, 69830-69842, 71262-71263, 71266-71268, 72172-72173, 71270, 71990, 71993-71995, 70042-70046, 70052-70056
Alco S1 730-744 849-863 (renumbered 1950) - DES-8C 1/1945-5/1945 73082, 73087-73092, 73338-73342, 73348-73350
Alco S2 780-786, 788-789 8500-8506, 8508-8509 (renumbered 11/1944) - DES-11A 9/1943-2/1944 70946-70949, 71294-71296, 72011-72012
Alco S2 787 8507 (renumbered 11/1944) - DES-11A 2/1944 72010
Alco S1 864-873 - - DES-8D 3/1950 77791-77795, 77074-77078
Alco S3 874-903 - - DES-8E 6/1950-9/1950 78141-78158, 78221-78230, 78315, 78316
Alco S3 904-916 - - DES-8F 9/1951-12/1951 78787-78789, 78791-78795, 79351-79353, 79355, 79356
Alco FA-1 1000-1003 - - DFA-3A 2/1947 73675-73678
Alco FA-1 1004-1013 - - DFA-3B 2/1948-3/1948 75709-75718
Alco FA-1 1014-1032 1056 (ex-#1031, renumbered 1951) - DFA-3C 11/1948-12/1948 76275, 76276, 76520-76534, 76547, 76548
Alco FA-1 1033-1040 1110 (ex-#1033, renumbered 1955) - DFA-3D 5/1949 76844-76851
Alco FA-1 1041-1043 - - DFA-3E 8/1949-9/1949 77007-77009
Alco FA-2 1044-1045 - - DFA-7A 6/1951 78652-78653
Alco FA-2 1046-1087 1031 (ex-#1056, renumbered 1955) - DFA-7B 7/1951-9/1951 78654-78655, 78961-78983, 79001-79010, 79276-79282
Alco FA-2 1088-1107 - - DFA-7C 10/1951 79287-79306
Alco FA-2 1108-1123 - - DFA-7D 5/1952-9/1952 79960-79969, 79972-79977
Alco C430 2050-2059 - - AF-30 12/1967 3494-01 thru 3494-10
Alco FB-1 2300-2301 3300-3301 (1955) - DFB-3A 2/1947-3/1947 73685-73686
Alco FB-1 2302-2306 3302-3306 (1955) - DFB-3B 2/1948-3/1948 75757-75761
Alco FB-1 2307-2311 3307-3311 (1955) - DFB-3C 12/1948 76297-76301
Alco FB-1 2312-2315 3312-3315 (1955) - DFB-3D 5/1949 76874-76877
Alco FB-1 2316-2322 3316-3319, 3321-3322 (except #2320, renumbered #3369): 1955 - DFB-3E 8/1949-9/1949 76882-76888
Alco FB-2 3323-3332 - - DFB-7A 5/1951-6/1951 78670-78679
Alco FB-2 3333-3354 - - DFB-7B 6/1951-9/1951 78680, 79011-79022, 79318-79326
Alco FB-2 3355-3364 - - DFB-7C 10/1951 79472-79481
Alco FB-2 3365-3372 3320 (ex-#3369, renumbered 1955) - DFB-7D 5/1952-9/1952 80015-80022
Alco PA-1 4200-4201 - - DPA-2A 1/1947 75328-75329
Alco PA-1 4202-4203 - - DPA-2B 1/1948, 12/1948 76086, 76307
Alco PA-1 4204-4207 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DPA-2C 4/1949 76913-76916
Alco PA-2 4208-4211 - - DPA-4A 6/1950 78204-78207
Alco PA-2 4212 (former Alco demonstrator "More Power For America" #8375) - - DPA-4B 3/1950 75790
Alco PA-2 4213-4214 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DPA-4B 5/1952 79040-79041
Alco PB-1 4300-4301 - - DPB-2A 1/1948 75605-75606
Alco PB-1 4302-4303 - - DPB-2B 12/1948 75610-75611
Alco PA-2 4304 (former Alco demonstrator "More Power For America" #8375B) - - DPB-4A 3/1950 75789
Alco RS11 8000-8008 - - DRS-10A 6/1957-7/1957 82361-82369
Alco RS32 8020-8034 - - DRS-12A 6/1961 83981-83995
Alco RS32 8035-8044 - - DRS-12B 6/1962 84035-84039, 84183-84187
Alco RS1 8100 - - DRS-1A 2/1948 75825
Alco RS1 8101-8108 - - DRS-1B 1/1948-3/1948 75680-75684, 75826-75828
Alco RS1 8109-8111 - - DRS-1C 4/1950 77986-77988
Alco RS1 8112-8113 - - DRS-1D 5/1950 78090-78091
Alco RS2 8200-8201 - - DRS-2A 2/1948 75685-75686
Alco RS2 8202-8208 - - DRS-2B 1/1949 76241-76246, 76632
Alco RS2 8209-8222 - - DRSP-2C 2/1950 77900-77913
Alco RS3 8223-8230 - - DRSP-6A 8/1950 78080-78087
Alco RS3 8231-8243 - - DRSP-6B 5/1951 78595-78605, 78751, 78752
Alco RS3 8244-8280 - - DRSP-6C 5/1951-6/1951 78860-78879, 78900, 78901, 78903-78917
Alco RS3 8281-8284 - - DRSP-6D 10/1951 79240-79243
Alco RS3 8285-8307 - - DRSP-6E 10/1951 79097-79115, 79236-79239
Alco RS3 8308-8319 - - DRSP-6F 3/1952, 9/1952 79675-79679, 79852-79858
Alco RS3 8320-8342 - - DRSP-6G 5/1952 79879-79887, 79889, 79890, 79892-79894, 79896-79898, 79900-79902, 79904-79906
Alco RS3 8343-8352 - - DRSP-6H 7/1953-10/1953 80535-80544
Alco RS3 8353-8357 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DRSP-6J 10/1953 80545-80547, 80549, 80550
Alco S2 8510-8524 - - DES-11B 9/1944-12/1944 72831-72833, 72860-72867, 72875-72878
Alco S2 8535-8536 - - DES-11D 73903, 73918 12/1946, 1/1947
Alco S2 8537-8539 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DES-11E 75904-75906 6/1948
Alco S2 8540-8549 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DES-11F 76960-76969 8/1949
Alco S2 8550-8565 - - DES-11G 76942-76957 8/1949
Alco S2 8566-8570 - - DES-11H 77464-77468 4/1950
Alco S2 8571-8589 - - DES-11H 77522-77535, 78003-78007 5/1950-6/1950
Alco S4 8590-8632 - - DES-11K 79531, 79542-79558, 79561-79571, 79775-79785, 79788-79790 2/1952-5/1952
Alco S4 8639-8667 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DES-11L 80645-80649, 80930-80939, 80940-80953 9/1953-11/1953

Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton

Builder Model Original Number(s) Second Renumber(s) New York Central Class Completion Date Builder Number(s)
Baldwin RP-210-1 ("The Xplorer") 20 - - 3/1956 76108
Baldwin VO-660 501 750 (renumbered 1943) DES-10A 5/7/1941 62494
Baldwin VO-660 502 751 (renumbered 1943) DES-10B 1/16/1942 64234
Baldwin VO-660 752-754 - DES-10C 10/22/1942-11/2/1942 64396-64398
Baldwin VO-660 755-761 - DES-10D 1/2/1945-1/10/1945 70327-70333
Baldwin DR-6-4-1500A ("Baby Face" carbody) 3200-3202 3504 (ex-#3200, renumbered 1955); 3505-3506 (ex-#3201-3202, renumbered 1955) DCA-2A 11/22/1947-5/5/1948 73132-73134
Baldwin DR-6-4-1500B 3300-3301 3602 (ex-#3300, renumbered 1955); 3603 (ex-#3301, renumbered 1955) DCB-2A 11/22/1947, 5/5/1948 73136-73137
Baldwin DR-4-4-1500A ("Baby Face" carbody) 3400-3403 3800-3803 (1955) DFA-4A 10/26/1948-10/30/1948 73676-73679
Baldwin DR-4-4-1500B 3700-3701 - DFB-4A 10/26/1948-10/30/1948 73680-73681
Baldwin RF16B 3702-3709 - DFB-8A 12/7/1951-1/31/1952 75401-75408
Baldwin RF16A 3804-3821 - DFA-8A 12/7/1951-2/8/1952 75360-75377
Baldwin RS12 5820-5836 - DRS-8A 11/7/1951-12/31/1951 75256-75272
Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500 8300-8301 - DRSP-3A 7/5/1948 73479-73480
Baldwin VO-1000 8600-8604 9300-9304 (renumbered 1952) DES-12A 10/2/1944-11/3/1944 71958-71960, 70300-70301
Baldwin VO-1000 8605-8607 9305-9307 (renumbered 1952) DES-12B 2/23/1945-2/27/1945 71730-71732
Baldwin S12 9308-9310 - DES-20A 10/24/1951-10/25/1951 75275-75277
Baldwin S12 9311-9328 - DES-20B 6/23/1952-7/15/1952 75546-75563

Electro-Motive (EMD)

'
Builder Model Original Number(s) Second Renumber(s) Third Renumber(s) New York Central Class Completion Date Builder Number(s)
EMC SC 567-573 (Chicago River & Indiana) - - DES-4 7/1936 604-610
EMD SW1 574-579 - - DES-5A 1/1939 853-858
EMD SW1 580-584 - - DES-5B 12/1942-3/1943 1878-1882
EMD SW1 585-609 - - DES-5C 4/1949-6/1949 6391-6415
EMD SW1 600-603 - - DES-6A 2/1939 808-811
EMD SW1 604-613 - - DES-6B 3/1939-4/1939 812-821
EMD SW1 614-621 - - DES-6C 5/1939-1/1940 875-877, 1010-1014
EMD SW1 622-641 - - DES-6D 3/1941-9/1941 1254-1273
EMD SW1 642-644 - - DES-6E 4/1941 1274-1276
EMD SW1 645-647 - - DES-6F 7/1941 1277-1279
EMD SW1 648-654 - - DES-6G 12/1941-2/1942 1582-1584, 1589-1592
EMD SW1 610-614 - - DES-5D 10/1950 11767-11771
EMD SW1 615-621 (Chicago River & Indiana) - - DES-5E 6/1950-10/1950 11782-11788
EMD FTA 1600-1603 - - DFA-1A 6/1944 1888-1891
EMD F2A 1604-1605 - - DFA-1B 7/1946 3771-3772
EMD F3A 1606-1616 - - DFA-2A 6/1947-7/1947 4183-4193
EMD F3A 1617-1623 - - EF-15 6/1947-7/1947 4194-4200
EMD F3A 1624-1632 - - DFA-2B 4/1948 4859-4867
EMD F3A 1633-1635 - - EF15 4/1948 4868-4870
EMD F7A 1636-1646 - - DFA-2C 5/1949 6229-6239
EMD F7A 1647-1662 - - DFA-2D 7/1949 7153-7168
EMD F7A 1663-1676 - - DFA-2E 11/1949 8137-8150
EMD F7A 1677-1710 - - DFA-2F 4/1951-6/1951 9101-9120, 9995-10008
EMD F7A 1711-1841 - - DFA-2G 11/1951-6/1952 15322-15452
EMD F7A 1842-1873 - - DFA-2H 9/1952-10/1952 16220-16251
EMD FTA 2400-2403 - - DFB-1A 6/1944 2183-2186
EMD F3B 2404-2413 - - DFB-2A 6/1947-7/1947 4201-4210
EMD F3B 2414-2419 - - DFB-2B 4/1948 4871-4876
EMD F7B 2420-2421 - - DFB-2C 5/1949 6240, 6381
EMD F7B 2422-2429 - - DFB-2D 7/1949 7169-7176
EMD F7B 2430-2435 - - DFB-2E 11/1949 8151, 9664-9668
EMD F7B 2436-2442 - - DFB-2F 11/1951-12/1951 15453-15459
EMD GP40 3000-3104 - - DRS-16A 12/1965-11/1967 30937-30986, 33214-33243, 33491-33515
EMD F7B 2443-2474 - - DFB-2G 9/1952-10/1952 16252-16283
EMD F3A 3500-3503 (renumbered 1874-1877) - - DCA-1A (reclassed DFA-2J in 1959) 7/1947 4211-4214
EMD F3A 3600-3601 (renumbered 2475-2476) - - DCB-1A (reclassed DFB-2H in 1959) 7/1947 4215-4216
EMD E7A 4000-4007 - - DPA-1A 3/1945-10/1945 2865-2872
EMD E7A 4008-4023 - - DPA-1B 4/1947 4163-4178
EMD E7A 4024-4029 - - DPA-1C 2/1948 4847-4852
EMD E7A 4030-4035 - - DPA-1D 3/1949 6241-6246
EMD E8A 4036-4039 - - DPA-5A 6/1951 14425-14428
EMD E8A 4040-4053 - - DPA-5B 8/1951-3/1952 14583-14587, 15304-15312
EMD E8A 4054-4061 - - DPA-5C 3/1952-4/1952 15313-15320
EMD E8A 4062-4063 - - DPA-5D 5/1953 18345-18346
EMD E8A 4064-4095 - - DPA-5E 6/1953-9/1953 18522-18553
EMD E7B 4100-4103 - - DPB-1A 10/1945 2873-2874, 2913-2914
EMD E7B 4104-4107 - - DPB-1B 4/1947 4179-4182
EMD E7B 4108-4113 - - DPB-1C 2/1948 4853-4858
EMD GP7 5600-5607 - - DRS-4A 8/1950 9227-9234
EMD GP7 5608-5609 - - DRSP-4B 8/1950 9235-9236
EMD GP7 5610-5611 - - DRSP-4B 8/1950 11772-11773
EMD GP7 5612-5619 (Peoria & Eastern) - - DRS-4C 11/1950-12/1950 12998-13005
EMD GP7 5620-5623 (Peoria & Eastern) - - DRS-4C 11/1950-12/1950 13006-13009
EMD GP7 5624-5625 (Peoria & Eastern) - - DRS-4D 12/1950 13010-13011
EMD GP7 5626-5675 - - DRS-4E 7/1951-11/1951 14188-14237
EMD GP7 5676-5681 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DRS-4F 9/1951 14573-14578
EMD GP7 5682-5685 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DRSP-4G 9/1951 14579-14582
EMD GP7 5686-5708 - - DRS-4H 3/1952-4/1952 15460-15482
EMD GP7 5709-5712 - - DRS-4J 3/1952 15483-15486
EMD GP7 5713-5724 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DRS-4K 5/1952-6/1952 16340-16351
EMD GP7 5725-5734 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DRS-4L 4/1953 17971-17980
EMD GP7 5735-5737 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DRSP-4M 4/1953 17981-17983
EMD GP7 5738-5807 - - DRSP-4N 5/1953-6/1953 18442-18511
EMD GP7 5808-5817 - - DRSP-4P 5/1953-6/1953 18512-18521
EMD GP7 5818-5827 (ex-C&O #5720-5729) - - DRSP-4Q 3/1951-6/1951 A154-A163 (GMD)
EMD GP9 5900-5903 (Cleveland Union Terminal) - - DRSP-9A 4/1954 19521-19524
EMD GP9 5904-5927 - - DRS-9B 10/1955-11/1955 20893-20916
EMD GP9 5928-5948 - - DRSP-9C 12/1955 20917-20934, 20951-20953
EMD GP9 5949-5998 - - DRSP-9D 1/1956-3/1956 20962-21011
EMD GP9 5999-6028 - - DRSP-9E 10/1956-12/1956 22666-22695
EMD GP9 6029-6038 - - DRS-9F 4/1957 A1074-A1083 (GMD)
EMD GP9 6039-6040 - - DRSP-9G 4/1957 A1084-A1085 (GMD)
EMD GP9 6041-6075 - - DRS-9H 4/1957-9/1957 23644-23648, 23579-23608
EMD GP20 6100-6114 - - DRS-11A 7/1961-8/1961 26815-26829
EMD GP30 6115-6124 - - DRS-13A 8/1962 27979-27988
EMD GP35 6125-6127 - - DRS-14A 12/1963 29130-29132
EMD GP35 6128-6129 - - DRS-14B 12/1964 29668-29669
EMD GP35 6130-6149 - - DRS-14C 12/1964-1/1965 29670-29689
EMD GP35 6150-6154 - - DRS-14D 8/1965 30791-30795
EMD GP35 6155 (ex-demonstrator #5661) - - DRS-14E 2/1964 28906
EMD NW2 8700-8704 - - DES-13A 7/1946 3606-3610
EMD NW2 8705-8714 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DES-13B 12/1947 5249-5258
EMD NW2 8715-8718 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DES-13C 1/1948-2/1948 6422-6425
EMD NW2 8719-8739 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DES-13D 5/1948-10/1948 6219-6228, 6376-6380, 6416-6421
EMD NW2 8740-8749 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DES-13E 3/1949 7418-7427
EMD NW2 8750-8773 - - DES-13F 10/1948-1/1949 6195-6218
EMD NW2 8774-8789 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DES-13G 7/1949-9/1949 7185-7200
EMD NW2 8790-8802 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DES-13H 9/1949 7201-7213
EMD NW2 8803-8810 - - DES-13J 11/1949 7177-7184
EMD NW2 8815-8834 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DES-13K 12/1949 9461-9480
EMD SW7 8835 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DES-16A 10/1949 9460
EMD SW7 8836-8850 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DES-16B 1/1950-2/1950 8127-8136, 9446-9450
EMD SW7 8851-8855 - - DES-16C 2/1950 9451-9455
EMD SW7 8856-8879 - - DES-16D 2/1950-4/1950 9121-9141, 9215-9217
EMD SW7 8884-8897 - - DES-16E 5/1950-6/1950 9418-9431
EMD SW7 8898-8903 - - DES-16E 5/1950-6/1950 9418-9431
EMD SW7 8904-8910 (Peoria & Eastern) - - DES-16G 11/1950 13012-13018
EMD SW7 8911-8921 - - DES-16H 1/1951 9950-9960
EMD SW9 8922-8928 - - DES-16J 2/1951 9961-9967
EMD SW9 8929-8930 - - DES-16K 2/1951 9968-9969
EMD SW9 8931-8940 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DES-16L 3/1951 14099-14108
EMD SW9 8941-8951 - - DES-16M 2/1952 15487-15497
EMD SW9 8952-8961 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DES-16N 9/1952-12/1952 16330-16339
EMD SW9 8962-8989 - - DES-16P 1/1953 16284-16311
EMD SW9 8990-9001 - - DES-16Q 2/1953 16312-16323
EMD SW9 9002-9008 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DES-16R 9/1953-10/1953 18790-18796
EMD SW8 9600-9601 (Chicago River & Indiana) - - DES-18A 9/1950 11780-11781
EMD SW8 9602-9607 - - DES-18B 2/1952 15498-15503
EMD SW8 9608-9623 - - DES-18C 2/1953 16183-16196, 16324-16325
EMD SW8 9624-9627 - - DES-18D 2/1953 16326-16329
EMD SW900 9628-9630 (Cleveland Union Terminal) - - DES-21A 3/1954 19518-19520
EMD SW900 9631-9646 - - DES-21B 12/1955 20935-20950
02-3958123716716tg1fhg51809-6079.jpgRock Island 4-6-2 #829 departs Chicago's LaSalle Street Station working suburban service as New York Central E7's are on the next track over. No date provided. Ed Olsen photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Fairbanks-Morse (FM)

