B&H # 11 Sold by the M&NJ

cjvrr · **Posted:** Tue Nov 14, 2006 10:09 am

Group,

I received the following message from the M&NJRHS this morning;

Quote:

....Incidentally, for those of you who haven't yet heard, M&NJ/B&H 2-6-0 No. 11 has been sold to a businessman in Pennsylvania who operates a short line south of Altoona. Yet another chapter in the M&NJ story comes to an end.

The author was Kurt Bell of the M&NJRHS.

I am not familiar with any shortlines in the Altoona area. Does anyone know what RR this is going to?

Chris

Jim Vaitkunas · **Posted:** Tue Nov 14, 2006 10:42 am

A short historical note on B&H No. 11.

Built by Alco in 1923, the loco was reportedly destined for a Cuban sugar operation. The Narragansett Pier Railroad (NPRR) purchased the loco new in 1923. The NPRR operated from the interchange with the New Haven Railroad in West Kingston, Rhode Island to Narragansett Pier, about 10 miles to the east on Narragansett Bay. In 1937, No. 11 was sold to the Bath and Hammondsport and later still the loco ended up in a rail "museum" tourist operation in New York State operated/sponsored by Dr. Sidney Groman called Rail City.

[Sidebar: I cut my railroading teeth working for the NPRR in the 1960s as a trackman, brakeman, conductor and engineer. Yikes! Did I say the 60s?]

A bit of trivia. The recent President of the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad, Tony Hannold also cut his railroading teeth on the NPRR in the 1960s and then went from there to the Bath & Hammondsport to run that line in the 1970s. Interesting parallel. Fortunately Tony didn't end up in a defunct rail museum in up-state new York like old No. 11. Tony later went on to create and operate the DO (designated operator) shortlines on the Delmarva peninsula formed from old PRR branches before he went west to organize and operate the independent Arkansas and Missouri RR.

Thanks!

Metman499 · **Joined:** Mon May 09, 2005 8:16 pm **Posts:** 80

South of Altoona to me means the Everett Railroad which operates in the area of Holidaysburg.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:37 pm

"A businessman in Penna. who operates a shortline south of Altoona"

Not getting into the man's name, but it's either the Everett RR or...........

Well, technically, the South Branch Valley/Potomac Eagle is south of Altoona............ and so is Cass Scenic, but that's a state operation...... but Durbin & Greenbrier Valley isn't.............

and so is the Western Md. Scenic, but that's not a "businessman's" operation.........

Buckingham Branch? Shenandoah Valley RR? Hmmm, Spencer's "south" of Altoona............. so is the New Hope Valley............ and the South Carolina RR Museum......... and Savannah...........