Lehigh Valley Railroad Survivors
Updates:
 

February - July 2003, foolishly didnt think to keep track of updates as survivors rolled in! oh-well. 41 locomotives found as of July 2003.

July 8, 2003 - added info about the 2 possible SW9 survivors.

August 8, 2003, one of the SW9 confirmed surviving! added LV282 to the list. Total is now 42.

August 14, 2003 - added Baldwin and GE centercab info. added new locomotive chart/table.

August 18, 2003 - added SW9 292 to the 1976 roster, I hadnt accounted for her before. (her survivor status is unknown)

September 3, 2003 - added some links to some excellent current C420 and GP38-2 photos.

September 7, 2003 - added the LV tugboat "Cornell" to the survivors list.

September 12, 2003 - confirmed 4 U23B survivors! 501, 509, 510, 511. raising the survival total from 42 to 46.
                                and dropping the "unknowns" from 80 to 76!

September 17, 2003, added SW8 261 and 271 to the survivor list! both are in Canada. total is now 48. unknowns 74.

      ALSO! 7 LVRR doodlebugs still survive! As Sperry Rail cars! added them to the "others" list!

October 14, 2003  - added LV gondola # 34317 to the freight car survivors list.
                             also added 3 passenger cars: "queen anne" and 1553 & 1554.

October 20, 2003  - added 2 new pages! LV408 and LV95011

November 2, 2003 - added the page about the LV and Erie coal transfer trestle in Waverly.

November 15, 2003 - added info for several engines from "Comprehensive Guide to Industrial Locomotives" 1998 edition
                  added LV 268 as a survivor!! survivor total is now 49!
                                        also confirmed Amtrak 749 is actually LV 267.
                                        added Joshua Blay and Tom Hannon's tours to the "tours page"

 December 14, 2003  -    A sad update. for the first time, I have had to reduce the number of survivors!
                                        C420 409 & 415 have been confirmed scrapped. (click here for more info)
                                        Survivor total dropped from 49 to 47.
                                        But! another survivor found! SW8m 272 has been discovered in Lansing, NY.
                                        total back up to 48.

January 01, 2004 -         2 new engines found! total reaches 50 survivors!
                                       and, for the first time, the total confirmed surviving is greater than the total confirmed scrapped! :)
                                       Added U23B 512, on the Blacklands Railroad in Texas.
                                       and the first SW900 survivor, LV 130, on the Pecos Valley Southern, also in Texas.

January 16, 2004 -         added info about LV diner 1000, currently in Marietta, GA as the "Tuscurora Club"
                                      also added NS retirement of GP38AC 310, 312, 313.

February 2, 2004 -         Another unit confirmed scrapped. :(   LV Alco S2 159 / BSOR 106. scrapped at the steel mill in Buffalo.

March 1, 2004   -           Another survivor found! Alco S4 #166, survivor total is now 51.
                                       Also! added the "Sayre U23B" page!
                                       And! added new aerial photos of Sayre to the "Tour of Sayre" page.
                                       but wait! theres more! added new survivng structures to the "others" page.

March 14, 2004     -        Added a bunch of Alco S2 and S4 photos! on the S2 page, and the S4 page.
                                       Also added more RS11 Slug photos.
                                       And, more photos of SW900m 126.

April 19, 2004       -        Added LV boxcar 66523 to the "others" page.
                                       also added a new photo of  Transmodal U23B 2778

June 1, 2004        -          a new survivng caboose! LV 95047, Canastota, NY
                                       LV Alco S2 164 confirmed still surviving in Claymont, Delaware

July 1, 2004       -           Added a new tour to the "tours page" - Towanda Monroeton Shippers Lifeline.
                                      Added a new link, LVRR Historical Society.

July 11,2004     -            New survivor found! SW8 259. survivor total reaches 53!
                                      Added new photo of U23B 503 (WIMX 2779)
                                      Gave the updates their own page..

September 1, 2004 -      added new photo and webpage for LVRR Tugboat "Cornell"
                                      confirmed SW8m 252 is in fact operating at Dresden NY, lettered as CR 8666. survivors goes up by one more!  54 found.
                                      LV U23B 509 confirmed opearting in Anneville, PA, as Pennsy Supply 2785.

January 14, 2005           Added Rochester junction tour by Joseph Muto to the tours page.

February 16, 2005        added Paige Miller's "Spring Creek Trestle" tour to the tours page.