Builder Model Original Number(s) Second Renumber(s) Third Renumber(s) New York Central Class Completion Date Builder Number(s)
FM Erie-Built (A) 4400-4405 (Passenger) - - DPA-3A 3/1949-4/1949 L1177-L1182
FM CPA24-5 (C-Liner) 4500-4507 - - DPA-2A 3/1952 21L552-21L559
FM Erie-Built (A) 5000-5001 (Freight) - - DFA-5A 10/1947 L1105, L1107
FM CFA20-4 (C-Liner) 5006-5013 - - DFA-6A 3/1950-4/1950 21L288-21L295
FM CFA20-4 (C-Liner) 5014-5017 - - DFA-6B 5/1950-7/1950 21L296-21L299
FM Erie-Built (B) 5100-5101 (Freight) - - DFB-5A 12/1948-1/1949 L1159-L1160
FM CFB20-4 (C-Liner) 5102-5104 - - DFB-6A 5/1950-7/1950 21L270-21L272
FM Erie-Built (A) 5202-5205 (Freight) - - DFA-5B 12/1948-2/1949 L1170, L1174-L1176
FM CFA16-4 (C-Liner) 6600-6607 - - DFA-9A 2/1952 16L541-16L548
FM CFB16-4 (C-Liner) 6900-6903 - - DFB-9A 2/1952 16L549-16L551, 16L560
FM H16-44 7000-7012 - - DRS-7A 7/1951-10/1951 16L414-16L426
FM H20-44 7100-7105 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DFT-1A 7/1948, 9/1948 20L23-20L28
FM H20-44 7106-7109 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DFT-1D 10/1948 20L29-20L32
FM H20-44 7110-7114 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DFT-1B 7/1948 20L18-20L22
FM H20-44 7115-7116 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DFT-1C 9/1948 20L35-20L36
FM H20-44 7117-7118 (Indiana Harbor Belt) - - DFT-1E 4/1948, 5/1948 20L49-20L50
FM H10-44 8800-8801 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) 8900-8901 (renumbered, 1948) 9100-9101 (renumbered, 1949) DES-14A 12/1946 L1023-L1024
FM H10-44 8902-8903 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) 9102-9103 (renumbered, 1949) - DES-14B 8/1948 10L64-10L65
FM H10-44 8904-8905 9104-9105 (renumbered, 1949) - DES-14C 6/1949 10L146-10L147
FM H10-44 9106-9110 - - DES-14E 11/1949, 2/1950 10L170-10L173, 10L176
FM H12-44 9111-9120 - - DES-17A 11/1950-1/1951 12L378-12L387
FM H12-44 9121-9137 - - DES-17B 5/1952-6/1952 12L613-12L629

General Electric (GE)

Builder Model Original Number(s) Second Renumber(s) Third Renumber(s) New York Central Class Completion Date Builder Number(s)
GE U25B 2500-2529 - - DRS-15A 1/1964-9/1964 34986-35015
GE U25B 2530-2555 - - DRS-15B 11/1964-2/1965 35423-35448
GE U25B 2556-2559 - - DRS-15C 2/1965 35449-35452
GE U25B 2560-2569 - - DRS-15D 7/1965-9/1965 35700, 35691-35699
GE U28B 2800-2821 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) - - DRS-17A 2/1966-3/1966 35856-35877
GE U28B 2822-2823 - - DRS-17A 5/1966 35878-35879
GE U30B 2830-2889 - - GF-30 11/1966-9/1967 36246-36255, 36411-36440
GE U33B 2858-2859 - - GF-30 9/1967 36397-36398

Steam Roster

With a system stretching nearly 12,000 miles from New York City to Chicago and St. Louis, the New York Central's steam locomotive fleet was nothing short of impressive.

