New Hope Railroad 40

ClassN/ANumbersNicknamesDeliveredDecember 3, 1925Retired1947 (1st retirement)
1962 (2nd retirement)
June 1967 (3rd retirement)
1986 (4th retirement)Restored1947 (1st restoration)
August 6, 1966 (2nd restoration)
1975 (3rd restoration)
June 22, 1991 (4th restoration)Current ownerNew Hope RailroadDispositionOperationalReferences:^[1][2]

New Hope Railroad 40 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in December 1925 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Lancaster and Chester Railroad (L&C) in Lancaster, South Carolina. No. 40 is the only operating steam locomotive on the New Hope Railroad in New Hope, Pennsylvania. As of 2023, No. 40 is operational at the New Hope Railroad, pulling excursion trains.

No. 40 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in early December 2, 1925 for the Lancaster and Chester Railroad of Lancaster, South Carolina for the price of $25,125.96.^[1][3] Upon arriving on L&C's property, it was placed into service hauling freight trains between the railroad's customers and the Southern Railway interchange in Catawba, South Carolina.^[1] Being one of the railroad's largest engines, it was put on the main train from Lancaster to Catawba, but was later used as a backup engine for the railroad's other steamers.^[1]

In 1947, after L&C dieselized their entire roster, No. 40 was retired and sold to the Cliffside Railroad, a short line in North Carolina, were it was refurbished and put into service.^[2][1] During its entire tenure on the Cliffside, the relatively diminutive 80-ton 2-8-0 was the largest locomotive the railroad owned, earning it the nickname, "The Big Engine."^[4] However, the locomotive was not used much as it was often overpowered for the small switching jobs and sharp track, compared to the smaller 2-6-2 also owned by the railroad. The locomotive was used by the railroad to mainly haul textile trains, waste product trains and scrap metal trains.^[5]

After being retired for a second time in 1962, the Cliffside Railroad sold the No. 40 to Steam Trains Inc., located in New Hope, Pennsylvania.^[1] No. 40 was the first piece of equipment purchased by the group, in hoping to find a branch line to run it on. No. 40 was initially moved to Reading Company's yard in Wilmington, Delaware. The company initially planned to use the former Reading Company branchline located between Bridgeport, NJ and East Falls, PA. However, the Reading would be taken over by Conrail, and later, the Norfolk Southern would use the branchline other services. Fortunately, the Reading had another branchline that they had not used since 1954. The company decided to settle their operations in New Hope, PA. In the process, the company was renamed the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad. The No. 40 was then moved to the Reading Company shops in St. Clair, Pennsylvania with the rest of Steam Trains Inc.'s equipment. In 1966, Steam Trains Inc. was reorganized as the New Hope Railroad and moved all of its equipment, including 40, to the former Reading Company yard in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The No. 40 was restored to running condition in August 1966, and with ex-Canadian National 4-6-0 No. 1533, began running excursion trains on the line.^[1]

Even though No. 40 was operational at the time, it remained mostly a static display and was sidelined as a backup engine due to No. 1533 reportedly being more easier to run and fire and was more popular with engine crews.^[2][1] No. 40 only saw limited service in the summer of 1967 when No. 1533 would be taken out of service for repairs, but went silent again for the next seven years.^[1] No. 40 would eventually become a regular part of the operating fleet again by the New Hope & Ivyland's new owners, the McHugh Brothers, who began rebuilding it in 1974.^[1] By 1975, No. 40's rebuilt was completed and returned to service, operating alongside the railroads third engine, former US Army 0-6-0 No. 9.^[1]

In the late 1970s in addition to No. 40 being taken out of service for repairs, the New Hope and Ivyland's passenger operations were handed over to the newly formed New Hope Steam Railway. From 1981 to 1986, No. 40 shared excursion responsibilities with No. 9 during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and would operate both on and off home rails. During this time, the locomotive was the main workhorse for the railroad, due to No. 1533 being sidelined for an overhaul.^[1] One of its offline runs took place in 1985 when it ventured down to the Fairless Works of U.S. Steel in nearby Morrisville, Pennsylvania as part of a weekend-long open house for plant employees and their families.^[1] When the New Hope Railroad's leadership changed in late 1986, No. 40 was withdrawn from service once again for repairs, with various diesel engines taking its place hauling passenger excursion trains for the next four years.^[1]

In 1990, the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, now New Hope Railroad, came under new ownership and No. 40 was rebuilt to operational condition by shop forces from the Strasburg Rail Road, returning to operation on June 22, 1991.^[1][3] The locomotive was taken out of service again in 2011 for some minor boiler work, but was eventually returned to service to pull excursion trains. In 2014, the locomotive was taken out of service for its 1,472 FRA mandated inspection and overhaul, eventually being returned to service on November 24, 2017.^[1][2]

On May 18, 2019, No. 40 powered four excursions over the SEPTA Lansdale/Doylestown Line in Montgomery County between North Wales and Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania as part of North Wales Borough's Sesquicentennial celebrations.^[6] This would be the locomotive's first trip on the mainline since 1985. As of 2023, the locomotive is operational, pulling excursion trains on the New Hope Railroad. It holds the claim as the only operational steam locomotive on the railroad.^[1]

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