PORT JERVIS, NY / BOONTON, NJ / DANBURY, CT / ARKVILLE, NY – Four non-profit organizations
have partnered to restore three identical historic locomotives to operation in New York, New Jersey,
and Connecticut.
Middletown & New Jersey Railroad No. 2, Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad No. 700, and New Haven
Railroad No. 0814 are all 44-tonner locomotives constructed by General Electric in the mid-1940s. All
are important surviving examples of early diesel-electric industrial switching locomotives, produced
using relatively new technology at a time when U.S. railroads were still primarily powered by steam.
The No. 0814 was donated to the Danbury Railway Museum in Danbury, Connecticut in 2006. The
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No. 2 and No. 700 were preserved in a joint 2021 purchase campaign, titled “Operation 88,” that
ultimately saw No. 2 acquired by Operation Toy Train of New York in Port Jervis, New York and No.
700 acquired by the Tri-State Railway Historical Society in Boonton, New Jersey.
While none of the three locomotives are currently operational, all three are in good shape and are
excellent candidates for restoration to operating status. However, the youngest of the three is 75 years
old, and spare parts for these rare GE products are equally hard to find. The Delaware & Ulster
Railroad of Arkville, New York owns a fourth 44-tonner, former Western Maryland Railway No. 76, that
was taken out of service several decades ago due to the already dwindling supply of available parts.
After years of storage, the condition of the No. 76 is such that it cannot economically be made
operable again, but it is still largely complete and retains many of its original mechanical and electrical
components. “While it can’t run again, the No. 76 is a great candidate as a part source,” said Richard
King, President of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society. “While it would be cost-prohibitive for our
organization to acquire an entire locomotive just for the few parts we need to restore our HMRR No.
700, a group of organizations would benefit greatly from using all of No. 76’s available components.”
The Delaware & Ulster has graciously offered to donate No. 76 as a contribution towards the
restorations of Nos. 2, 700, and 0814. In return for the contribution of No. 76, volunteers from the
other three organizations are providing support services to the Delaware & Ulster Railroad as it
conducts repairs and restoration work on its own antique railroad equipment. One of the pieces being
analyzed for restoration by this collaborative team is the Delaware & Ulster’s historic New York
Central “Doodlebug,” built in 1928 by the J. G. Brill Company. “These donated services and the efforts
of these experienced volunteers will save the Delaware & Ulster tens of thousands of dollars in
expenditures over the next several years, far more than the sale or scrap value of our inoperable
locomotive,” said Todd Pascarella, General Manager of the Delaware & Ulster. “We are greatly
appreciative of the connections and knowledge that this partnership has already afforded us, and we
look forward to continuing to foster these new, positive relationships.”
Operation Toy Train, Tri-State, and Danbury will be splitting the cost to remove No. 76 from its current
storage location in Roxbury, New York. In the late summer of 2023, No. 76 will be moved by truck to
the Port Jervis Transportation History Center in Port Jervis, New York, where internal components will
be removed by these three organizations. The parts present on No. 76 fill important, major voids in the
outstanding parts lists for all three restoration candidates. As Nos. 2, 700, and 0814 all require
different parts, the contribution of No. 76 will directly facilitate the restoration of all three locomotives to
operation in the next few years.
The Danbury Railway Museum also owns another 44-tonner, GE demonstrator No. 1399, that is
already operational. It, too, will be the benefactor of several parts from No. 76 to improve its reliability
and keep it in service well into the future. “We have been searching for spare parts for No. 1399 and
the missing parts to restore our New Haven No. 0814 for years,” said Jose Alves, President of the
Danbury Railway Museum. “Being able to share this opportunity and restore two other locomotives at
the same time is an amazing bonus, and it speaks to the overwhelmingly supportive nature of the
people involved that we were able to bring this many organizations together successfully to make this
project a reality.”
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After mechanical and electrical parts are removed, the shell of No. 76 will remain on display at the
Port Jervis Transportation History Center under Operation Toy Train’s ownership. It will be repainted in
the colors of the local New York, Ontario & Western Railway, representing a piece of Port Jervis
history that has otherwise been lost to time. “We are grateful that we’ve been able to work with three
other amazing organizations to not only restore our own M&NJ No. 2 to operation, but ensure that
every piece of the No. 76 will serve a purpose going forward,” said Rudy Garbely, a director for
Operation Toy Train of New York. “Collaborative efforts like this are the future of railroad preservation,
and it’s an honor to work with this fantastic group of leaders in the industry to achieve a common
goal.”
Operation Toy Train of New York, the Tri-State Railway Historical Society, and the Danbury Railway
Museum have each launched fundraising campaigns to cover the restoration costs for their respective
locomotives, including the acquisition and installation of parts salvaged from No. 76 and the repainting
of each to its historically accurate paint scheme. Grants, corporate donations, and contributions from
private donors are welcomed. To learn more about the project or to donate, visit www.44Tonner.org.
Operation Toy Train of New York, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community benefit organization that
operates a special annual collection train in northern New Jersey and southern New York during the
first two weekends of December. Each year, the train collects over 25,000 donated toys for the U.S.
Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation, which redistributes them to underprivileged children
within the collection area. The organization also displays its historic railroad equipment year-round at
the Port Jervis Transportation History Center in Port Jervis, New York. For more information, please
visit www.OperationToyTrain.org.
The Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc. was formed in 1964 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit
educational organization dedicated to the preservation of New Jersey’s rich railroad heritage. The
group actively restores and operates historic railroad equipment, publishes The Block Line magazine
and other railroad books, and holds railroad events to involve the public in New Jersey railroad history.
Learn more at www.TriStateRail.org.
The Danbury Railway Museum is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization
dedicated to the preservation and education of railway history in the northeast United States. Located
in downtown Danbury, Connecticut, the museum campus includes Danbury’s original 1903 train
station, a ten-acre railyard, and over 75 pieces of historic railroad equipment. For more information,
please visit the DRM website at www.DanburyRail.org, or find the organization on Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram.
The Delaware & Ulster Railroad is the operating arm of the Catskill Revitalization Corporation, a
501(c)(3) non-profit economic development organization that owns much of the former Catskill
Mountain Branch of the New York Central. The Delaware & Ulster is a heritage railroad that operates
historic railroad equipment on special event and dinner trains along the line between Arkville and
Roxbury, New York. For more information or to book your ride, visit www.DURR.org.