Among eastern carriers it was rivaled only by the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad and was always at the forefront of steam technology.  The steam roster included here features only engines comprising its fleet beyond 1900.

Some of the railroad's notable arrangements include the powerful 4-8-4 Niagaras, 4-8-2 Mohawks, and its 4-6-4 Hudsons.  The NYC had a knack for going against the grain and coining its own monikers for its late-era arrangements.  In its particular case the railroad used famous rivers in the state of New York.

Generally speaking, 2-8-2s and 2-8-0s comprised the bulk of its 20th century fleet for general freight service while 4-6-0s, 4-6-2s, 4-6-4s, and the dual-service Niagaras handled passenger assignments.

Interestingly, despite the company's size and industrial influence it operated very few articulated designs.  Its most notable was a group of seventy-four 2-6-6-2s acquired from Alco between 1910-1917, largely for service on the Boston & Albany. 

It also owned a small group of 0-8-8-0s and a signel 0-6-6-0, Class NB-1a, to work in passenger assignments west of Albany.

Once again, this roster is only general in nature and also does not include the post-World War II renumberings to make way for newly arriving diesels.

3069239048727j1i01801960988.jpgA New York Central 4-6-4 leads a Chicago-bound passenger train through Battle Creek, Michigan during the 1950s. Ed Olsen photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Switchers

Wheel Arrangement Class Original Road Numbers Second Road Numbers Quantity Builder(s) Completion Date(s) Subsidiary/Notes
0-6-0 B-11 1-8 - 8 Pittsburgh, Brooks (Alco) 1913-1914 Detroit Terminal
0-6-0 B-73 thru B-74a 8-31 7279-7302 24 Schenectady (Alco), Dickson Manufacturing Company (Alco) 1901-1903 CCC&StL
0-6-0 B-58 9-10, 111-119 (not sequential), 130-135 - 15 NYC, Schenectady (Alco) 1905-1915 IHB, Chicago Junction (CJ)
0-6-0 B-11 20-27 43-50 8 Baldwin 1913 Indiana Harbor Belt
0-6-0 B-95b 29-31 9505-9507 3 Brooks (Alco) 1901 Toledo & Ohio Central (T&OC)
0-8-0 U-33 30-41 - 12 NYC/B&A 1901-1902 (as 2-8-0s) B&A. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s in 1917-1918.
0-8-0 U-2j 42-47 7475-7480 6 Lima 1918 Boston & Albany (B&A)
0-8-0 U-3b 48-53 7220-7225 6 Lima 1920-1921 B&A
0-8-0 U-2k, U-2l 54-65 7481-7492 12 Lima, Schenectady (Alco) 1923-1924 B&A
0-10-0 M-1f 95-96 4600, 8998 2 Brooks (Alco) 1910 NYC&HR
0-8-0 U-4a 100-102 - 3 Brooks (Alco) 1927 IHB. A 3-cylinder design.
0-6-0 B-10 100-199 - 200 Schenectady (Alco) 1903-1906 NYC&HR
0-6-0 B-60, B-61 103-110 (not sequential) - 7 Alco 1907-1916 Chicago River & Indiana
0-6-0 B-10 115-143 - 29 Alco 1907-1913 Boston & Albany
0-6-0 B-10 117-119 40-42 3 Brooks (Alco) 1910 Indiana Harbor Belt
0-6-0 B-59 thru B-60d 136-167 - 32 Schenectady, Brooks (Alco) 1905-1912 CJ
0-6-0 B-11 144-152 6746-6754 9 Schenectady (Alco) 1913-1916 Boston & Albany
0-8-0 U-1a, U-1e 150-166 - 17 Schenectady (Alco) 1913, 1916 IHB
0-8-0 U-2i 167-171 - 5 Lima 1918 IHB, CR&I
0-6-0 B-61 thru B-61c 180-202 - 23 Schenectady (Alco) 1913-1916 CJ
0-8-0 U-2f 200-239 7560-7599 40 Lima 1918 NYC
0-8-0 U-3b, U-3c 240-319 7640-7719 80 Lima 1920-1922 NYC
0-6-0 B-62 221-234 - 14 Cooke (Alco) 1918 USRA, CJ
0-6-0 B-105 253-255 9147-9149 3 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1906 PMcK&Y
0-8-0 U-3a 300-319 - 20 Baldwin 1919 USRA, IHB
0-8-0 U-3b, U-3e, U-3g 320-339 - 20 Lima 1921-1925 IHB
0-8-0 U-3d, U-3e 350-360 - 11 Lima 1923-1924 CR&I
0-8-0 U-3c 386-405 7786-7805 20 Schenectady (Alco) 1922 NYC
0-6-0 B-2 311-376 - 66 Schenectady, Cooke (Alco) 1900-1903 NYC&HR
0-8-0 U-3a 406-414 7806-7814 9 Baldwin 1919 NYC
0-8-0 U-3a 415-439 7815-7839 25 Brooks (Alco) 1918 USRA, NYC
0-6-0 B-96a 415-417 9508-9510 3 Baldwin 1902 T&OC
0-6-0 B-97a, B-97b 418-425 9511-9518 8 Brooks (Alco) 1903, 1905 T&OC
0-6-0 B-98a, B-98b, B-98c 426-434 9519-9527 9 Brooks (Alco) 1905-1907 T&OC
0-6-0 B-10 450-609 6600-6709 210 Alco 1907-1912 NYC&HR
0-6-0 B-72 514-515 7277-7278 2 Peoria & Eastern Railway (P&E) 1900-1901 P&E
0-6-0 B-97a, B-97b 560-563 - 4 Brooks 1903, 1905 Kanawha & Michigan (K&M)
0-6-0 B-98b, B-98e 564-567 9528-9531 4 Brooks, Richmond (Alco) 1906, 1911 K&M
0-6-0 B-11 610-629 6711-6729 20 Schenectady (Alco) 1913 Michigan Central
0-8-0 U-2a-h 636-774 7336-7474 139 Alco, Lima 1916-1918 NYC
0-10-0 M 3650-3652 4601-4603 3 Brooks (Alco) 1905 NYC&HR
0-8-0 U-3a 4250-5252 205-207 (Nickel Plate Road) 3 Lima 1920 USRA, LE&W
0-8-0 U-1a, U-1b 4280-4299 7280-7299 20 Schenectady (Alco) 1913 LS&MS
0-8-0 U-3e, U-3f 4300-4349 7900-7949 50 Schenectady (Alco), Lima 1924-1925 NYC
0-6-0 B-10 4518-4552 - 35 Rhode Island (Alco) 1907-1908 LS&MS
0-6-0 B-56f, B-56g 4553-4587 7053-7087 35 Schenectady, Pittsburgh (Alco) 1910-1911 LS&MS
0-10-0 M-1b 4590-4591 - 2 Brooks (Alco) 1907 Chicago, Indiana & Southern (CI&S)
0-10-0 M-1, M-1a 4592-4599 - 8 Brooks (Alco) 1905, 1907 LS&MS
0-6-0 B-54 4365-4374 32-41 (Nickel Plate Road) 10 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1902 Lake Erie & Western Railroad. The LE&W was owned by the NYC from 1900-1922 at which point it was sold to the Nickel Plate.
0-6-0 B-55, B-56 4375-4517 7000-7012 43 Alco 1902-1907 LS&MS
0-6-0 B-10 4600-4614 15-29 (Indiana Harbor Belt) 15 Cooke (Alco) 1906 Built for subsidiary LS&MS. Later transferred to the IHB.
0-8-0 U-3c, U-3e 7200-7234 7600-7634 35 Lima 1922, 1924 CCC&StL
0-6-0 B-10 7307-7372 - 66 Alco 1905-1912 CCC&StL
0-6-0 B-11 7373-7425 - 53 Alco, Lima, Baldwin 1913-1918 CCC&StL
0-8-0 U-3a 7440-7449 7740-7749 10 Brooks (Alco), Lima, Baldwin 1919-1920 USRA, CCC&StL
0-8-0 U-60, U-61 7450-7484 7200-7234 35 CCC&StL 1917-1922 CCC&StL
0-8-0 U-3b 7485-7494 7985-7994 10 Lima 1920-1921 CCC&StL
0-8-0 U-3h 7495-7496 73-74 2 Brooks (Alco) 1926 P&LE
0-10-0 M-1c 7498-7499 - 2 Brooks (Alco) 1907 CCC&StL
0-8-0 U-3k 8000-8049 - 50 Lima 1937 P&LE
0-8-0 U-3l - 8050-8074 25 Schenectady (Alco) 1944 P&LE
0-6-0 B-82e 8506-8510 - 5 MC 1899-1904 MC
0-6-0 B-82d 8540-8543 - 4 Canadian Southern 1899-1900 Canadian Southern
0-6-0 B-84b, B-84d 8572-8581 - 10 CS 1901-1905 CS
0-6-0 B-10 8590-8596 6991-6995 7 MLW 1909-1910 Canadian Southern
0-6-0 B-11 8597-8599 6997-6999 3 MLW 1913 Canadian Southern
0-6-0 B-82c, B-82e 8663-8693 - 31 Schenectady, Michigan Central 1899-1905 Michigan Central
0-6-0 B-84a, B-84c 8720-8747 - 28 MC, Schenectady (Alco) 1903-1906 MC
0-6-0 B-10 8750-8799 6861-6897 50 Alco 1905-1912 Michigan Central
0-10-0 M-1d, M-1e 8790-8791 7190-7191 2 MLW 1909-1910 MC
0-6-0 B-10 8790-8799 30-39 (Indiana Harbor Belt) 10 Brooks (Alco) 1905 Built for subsidiary Michigan Central. Later transferred to the IHB.
0-10-0 M-1a 8799 7192 1 Brooks (Alco) 1906 MC
0-6-0 B-11 8798-8844 6898-6944 47 Pittsburgh (Alco), Lima, Baldwin 1912-1913 Michigan Central
0-8-0 U-2c 8900-8903 7550-7553 4 Lima 1917 MC
0-8-0 U-2c-g 8904-8939 7504-7539 36 Lima 1917-1918 MC
0-8-0 U-3a 8940-8949 7840-7849 10 Lima 1920 USRA, MC
0-8-0 U-3b 8950-8985 7850-7885 36 Lima, Alco 1920-1926 MC
0-8-0 U-3j 9000-9024 7950-7974 25 Lima 1929 P&LE
0-6-0 B-104 9011-9070 - 60 Pittsburgh (Alco), P&LE 1902-1913 P&LE
0-6-0 B-104 9122-9160 (not sequential) - 36 P&LE 1906-1912 PMcK&Y
0-8-0 U-1a 9540-9542 7270-7272 3 Schenectady (Alco) 1913 T&OC
0-8-0 U-3a 9543-9547 7753-7757 5 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1918 USRA, T&OC
0-8-0 U-3a 9548-9550 7758-7760 3 Lima 1920 USRA, K&M