February 22, 2005        Added RDC 40 & 41 to the "others" list.

June 22, 2005               Made new lists for the LV Caboose survivors.

December 5, 2005        Did a much needed makeover for the surviving locomotives list..prettied it up.

January 3, 2006           Sad news...several of the U23B's are falling to the torch..
                                    501 was scrapped in 2005
                                    510 was in line to be scrapped in January 2006, might have a reprieve, uncertain as of 1/3/2006.
                                    a third unit is not long for this world..
                                    the survivor count falls by one..from 54 to 53.
                                    Sadly, we cant save them all..its just business..these units are too far gone.
                                    but at least one of the U23B's is being preserved! should arrive in Sayre in 2006.

January 16, 2006         New Survivor found!! SW8 275 is stored in Minnesota, as Amtrak 750.
                                   Survivor total jumps back up to 54.

June 19, 2006            Sad update.. LV GP38AC 310 has been scrapped. :(
                                  She must have been too far gone for the NS GP38 rebuild program.
                                  The following note appeared on the railfan lists:

                                "i noticed Cr #580374 with the sad duty of carrying ex lv/cr/ns #2881
                                cut up in same gon. it went over the hump,according to hump cndr carded for
                                roanoke va,which mean s a 15t/35q trip. I climbed up into the car,(hope no
                                bosses reading this)to verify the number,and did get disposable camera
                                photo's of it's hump trip,but if we're correct on the number Ex-lv gp-38ac # 311
                                is no more. proably a victim of a worn out frame. suprisingly the top of the cab
                                was cut off & put in the gondola upside down,with the horn still attached.
                                soneone did remove the two numberboards though."

                               (the poster mistakenly called the until LV311, but we confirmed it was NS 2881/ LV 310)

                                Survivor total drops by one..from 54 to 53.

                               LV 311 and 312 have already gone through the NS rebuilding program, so their future is secure
                               for many more years to come.
                               313 is still stored..hopefully she will also be rebuilt and get a new lease on life.

July 3, 2006           LV GP38AC 310 is NOT, repeat NOT, scrapped afterall! :)
                             There was a good deal of confusion for a few weeks, but in the end it was only her CAB that was seen,
                             No the whole scrapped engine. And the NS GP38 rebuild program gives the locos NEW cabs!
                             See this thread for the whole saga.
                             All FOUR of the LV GP38AC's are now confirmed going through the NS rebuild program!
 

October 2, 2006   Added two new survivors to the list! SW900M 125 and SW9 288.
                             Survivor total jumps up to 56.

March 19, 2007  - added the sad info that GP9 301 was in fact scrapped..I suspected it all along, but now we know.
                              added info that all four GP38AC's are now confirmed rebuilt and in operation with NS!
                              LV SW8 273 Found! :) Survivor total jumps by one to 57 units.

August 2007     - LV U23B 510 reported moving from Annville, PA to RMDI, Pittston, PA. no further details. renumbured to BDLX 2786.
 

March 12, 2008  - Added new information about LV 112 being sold and future plans for her restoration!

May 13, 2008 - Added info about LV U23B 508 being sold and repainted, now with "Lafarge" in Alliance, Ohio.

June 10, 2008 - Added info about U23B 512, scrapped in early 2008. Survivor count drops from 58 to 57 units.

November 18, 2008 - added info about LV U23B 510 moving to RMDI, and added new photos of LV 510 and 511 at RMDI.

November 19, 2008 - One of the "status unknown" units was confirmed scrapped. LV SW8 257 was confimed scrapped in NJ in the late 1990's.


October 2009 - FIVE! big updates for the LV survivors list:


LV 1000, passenger car, was sadly scrapped..I moved her data here:

LV 1000  - Dining car , located in Marietta, GA.     -(2003)
                     
The following is from "The Route of the Weekend Chief", by Mike Boland, published in the Autumn 1995 issue of The Keystone. 
posted here by "jhdeasy"

In August 1961, the LIRR purchased Lehigh Valley # 1000, an arch-roof diner with an aluminum kitchen and a charcoal stove. During the late 1961 summer season, it saw brief service with white-coated waiters on train # 28, "The Weekender." The car was later named TUSCARORA CLUB. Dining car service was upgraded for its inauguration during the 1962 season. Service was offered on Fridays on train # 26, "The East Ender." On Sunday evening, it returned to the city with full-course dinners available. At other times, when the car was in service, evening snacks and continental breakfasts were served." 

