A story I'd never heard before. Read the caption and then look at the photo link:

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?o ... R_38_T.jpg

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?o ... IRR_38.jpg

Hi Bob, Hi All,

This story is accurate.

The specifcs of why Campenella was given the cast number plate escapes me at the moment. It may have been that his jersey number was 39 and that was it. He was a New York sports star and the Keystone was removed and presented to him shortly before the locomotive left the yard for Stony Brook.

To the best of my knowledge, the whereabouts of Campenella's 39 Keystone are unknown. It was said in conversation once that the number plate was sold at auction following his death.

If anyone knows where it is, the Railroad Museum of Long Island would love to speak with the current owner(s).

de Don, n2qhvRMLI

When LIRR closed steam operations, legend says the last four G5's were offered to the various counties through which the railroad operated. Brooklyn and Queens turned down their locomotives, Nassau County accepted and got #35, Suffolk declined, but Ward Melville of the Carriage House Museum in Stony Brook accepted. Jim Schultz, a LIRR executive came up with the donation idea, and Thomas Goodfellow, who was President had no interest in which loco were preserved. Since #35 and #39 were the last two locos operated, they were chosen. Interestingly, #50 and #24, LIRR's last steamer and one from the first batch were available, but overlooked. Roy Campanella was a Brooklyn Dodgers catcher. Campy had been paralyzed in a catastrophic car accident. The man was much beloved, and LIRR gave him #39's number plate as a gift. #38 had been consigned to the torch, so her number plate was assigned to the 39, and therein lays the mystery. After the Carriage House decided to build an addition, the 39 was turned over to preservationist and is at the RRNofLI today, and about to undergo restoration to operation. Campanella's family was contacted for the plate, but they reported back that they had no idea of were it was, or what happened to it. Campy, no doubt, had a huge collection of memorabilia, and it may have gone to any collection, anywhere. Has any tried the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown? May have simply gone out in the trash (but I doubt it).
My father was the track engineer who placed #39 on display in 1956. I recently scanned the slide collection he shot of that movement.