Passenger Service

Wheel Arrangement Class Original Road Numbers Second Road Numbers Quantity Builder(s) Completion Date(s) Subsidiary/Notes
4-4-0 C-96c 2 9555 1 Rhode Island (Alco) 1906 Kanawha & West Virginia (K&WV)
4-4-2 I-2 10-12 800-802 3 Schenectady (Alco) 1901 St. Lawrence & Adirondack
4-6-2 K-14b 17-19 - 3 NYC 1929-1930 P&LE. Ex-Class K-11.
4-6-0 Fx 19-41 (Ulster & Delaware) 800-818 22 Schenectady (Alco) 1899-1907 NYC
4-4-0 C-100 23 - 1 P&LE - P&LE
2-6-0 E-48 105-132 (not sequential) - 16 Schenectady (Alco) 1889 (circa) CJ. Rebuilt as B-58 0-6-0 switchers between 1900-1907.
2-6-0 E-49 120-127 - 8 - 1901-1906 CJ
4-4-2 I-80 251-266 8082-8097 16 Schenectady (Alco) 1901-1902 MC
2-6-0 E-82 thru E-82c 283-292 8364-8373 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1901-1902 MC
4-4-2 I-100a 301-305 9200-9204 5 Schenectady (Alco) 1903 P&LE
4-4-2 I-80 319, 323 8070-8071 2 Schenectady (Alco) 1903 T&OC, CS, Detroit Terminal
4-4-2 I-60 thru I-63 360-369 6900-6939 40 Schenectady, Brooks (Alco) 1901-1904 CCC&StL
4-6-0 F-69, F-69a 400-405 6234-6239 4 Baldwin 1900 CCC&StL
4-4-0 C-96a 455-457 9555-9558 3 Brooks (Alco) 1901 T&OC
4-4-0 C-97a, thru C-97c 458-466 9559-9567 9 Brooks (Alco) 1904-1906 T&OC
4-4-2 I-80 480-489 8072-8081 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1901-1902 CS
4-6-2 Ka thru Km 515-565 - 51 Schenectady (Alco) 1905-1914 B&A
4-4-0 C-97a thru C-97d 570-579 9570-9579 10 Brooks (Alco) 1902-1905 K&M
4-6-2 K-14g, K-14h 575-589 - 15 Schenectady (Alco), Baldwin 1911-1913 B&A
4-6-2 K-6a, K-6b 590-599 9245-9254 10 Brooks, Schenectady (Alco) 1925-1926 B&A, Later sublettered for P&LE.
4-6-4 J-2a, J-2b 600-609 5455-5464 10 Alco 1928, 1930 B&A
4-6-4 J-2c 610-619 5465-5474 10 Lima 1931 B&A
4-6-0 F-52 611-615 5011-5015 5 Brooks (Alco) 1900 LS&MS
2-6-2 J-40 650-695 4650-4695 46 Brooks (Alco) 1901-1903 LS&MS
4-8-4 HS-1a 800 - 1 Alco 1931 NYC
4-4-0 C-3 947-948 1079-1080 2 NYC 1900-1901 NYC&HR
4-4-0 C-38 1139-1144 249-254 6 Schenectady (Alco) 1900 B&A
4-4-0 C-39 1134-1138 244-248 5 Schenectady (Alco) 1900 B&A
2-6-0 E-11 1407-1422 - 16 NYC 1904 Rebuilt from 2-6-6Ts.
2-6-0 E1a, E1b, E1d 1691-1761 1907-1922 (not sequential) 71 Schenectady (Alco), NYC 1899-1900 NYC&HR
2-6-0 E-1c 1768-1790 1914-1917 23 Baldwin 1900 NYC&HR
2-6-0 E-1b, E-1d, E-1e 1859-1878 1923-1926 4 Schenectady (Alco), NYC 1900-1903 NYC&HR
2-6-0 E-2 1762 - 1 Schenectady (Alco) 1900 NYC&HR. A compound design.
2-6-0 E-3, E-3a 1763-1767 1927-1929 5 Schenectady (Alco), Baldwin 1900 NYC&HR
4-6-0 F-2c, F-2f (later classed F-12c) 1900-1919 704-723 20 Schenectady (Alco) 1907 B&A
4-6-0 F-2d (later classed F-12) 1965-1999 - 35 Schenectady (Alco) 1907 NYC&HR
4-6-0 F-3 2036-2050 2010-2024 15 Baldwin 1900 NYC&HR
4-6-0 F-2 thru F-2g (later classed F-12) 2065-2166 819-876 102 Schenectady (Alco) 1905-08 NYC&HR
4-6-2 K-1 2700-2709 500-509 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1903 B&A
4-6-2 Kg 2795-2799 510-514 5 Schenectady (Alco) 1903 NYC&HR. Later transferred to the B&A.
4-4-2 I-1 3000 803 1 Schenectady (Alco) 1904 NYC&HR. A Cole compound design.
4-6-2 K-10a 3000-3049 4400-4449 50 Brooks 9Alco) 1910-1911 Later classed K-11a.
4-6-2 K-11a thru K-11f 3050-3199 4450-4599 200 Alco, Baldwin 1911-1913 NYC&HR
4-6-2 K-3n, K-3p, K-3q 3267-3357 4667-4757 91 Schenectady, Brooks (Alco) 1918-1923 NYC. Seven K-3n engines later renumbered B&A 500-506 in 1937-1938.
4-6-2 K-3a-g 3358-3437 4806-4854 (not sequential) 80 Schenectady (Alco), Baldwin 1911-1913 NYC&HR
4-6-2 K-2f thru K-2k 3438-3494 - 57 Schenectady (Alco) 1907-1910 NYC&HR
4-6-2 K-2e 3555-3594 - 40 Schenectady (Alco) 1908 NYC&HR
4-4-2 I-3 3804 804 1 Baldwin 1905 NYC&HR. A compound design.
4-4-2 Ib 3948-3953 400-405 6 Schenectady (Alco) 1902 B&A
4-4-2 I, I10 3775-3999 (not sequential) 775-999 (not sequential) 212 Schenectady (Alco) 1901-1907 NYC&HR
4-4-0 I-40a 4321-4322 - 2 Schenectady (Alco) 1907 NYC
4-6-2 K-14a thru K-14f 4390-4399 - 10 NYC 1924-1925 Rebuilt from K-11's.
2-6-2 J-41 4700-4734 - 35 Brooks (Alco) 1904-1905 LS&MS. Rebuilt as 4-6-2s.
4-6-2 K-41a, K-41b 4700-4734 - 35 NYC 1916-1919 Rebuilt from 2-6-2s.
4-4-2 I-40 4750-4759 4320-4324 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1907 LS&MS
4-6-2 K-2a thru K-2d 4800-4894 - 95 Schenectady (Alco) 1907-1910 LS&MS
4-6-2 K-3b, K-3e 4895-4909 4814-4841 (not sequential) 15 Schenectady (Alco) 1911, 1913 LS&MS
4-6-2 K-5 5000/6525 4925 1 Schenectady (Alco) 1924 MC. Later sublettered for CCC&StL.
4-6-4 J-1a thru J-1e 5200-5344 - 145 Alco 1927-1931 NYC
4-6-0 F-40 5280-5289 - 10 Baldwin 1902 CI&S
4-6-0 F-41 5290-5299 - 10 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1900 CI&S
4-6-4 J-3a 5405-5454 - 50 Alco 1937-1938 NYC
4-8-4 S-2a 5500 - 1 Alco 1946 NYC
4-8-4 S-1a, S-1b 6000-6025 - 26 Alco 1945-1946 NYC
4-6-2 Kb thru Kn 6400-6449 - 50 Brooks, Schenectady (Alco) 1905-1915 CCC&StL
4-6-2 Ko 6450-6554 - 5 CCC&StL 1915 CCC&StL
4-6-2 K-5b 6505-6514 4905-4914 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1926 CCC&StL
4-6-2 K-3j thru K-3p 6455-6499 4855-4899 45 Schenectady, Brooks (Alco) 1917-1923 CCC&StL
4-6-2 K-3r 6500-6504 4800-4804 5 Brooks (Alco) 1925 CCC&StL
4-6-4 J-1d, J-1e 6600-6629 5375-5404 30 Alco 1929, 1931 CCC&StL
4-4-2 Ij 6940-6959 - 20 Schenectady (Alco) 1906-1907 CCC&StL
4-6-0 F-82 8106-8107 - 2 Schenectady (Alco) 1900 MC
4-6-0 F-82, F-82a 8150-8159 880-881 10 CS, Schenectady (Alco) 1899-1901 MC, CS
4-6-0 F-84 8190-8195 6 Schenectady (Alco) 1900 MC
4-6-4 J-1b, J-1c, J-1d 8200-8229 5345-5374 30 Alco 1927-1930 MC
4-6-0 F-82 8260-8293 882-889 24 Schenectady (Alco) 1900-1906 MC
4-6-2 K-3f thru K-3q 8300-8339 4603-4639 40 Schenectady, Brooks (Alco) 1913-1923 MC
4-6-2 K-5a 8350-8354 4926-4930 5 Brooks (Alco) 1925 MC. Later sublettered for CCC&StL.
4-6-2 K-5b 8355-8364 4915-4924 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1926 MC. Later sublettered for CCC&StL.
4-6-2 K-3h 8400-8404 4640-4644 5 Alco 1916 MC
4-6-2 K-80 8410-8437 - 28 Schenectady (Alco), MLW 1904-1910 CS
4-6-2 K-80 8450-8491 - 42 Schenectady (Alco) 1904-1912 MC
4-6-0 F-103 thru F-105 9205-9219 - 3 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1909-1912 PMcK&Y
4-6-0 F-105a 9220-9224 - 5 P&LE 1915 PMcK&Y
4-6-2 K-4a, K-4b 9224-9234 - 10 Brooks (Alco) 1917-1918 P&LE
4-6-2 K-5b 9235-9244 4931-4940 10 Alco 1927 P&LE
4-4-0 C-103 thru C-105 9253-9267 - 15 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1901-1906 P&LE
4-4-0 C-106 9290-9294 - 5 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1907 PMcK&Y