"At the end of the 1964 season, dining car service was discontinued. While it was a clever idea, it was an expensive proposition. McNamara went ahead with it because his able assistant, Willie Wilson, oversaw its operation. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more trouble than it was worth; the railroad was not adequately prepared to operate it. Stocking the car with provisions for two dinner runs a week that began over 100 miles apart (Jamaica and Montauk) proved to be too difficult. Still, it lasted for three seasons and the car was used as a 48 seat lounge after its kitchen was closed." 

Diner TUSCARORA CLUB, various heavyweight parlor cars and open platform observation car JAMAICA were used for a New York Chapter NRHS excursion from New York to Montauk and return on Sunday September 30, 1962. The excursion ticket was $12; a buffet dinner was available on TUSCARORA CLUB for an additional $4. 

In 1963, leaving Montauk at 6:43 PM on Sunday nights, "The Sundowner" had two or three Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 diesels, eight parlors, a diner and at least six P72 coaches. 

In 1964, diner service (presumably on TUSCARORA CLUB) was offered on the following trains: 
-- train # 16 "The Advance Cannonball" on Thursday 
-- train # 26 "The Weekender" on Friday (first section) 
-- train # 4011 "The Sundowner" on Sunday 
-- train #3 "The Cannonball" on Monday 

The car was deadheaded east to Montauk on Sunday night train # 4020 to position it for its westbound revenue run to Jamaica on train # 3 on Monday morning. 

TUSCARORA CLUB was used by the PRR in the consist of an all-parlor car special train from New York to Philadelphia and return for the 1964 Army-Navy football game. 

click here: http://www.dominionrailvoyages.com/jhd/lirr/heavyweight_tuscarora_club.html 
for more info on this car.

Update!  LV 1000, now known as the "Tuscarora club" was sold at Auction on October 29, 2008.
here are some details from her auction listing:

Tuscarora Club 2037 heavy-weight dining car 
· Approximately 80' long and 9' to 10' wide 
· Originally built in 1917; wheel stamp March 1917 
· Rebuilt in 1953 by Lehigh Valley as 48-seat dining car 
· Acquired by Long Island Rail Road in August 1961 
· Briefly numbered 2005 before being assigned number LIRR2037 
· Removed from service in 1964 
· Car has been side tracked since early 1970s 
· For more information on the history and noteworthy reference in publications, see this document. 
· Small kitchen in rear of car with original coal-burning oven; coal still in oven from last use 
· Modernized with central air ducts and electric baseboard heating 
· Extensive baseboard electrical outlets 
· Hyatt M-3383 stamp on wheel 
· No restroom 
· Previously used as a dining room for restaurant with kitchen in adjacent building 
· Last owner's ancestors brought the rail line to Marietta in the 1800s 
· Car is side-tracked adjacent to the Marietta Depot Building circa 1899 
· No restaurant or kitchen equipment is included 
· Needs restoration 
· Sits on CSX railroad right-of-way with active CSX track approximately 20ft. away 
No real estate is included in this sale, only the train car and contents as listed above 
Marietta, GA
 Condition = 3 Sold as pictured, item has not been tested. We have made no attempt to evaluate this merchandise other than picturing it.
 


1911 - Built new for the Lehigh Valley by Pullman as baggage club car LV 1000.

1929 - Rebuilt by the LV to a full club car.

1939 - Rebuilt by the LV in 1939 for assignment to the "John Wilkes"

1953 - Rebuilt by the LV with 24 dining seats and 22 club seats. modernized with streamlined appearance.

1961 - Sold to the Long Island Railroad, august 1961. Briefly numbered 2005 before being assigned number LIRR 2037,
named TUSCARORA CLUB by the LIRR.

1970 - May - rebuilt to full parlor car by LIRR, Kitchen removed. rebuilt using parts from retired 2011 MONTAUK, and renumbured
LIRR 2037 ONTEORA (2nd). The new name (ONTEORA) was applied to the car at a later date, sometime between
June 1971 and 1972.

1972-1974 - sold to private owner.

1974 - Moved to Marietta GA and made part of a restaurant complex.

2008 - The owner of the former restaurant needs to sell the car, the city of Marietta tells her they want her to get rid of the car, claiming it is "deteriorated, unsightly and detracts from the community." The owner puts out pleas to the railfan community, asking for help in finding it a home, and letting us know the car needs to be sold at auction.

