It has been a while since I have posted an update from the McHugh Locomotive shop so this one is a little long. Next week we will be shipping the Trudie Marie out to a private owner. She was a total basket case when she came to the shop and is leaving looking just as pretty as her name sounds. This GE 25-ton diesel has been converted from standard to 3-foot gauge and every component has been completely rebuilt or replaced with new items. For ease of maintenance the large doors on the hoods were split and double hinged. We have converted the gauge on multiple locomotives over the years. If your narrow-gauge operation can’t find a locomotive, we’ll make one.

Seen above, file this under saved from the torch. We save what we can. We have purchased a GE 65-ton center cab from the former Delaware Coast Line Railroad. It has been transported to our shop where it remains in storage. We felt it is a good candidate for rebuilding and is available. We are willing to work out favorable terms for your railroad if this locomotive will suit your needs.

Above you can see we are also hard at work on a 1940s vintage GE 80-ton diesel for the US Navy. The locomotive is stripped down to her bones and will be totally refurbished and returned like new. You can some of the piping installed by our team. All of our rebuilds get all new pipe, tubing, and wiring. One of the things I have come to appreciate about our shop is the experience our team has in selecting replacement parts that are on-the-shelf, reliable, and easy-to-maintain when dealing with these older diesel locomotives. When the locomotive is returned to the Navy, it will be ready for decades of reliable service.

In March we also started a rebuild of a power plant for an American Locomotive Crane for an industrial customer in the Midwest. The GE-1519D1 main generator had a broken shaft, the clutch assembly was worn out, and the D/D 671 engine required repairs. The main generator and clutch assembly are complete, and the remaining work is underway. Nobody has our knowledge and experience with diesel locomotive cranes.

The photos above show something we're excited about. Over the last year McHugh Locomotive has worked in partnership with the Strasburg Rail Road on several projects. During 2022 the Strasburg Rail Road assisted McHugh with making repairs to a fleet of 50 in-plant railcars which was a great project that I worked on personally. McHugh Locomotive provided services to Strasburg that included rebuilding and installing 4 D-77 traction motors for one of their EMD switchers. McHugh also performed some electrical repairs to both of Strasburg’s diesels.

Shown above, on February 18, 2023, McHugh Locomotive hosted a customer appreciation event at the Strasburg Rail Road. Over 120 customers from various Class I, shortline, and industrial railroads along with those from the rail preservation industry joined us in celebrating the iron horse with a number of special trains and tours at Strasburg and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Throughout the day the our guests were treated to a doubleheader, a mixed freight with 89, museum tour, dinner train, and night photo session. We have enjoyed working with the Strasburg Rail Road and the door is open for more cooperation in the future. One of our customers commented that McHugh Locomotive is the Strasburg of the diesel world. We’ll take that compliment.

Tom Gears
McHugh Locomotive & Equipment

Although my personal locomotive is still a work in progress as shop time becomes available, it's worth the wait to know that she is getting the royal treatment, and that anything less is not an option.

I have to say that once again, the Mc Hugh Steam Special was the best of good times for all those lucky enough to be there. Strasburg Railroad really put on a fine show for us, and despite their small size, managed to give us a wonderful variety of photo locations, consists, and runbys. Finally, Kurt Bell made sure that not a single minute of our day went to waste, with his informative and entertaining guided tour of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Thanks to JC & Annie McHugh, Tommy Gears, & The Strasburg Railroad !!