Freight Service

Wheel Arrangement Class Original Road Numbers Second Road Numbers Quantity Builder(s) Completion Date(s) Subsidiary/Notes
2-8-2 H-10a 1-190 2101-2290 190 Lima, Schenectady (Alco) 1922-1923 YC, MC, CCC&StL, B&A
2-8-0 G-95c 3 9600 1 Richmond (Alco) 1907 Kanawha & West Virginia Railroad
2-8-2 H-10a, H-10b 191-211 - 21 Schenectady (Alco) 1923, 1924 P&LE
2-8-0 G-100, G-101 139-165 9318-9335 27 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1900, 1902 P&LE
2-8-0 G-102, G-102a 150-153, 200 9370-9374 5 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1905 Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghiogheny
2-8-0 G-102, G-102a 166-199 9336-9369 34 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1903 P&LE
2-8-0 G-47 200-201 Chicago Junction #1, Chicago River & Indiana #2 2 Schenectady (Alco) 1913 CJ, CR&I
2-8-2 H-10b 212-251 2312-2351 40 Lima 1924 CCC&StL, MC
2-8-2 H-5r 250-264 - 15 Schenectady (Alco) 1916 IHB
2-8-0 G-102, a 282-292 9411-9421 11 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1903, 1906 Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghiogheny
2-8-0 G-95a 300-324 9660-9624 25 Rogers 1902-1903 T&OC
2-8-0 G-96a thru G-96c 325-351 9625-9651 27 Brooks (Alco) 1905-1907 T&OC
2-8-2 H-10b 320-359 2360-2399 40 Schenectady (Alco) 1924 NYC
2-8-2 H-10b 360-369 2080-2089 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1924 NYC
2-8-2 H-5u 400-419 - 20 Schenectady (Alco), Lima 1923 IHB
2-8-2 H-6a 400-423 - 24 Lima 1919 USRA, IHB
2-8-2 H-5v 420-424 - 5 Lima 1924 IHB
2-8-0 G-80d, G-80e 466-479 7540-7553 14 Schenectady (Alco), Canadian Southern 1904 CS
2-8-0 G-80b 499 7530 1 Schenectady (Alco) 1902 MC
2-8-0 - 500-509 - 10 Baldwin 1901-1902 K&M
2-8-0 G-95a 510-512 9601-9602 3 Rogers (Alco) 1903 K&M
2-8-0 G-96a thru G-96c 513-527 - 15 Brooks (Alco) 1905-1907 K&M
2-8-0 G-46j thru G-46l 528-552 1183-1199 25 Richmond, Brooks (Alco) 1911-1914 K&M
2-8-0 G-80 thru G-80d 573-619 7700-7746 47 Schenectady (Alco) 1901-1904 MC
2-8-0 G-97a 608-612 9725-9729 5 Brooks (Alco) 1904 Zanesville & Western
2-8-0 G-66 704-713 6531-6540 10 Rhode Island (Alco) 1899-1900 CCC&StL
2-8-0 G-67 thru G-71 714-790 6541-6617 77 Brooks, Schenectady (Alco) 1901-1903 CCC&StL
2-8-0 G-43a thru G-43e 750-869 1100-1111 120 Brooks (Alco) 1901-1903 LS&MS
4-8-0 H-30, H-30a 800-810 - 11 Schenectady 1899-1900 NYC
2-8-0 G-46a, b 1000-1006 5870-5876 7 Brooks (Alco) 1903-1904 LS&MS
2-8-0 G-16q 1050-1053 - 4 Schenectady (Alco) 1912 B&A
2-10-2 Z-1 1100-1109 - 10 Brooks (Alco) 1919 B&A
2-8-2 H-5j 1200-1213 - 14 Schenectady (Alco) 1913-1914 B&A
2-8-2 H-5g 1214-1223 - 12 Brooks (Alco) 1915 B&A. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-5t 1224-1229 - 6 Lima 1916 IHB
2-6-6-2 NE-1a 1249 1374 1 Schenectady (Alco) 1910 B&A
0-6-6-0 NB-1 1300 - 1 Schenectady (Alco) 1913 NYC&HR
2-6-6-2 NE-2b, NE-2c, NE-2e 1300-1312 - 13 Schen 1913-1917 B&A
2-6-6-2 NE-2g 1339-1348 1939-1948 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1920-1921 NYC
2-6-6-2 NE-2d, NE-2f 1349-1373 1933-1938 25 Schenectady (Alco) 1917 NYC
2-6-6-2 NE-2a 1375-1399 - 25 Schenectady (Alco) 1911 NYC&HR
2-8-4 A-1a 1400-1424 - 25 Lima 1926 B&A
2-8-4 A-1b 1425-1444 - 20 Lima 1926-1927 B&A
2-8-4 A-1c 1445-1454 - 10 Lima 1930 B&A
2-Truck Shay 1896-1900 7186-7189 5 Lima 1923 NYC
2-8-0 G-3 2302-2331 30 Schen 1901-1902 NYC&HR
2-8-0 G-1 2332 - 1 Schenectady (Alco) 1901 NYC&HR. A compound design.
2-8-0 G-2 2333-2414 - 82 Schenectady (Alco) 1901-1903 NYC&HR. A compound design.
2-8-0 G-4 2415-2429 2685-2699 15 Schenectady (Alco) 1903 NYC&HR. A compound design.
2-8-0 G-5a, G-5b 2427-2499 - 23 Schenectady, Brooks (Alco) 1903-1904 NYC&HR
4-8-2 L-2d 2450-2499 2950-2599 50 Alco 1929-1930 NYC
4-8-2 L-1a thru L-1d 2500-2684 - 185 Schenectady (Alco), Lima 1916-1918 NYC
2-8-0 G-33 2564-2575 964-975 12 Schenectady (Alco) 1901 B&A. Later rebuilt as 0-8-0s.
2-8-0 G-34a 2576-2589 976-989 14 Schenectady (Alco) 1903 B&A
2-8-0 G-5, G-6 2590-2649 990-1049 60 Schenectady (Alco) 1905-1908 B&A
2-8-0 G-5c thru G-6l 2700-2986 - 287 Schenectady, Brooks (Alco) 1905-1910 NYC&HR
4-8-2 L-2a, L-2c 2700-2899 - 200 Alco 1925-1929 NYC
4-8-2 L-3a thru L-3c 3000-3064 - 65 Schenectady (Alco), Lima 1940-1942 NYC
4-8-2 L-4a, L-4b 3100-3149 - 50 Lima 1942-1944 NYC
