As we prepare to put 2021 in the rear-view mirror, we would like to thank our many customers for keeping the shop and service departments at McHugh Locomotive & Equipment very busy over the past year. We have several heritage railroads and short line restorations projects happening at the McHugh shop including H.K. Porter 1913 built steam locomotive No. 6 for private owner Sammy King. Our shop has also completed many repair & return projects for clients throughout the United States. This even includes rebuilding traction motors for a long-distance customer located in Hawaii.

Our service department has been extremely busy with numerous on-site diesel locomotive repair projects for various freight railroads, industrial rail operations, and heritage rail lines. A recent noteworthy on-site project was performed at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad during November 2021.

A McHugh Company convoy of service trucks and tractor-trailers arrived at the WMSR’s Ridgley, WV shop complex in the afternoon on Sunday 11/14/21, and work began on Monday morning at 6:30 am. This work included heavy repairs and general services to three diesel locomotives. One locomotive had both old truck assemblies removed and was placed onto dummy shop trucks that were hauled by truck to the job site from our facility. The two removed truck assemblies were then shipped by McHugh tractor-trailers to our shop and are currently being rebuilt at the McHugh shop. WMSR’s F-40 locomotive No. 450 had one of its axle wheelsets replaced along with some other mechanical work. Their EMD GP-30 No. 501 had both truck assemblies removed and had various repairs made to them, including replacing two failed traction motors, one in each truck assembly. The No. 501 also had some general repairs made and both Nos. 450 and 501 were back in service on Friday afternoon 11/19, ready for the busy holiday season.

The WMSR’s executive director Wesley Heinz, invited JC McHugh and his wife Ann, to see the final stages of work being performed by the WMSR staff to steam locomotive No. 1309. Mr. Heinz informed the McHugh’s that the WMSR was a 501-C3 non-profit corporation and that any assistance they could provide with the cost of the project to the railroad would be greatly appreciated. The McHugh’s decided to help support the WMSR and donated the two replacement EMD traction motors for GP-30 No. 501 locomotive and the replacement axle wheelset for the F-40 No. 450 locomotive.

If you have not seen it already, keep a lookout for our heritage railway full-page advertisement on the rear cover of the December 2021 issue of Railfan & Railroad magazine. McHugh has a long history aiding historic rail operations with top-quality workmanship performed safely and efficiently.

You don't have to be a tax exempt non-profit to get a good deal from Mc Hugh... they've given me every break they can, even though I'm what you might describe as a non profit tax payer.

Sure is nice to know that we have a quality, capable heavy duty shop doing excellent work, especially with the recent failure of Wasatch RR Contractors. The industry needs all the quality contractors it can get.

Happy New Year, Ross Rowland