2008 - October 29 - LV1000 is sold at auction for $423, bought by GVT, future plans of her owners are as yet unknown.

2009 - October - the car is scrapped in place, never moved from the restaurant in Marietta. CSX would not move the car on its own wheels, citing its age and condition. GVT offered the car "as is where is" plus $2500 to anyone who wanted to relocate the car and save it. they had no takers. Moving the car out by truck was not an option, not economically sound..only option remaining was to scrap the car.

data above from these sources:
http://www.lvrrmodeler.net/
http://www.dominionrailvoyages.com/jhd/lirr
viewtopic.php?f=63&t=4088&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scottychaos/LVRR.html




September - October 2009 - The 2nd October update:
Sadly another LV U-boat is scrapped!
LV 511, stored for many years at RMDI in Pittston, PA (at the former LV coxton yard) is scrapped.
The unit was in bad shape..

501 was scrapped at RMDI in 2005.
511 was scrapped at RMDI in 2009.

This leaves only one LV U23 remaining at RMDI, LV 510.
which is good shape! and was last operating in 2007.
the unit is now BDLX 2786. Will this be the LV U23B to go to Sayre?? hopefully!

LV Surviving locomotive count drops from 57 to 56 units..

Thanks to Travis Prevost for keeping an eye on the status of LV 511, and confirming when she was finally scrapped.




October 2009. - the Third update for October 2009, LV "Tool Car" 94141 exists in Ithaca NY.
with the small display at the LVRR Ithaca station. (was once the "Station Resturant", is now (in 2009) a Chemung Canal Bank branch
Faint "Lehigh Valley" lettering is visible across the top, under the paint, and a road number is faintly visible on both sides..(you can see the raised outline of the old lettering under the newer green paint..the lettering was simply painted over, but thankfully not removed before painting..)  
It is LV car 94140...
looking through  "Lehigh Valley Railroad Passenger Cars, photo and diagram book No.1 " LV 94140 ended its LV career as a "service car"..its a coach converted to work train service at Sayre..
94140 began life as an 800 or 900 series coach, built by Pullman in 1914.
I dont yet know its original number..

Click here: http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?board=LV;action=display;num=1256836046  for photos of LV 91414



The fourth update for October 2009..could these be two of the missing Texas U-boats???
Their exact identity is not yet confirmed..but they could be LV 505, 506 or 507!!

click here:
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=89&p=726658
For more details..




And the Fifth update for October 2009..
a new LV wood caboose has been discovered! :)
It is LVRR caboose  # 97566.
Original a wood baggage car, converted to a Caboose at Sayre.
it was sold at auction on October 10, 2009, in Kempton, PA.
Caboose will be moved to _________ in November 2009.
check here:
http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?board=LV;action=display;num=1254916193
for details and photos.



UPDATES March 14, 2011

Update!
New LV caboose found! :P

a few weeks ago Roger Kirkpatrick sent me this link:

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8Q ... Lee_MA_USA

showing a mystery LV caboose in Lee, Massachusetts.
I did a little digging, and discovered its located at the "Sullivan Station Restaurant"
I emailed the restaurant, asking if they knew the Conrail number, or any other numbers..
they wrote back and said their caboose was Conrail 18679.
which according to: http://crcaboose.railfan.net/renum.htm
makes it LV 95004!



Another LV caboose found! but its LV number is currently unknown.
again, thanks to Roger Kirkpatrick for tracking this one down.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tall_dude/5503268503/in/pool-73276185@N00
This caboose belongs to the "Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway." of Iowa.
and it is their caboose No. 755? (cant tell the middle digit from the photo, I think its a 5)
AAR reporting marks CIC.
CIC also has two ex-Reading North Eastern cabooses.



Big news! one of the parade float models built at the Sayre shops has been FOUND! in California:
see this thread for details:
http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?bo ... 1287897981
I assumed it was steel, but it might be made of wood.
(although it looks like metal..)
Dominic, the owner, never did respond with his plans for it..
but its continued survival at this point is probably quite secure.
see the "other" page for more detail.



Updated some sad news on two LV U-boats.
LV 508 is now LTEX 2784. this could be a bad sign.
and LV 509 is now OOS, (since 2009) she was known operating in 2004.
See the locomotives page for more details.


 LV 414 has been sold! To the Delaware-Lackawanna railroad.
see the locomotive page for more details.



 

Last updated March 14, 2011

Back to Lehigh Valley Railroad Survivors.