2-8-2 H-5a thru H-5e 3600-3721 1202-1247 122 Brooks (Alco), Baldwin 1912 NYC. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-5p, H-5q 3722-3723 1248-1249 2 Brooks (Alco), NYC 1915 NYC. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-5h 3725-3774 1253-1275 50 Schenectady (Alco) 1913-1914 NYC. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-5f, H-5k 3775-3830 1276-1297 56 Brooks (Alco) 1913-1914 NYC. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-5m, H-5n 3831-3852 1302-1314 22 Brooks (Alco) 1914 NYC. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-5p 3853-3934 1315-1376 82 Brooks (Alco), NYC 1915-1918 NYC. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-5h 3935-3984 1435-1484 50 Lima 1916 NYC
2-8-2 H-7a 4000-4009 - 10 Brooks (Alco) 1912 LS&MS
2-8-2 H-7b 4010-4034 2035-2059 25 Brooks (Alco) 1912-1913 LS&MS
2-8-2 H-5p 4071-4115 1377-1530 (not sequential) 45 Brooks (Alco) 1915-1916 NYC. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-5l 4116-4124 1428-1432 9 Brooks (Alco) 1915-1916 NYC. Rebuilt from 2-8-0s.
2-8-2 H-6a 5100-5149 1800-1849 50 Schenectady (Alco) 1918 USRA, NYC
2-8-2 H-6a 5150-5194 1850-1894 45 Lima 1918-1919 USRA, NYC
2-8-0 G-16v, G-16w 5385-5399 485-499 (Nickel Plate) 15 Brooks, Schenectady (Alco) 1911-1912 LE&W
2-8-0 G-46f 5401-5424 1122-1125 24 Brooks (Alco) 1910 CI&S
2-8-0 G-5, G-6 5449-5499 - 51 Brooks (Alco) 1905-1910 IHB, CI&S
2-8-0 G-44 5515-5539 - 25 Brooks (Alco) 1904 LE&W, LEA&W
2-8-2 H-6a 5540-5554 586-600 (Nickel Plate) 15 Baldwin 1918 USRA, LE&W
2-8-0 G-46g 5561-5575 1130-1131 15 Brooks (Alco) 1911 LS&MS
2-8-0 G-46d 5576-5595 9662-9681 20 Brooks (Alco) 1909 LS&MS
2-8-0 G-40 5596-5599 - 4 Brooks (Alco) 1902 Lake Erie, Alliance & Wheeling Railroad (LEA&W)
2-8-0 G-5r thru G-6v 5600-5699 - 100 Brooks, Schenectady (Alco) 1907-1911 LS&MS
2-8-0 G-6v 5605-5614 475-484 (Nickel Plate) 10 Brooks (Alco) 1911 LE&W
2-8-0 G-42a, G-42b 5700-5749 - 50 Brooks (Alco) 1899-1900 LS&MS
2-8-0 G-46c 5877-5891 - 15 Brooks (Alco) 1907 LEA&W
0-8-8-0 NU-1a 5897-5899 7097-7099 3 Brooks (Alco) 1913 NYC
0-8-8-0 NU-1c 5900-5905 7100-7105 6 Brooks (Alco) 1916 NYC
2-8-0 G-5a thru G-5z 5900-5999 - 100 Brooks, Schenectady (Alco) 1904-1906 LS&MS
0-8-8-0 NU-1e 5906-5908 7106-7108 3 Schenectady (Alco) 1921 NYC
2-8-2 H-5l 6000-6063 1502-1563 64 Brooks (Alco) 1913-1915 (Rebuilt) CCC&StL
2-8-2 H-5s, H-5t 6064-6088 1564-1588 25 Lima 1916 CCC&StL
2-8-2 H-6a 6089-6113 1700-1724 25 Baldwin 1918 USRA, CCC&StL
2-8-2 H-5l 6125-6149 1485-1531 25 Brooks (Alco) 1913 (Rebuilt) CCC&StL
2-8-2 H-7e 6150-6199 1950-1999 50 Schenectady (Alco) 1920 CCC&StL
4-8-2 L-2b, L-2d 6200-6249 2900-2949 50 Alco 1929 CCC&StL
2-8-0 G-5, G-6 6618-6842 - 125 Brooks, Schenectady (Alco) 1905-1911 CCC&StL
2-8-2 H-5l 6698-6722 1625-1649 25 Brooks (Alco) 1913-1915 (Rebuild) CCC&StL
2-8-0 G-46h 6843-6872 1143-1172 30 Brooks 1912 CCC&StL
2-8-0 G-46i 6873-6882 1173-1182 10 Brooks (Alco) 1912 P&E
2-8-0 G-80f 7554-7567 - 14 MLW 1905 CS
2-8-0 G-6p, G-6u 7610-7627 1130-1142 (not sequential) 18 MLW 1910 CS
2-8-0 G-5s thru G-6t 7800-7867 1112-1141 (not sequential) 68 Brooks, Schenectady (Alco) 1907-1910 -
2-8-2 H-7c, H-7d 7900-7934 2000-2034 35 Brooks (Alco) 1913 MC
2-8-2 H-7e 7960-7969 2060-2069 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1920 MC
2-8-2 H-6a 7970-7989 1770-1789 20 Schenectady (Alco) 1918 USRA, MC
2-8-2 H-10a 8000 2090 1 Lima 1922 MC
0-8-8-0 NU-1d 8700-8701 7109-7110 2 Brooks (Alco) 1916 MC
0-8-8-0 NU-1b 9090-9091 - 2 Brooks (Alco) 1916 P&LE
2-8-0 G-102b 9375-9377 - 3 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1907 P&LE
2-8-0 G-103 9378-9392 - 15 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1910 P&LE
2-8-0 G-104 9393-9397 - 5 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1910 P&LE
2-8-4 A-2a - 9400-9406 7 Alco 1948 P&LE
2-8-0 G-102b 9422-9424 - 3 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1907 Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghiogheny
2-8-2 H-8a 9500-9504 - 5 Brooks (Alco) 1916 P&LE
2-8-2 H-9b 9505-9509 - 5 Schenectady (Alco) 1919 USRA, P&LE
2-8-2 H-9d 9510-9519 - 10 Baldwin 1919 USRA, P&LE
2-8-2 H-8d 9520-9524 - 5 Brooks (Alco) 1920 P&LE
2-8-2 H-8a, thru H-8c 9550-9579 - 30 Brooks (Alco) 1916-1918 PMcK&Y
2-8-2 H-9a 9580-9589 - 10 Brooks (Alco) 1918 USRA, PMcK&Y
2-8-2 H-9c 9590-9594 - 5 Schenectady (Alco) 1919 USRA, PMcK&Y
2-8-0 G-46e 9652-9661 1112-1121 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1912 T&OC
2-8-2 H-6a 9732-9746 1732-1746 15 Schenectady (Alco) 1918 USRA, T&OC
02962848728920871yji20988.jpgNew York Central 4-8-2 #2922 is about to duck under the State Route 111 overpass with an eastbound freight near Roxana, Illinois during the 1950's. American-Rails.com collection.

Experimentals

Wheel Arrangement Class Original Road Numbers Second Road Numbers Quantity Builder(s) Completion Date(s) Subsidiary/Notes
2-4-4T D-1, D-2 37-49 1911-1920 10 Brooks (Alco) 1910-1912 NYC&HR
4-6-6T D-1a 400-404 1295-1299 5 Schenectady (Alco) 1899-1900 Boston & Albany
2-8-2T HXa, HXb 555-559 9500-9504 5 Brooks (Alco) 1902-1912 K&M
2-6-6T D-2a, D-2b 1250-1267 300-317 18 Schenectady (Alco) 1906-1907 Boston & Albany
2-6-6T J 1407-1422 - 16 Schenectady (Alco) 1901-1902 Rebuilt as 2-6-0s.

More Reading

S-Motors

4-8-4 Niagaras


Conrail

Realizing the severity of the situation the federal government stepped in and setup the Consolidated Rail Corporation, which comprised the skeletons of several bankrupt Northeastern carriers, and began operations on April 1, 1976. 

With federal backing Conrail began to slowly pull out of the red ink (it took many years) and by the 1980s was a profitable railroad after thousands of miles of excess trackage (and sometimes perhaps not so excess when compared to today’s boom of the industry) was abandoned and/or upgraded.  

Today, even Conrail is no longer with us having been split up amongst CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern in 1999, with CSX taking much of the NYC while NS got a good chunk of the Pennsy.

In any event many parts of the railroad continue to serve an important role in moving goods (and people) from eastern markets to the Midwest and vice versa (such as its main line Water Level Route).

Public Timetables (1952)

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